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Picture of young man writing letter in prison. Photo copyright Andrew Aitcheson

Penal Reform

Too many children and young people and too many women - some of the most vulnerable people in society - are sent to prison for non-violent offences.

Alternatives to custodial sentences do exist and have been shown to be more effective in many cases, yet they are often not used.

Evidence suggests that if this doesn't change, rates of reoffending will remain high, the root causes of offending will remain untackled and the people who are most at risk will fail to get the support they need.

Our aim is to promote fair treatment and better futures for the most vulnerable people in the criminal justice system.

We are supporting two initiatives to promote the development of government policies that encourage the use of alternative solutions to offending by women, children and young people:

 

Through supporting Out of Trouble and the Corston Independent Funders' Coalition, we want to raise awareness among policy-makers, sentencers, the media and the public that imprisoning vulnerable groups is an ineffective - and often unjust - response to non-violent offending.

Why are so many young people in England and Wales sentenced to custody?

New research from Out of Trouble uncovers the real circumstances and backgrounds of children custody.

New research from Out of Trouble uncovers the real circumstances and backgrounds of children custody.

find out more...