Time for change advocates for a transformative approach to the criminal justice system (CJS) through strengthened collaboration between the government and civil society. It emphasises a shift from punitive measures to rehabilitation, focusing on prevention and addressing systemic issues such as institutional racism and the treatment of women.

The report is based on insights from six consultations held in early 2024, highlighting the need for a fair and effective CJS that engages individuals with lived experience and prioritises evidence-based policies. Key recommendations include improving victim services, enhancing prison conditions, tackling institutional biases, and fostering a more equitable and rehabilitative justice system. The CJA calls on the new government to partner with civil society to implement these reforms.

In this response to the National Audit Office’s survey into improving resettlement support for people leaving prison, we worked with over 40 members to focus on how the government can better provide access to education and employment to prison leavers and strengthen their family relationships. We call for a cross-government national resettlement strategy.

In this response to the Children’s Commissioner’s call for evidence for the Family Review, we specifically focus on how the Children’s Commissioner can improve the outcomes of children who are experiencing parental and family imprisonment. We call on the Children’s Commissioner to explicitly promote and protect the rights of these children, for a statutory process to be introduced to identify these children, and for family support services for those in prison and children and families in the community to have adequate and sustainable funding.

In this response to the Prisons Strategy White Paper, we call on the government to reduce the prison population and divert its investment for new prison building into improving the existing prison estate. We also set out measures to better support people in or leaving prison with employment, family ties and resettlement.

The government recently announced it would publish a White Paper setting out prison reforms to cut reoffending. In this briefing, we set out what the government should include in the Prisons White Paper, mapping the practical steps necessary to ensure everyone in prison or leaving prison has access to meaningful education and employment, as well as support to maintain family ties and positive social relationships. We highlight how the government can reduce the prison population while ensuring safer communities. The briefing draws on the expertise of CJA members working in these areas.

This joint briefing from a coalition of criminal justice organisations outlines how 10 clauses in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill will deepen racial inequality in the criminal justice system, and without evidence that they will reduce crime or improve public safety. We draw on the government’s own equality assessments, which acknowledge that most of the provisions reviewed in this briefing are indirectly discriminatory. We also highlight the government’s lack of evidence that they are a ‘proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim’ and the lack of sufficient mitigation of their impact on Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.

This briefing from a coalition of criminal justice and race equality organisations explores how the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill could deepen racial inequality in the criminal justice system. It analyses the equality impact assessments behind the Bill, and calls for the government to withdraw the discriminatory measures and launch a proper public consultation.

We wrote to the Ministry of Justice in March, setting out our concerns that the government’s Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill will deepen racial inequality in the criminal justice system and asking for further details on how the government has assessed the disproportionate impact of the legislation. We have received a response from the justice secretary providing more detail.

We recently worked with members to respond to the government’s sentencing White Paper, identifying positive elements of the proposals, highlighting our concerns, and making recommendations for fair and effective sentencing. In this letter with an accompanying annex, the government responds to our briefing, discussing areas such as community sentences, problem-solving courts, probation, youth justice and more.

In this response to the government’s White Paper on sentencing, the CJA and members highlight the positive elements of the government’s sentencing plans, as well as identifying areas of concern. The response also makes wide-ranging recommendations for government to create a criminal justice system which diverts people away from the dead end of prison and gives individuals the best chance at a life away from life

In this response to the Ministry of Justice’s consultation on Strengthening the Independent Scrutiny Bodies through Legislation, the CJA discusses how scrutiny bodies such as the Prison and Probation Ombudsman, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons and Independent Monitoring Boards could be strengthened. The CJA also considers the advantages and disadvantages of England and Wales adopting the ‘Scottish Model’, where scrutiny is merged under one body.

Routes to Recovery draws on discussions with CJA members in virtual meetings in June and July. The report highlights challenges and good practice during COVID-19 across policing, courts, prisons, probation and resettlement, victims’ services, mental health and drug and alcohol services. The report also provides recommendations for policy makers, highlighting how they can build a better criminal justice system following the pandemic.

The CJA has sent a third COVID-19 briefing to the Justice Select Committee, discussing the government’s recovery planning for prisons and probation, and providing recommendations on prisoner release, testing, resettlement, the need for demographic data, and more.

In this briefing for the Women and Equalities Select Committee, the CJA discusses the impact of COVID-19 on those with protected characteristics within the criminal justice system.

Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) play a crucial role in tackling crime, addressing the needs of their communities, and ensuring the justice system is fair and effective. In this role, PCCs can stimulate local innovative practice, bring together organisations and individuals from across the criminal justice system to make these initiatives a success and make substantial change to the lives of people affected by crime.

This document highlights some of the main challenges facing the criminal justice system and provides practical innovative solutions that prospective PCCs could include in their manifestos for the 2020 elections.

On 24 June 2019, the CJA held a roundtable discussion on the topic of probation reforms, hosted by Lord Ramsbotham at the House of Lords. At a time of significant change for probation services, the event provided the opportunity for members to discuss the government’s response to the ‘Transforming Probation’ consultation, the proposed future model for probation and Lord Ramsbotham’s interim report on the future of probation

This briefing is the result of a round table event on 21 May 2019 organised by the CJA and Ministry of Justice for a group of CJA members to discuss the accommodation challenges faced by people leaving prison.

Our response to the Ministry of Justice’s consultation on probation highlights the need to build of positive and meaningful relationships between probation officers and the people they work with and increase confidence in community sentences.

This report considers where desistance stands at present, the barriers that may limit its further progress and the opportunities and risks afforded by current developments.

This report highlights the key elements of personalisation and examines how an agenda focused on it could be achieved within a justice reinvestment model.