Representation to the Spending Review 2021

Clinks welcomes the opportunity to submit this representation to the Spending Review 2021.

We agree that the first priority of the review should be “ensuring strong and innovative public services” and this should remain at the heart of the Build Back Better effort. A vital element of a strong and innovative criminal justice system is partnership working with the voluntary sector which has shaped and worked alongside the criminal justice system for over 200 years. Voluntary sector organisations working in criminal justice are vibrant and diverse. Some specialise in meeting the needs of a particular group of people, for example women, older people or racially minoritised people. Others focus on a particular issue, for example substance misuse, debt advice or housing. Some groups focus on a form of intervention, for example the arts, restorative justice and so on.

These organisations have expertise, knowledge and experience that make them crucial partners in the design, as well as the delivery of services. This response sets out our suggestions for how the government can address its priorities to cut crime and reduce reoffending, by building a strong and innovative criminal justice system that harnesses the knowledge and expertise of the voluntary sector.