User Voice - Only Offenders Can Stop Re-Offending

NEW VOLUNTEER ROLE: Development Intern

    


Job title:         Development Intern
Location:        London
Salary:            Voluntary, although reasonable travel expenses are reimbursed


Context
Our Mission: User Voice exists to reduce offending by presenting the voice of the most marginalised people in and around the criminal justice system to decision makers.

Why we’re effective: User Voice is an organisation led and delivered by ex-offenders, founded by Mark Johnson, award-winning social entrepreneur and author of his best selling memoir, Wasted. This gives us the unique ability to gain the trust of, access to, and insight from offenders within the criminal justice system.

Our impact: User Voice delivers a powerful rehabilitation experience for offenders, better criminal justice services and institutions, and policy change that will mainstream the inclusion of the user voice.

Person Specification
We require a forward thinking intern with strong research skills, a flair for writing and the ability to be proactive and work largely unsupervised. We are looking for a high caliber graduate, ideally in Politics or Criminology, with excellent IT skills and a genuine interest in criminal justice and social policy to help with the growth of this exciting and innovative organisation.

Hours
3-5 days a week for 8-12 weeks (flexible)

Key Responsibilities
·         Research background material for project and business development
·         Identify new funding opportunities
·         Assist with drafting funding applications
·         Collate and analyse data with some report writing
·         Some administrative duties

What this role can offer
·         Invaluable experience working within a criminal justice system based charity
·         A chance to develop existing skills and gain new ones
·         Work experience to add to your CV
·         Support from a motivated and enthusiastic team


Closing date: 20 June 2014

Interview & Start dates
Interviews will be on a rolling basis from 9 June 2014.
Closing date for applications is 20 June 2014, but note that we may appoint before the closing date.
Start date will be ASAP (flexible).

To apply: please send a CV and covering letter to Daniel Hutt at recruitment@uservoice.org, putting Development Intern in the subject line.   



Building a Rehabilitation Culture







On March 24, Professor and Director of the Institute of Criminology and Criminal Justice, School of at Queen’s Law University Belfast, Shadd Maruna gave a talk called “Creating a Rehabilitation Culture”. He cites User Voice as an illustration of his desistance theory in action.

In this talk, Shadd Maruna argues that desistance from crime necessitates the creation of a culture of rehabilitation. Successful rehabilitation must engage persons, families, communities and the state. He cites User Voice as an illustration of ex-offender led organisation building a culture of rehabilitation by its simple existence. Indeed, Maruna sees ex-offender led organisations like User Voice as living and breathing example of change.


If you would like to hear more about Shadd Maruna's ideas on ex-offender led organisation, User Voice and desistance from crime, check the video around 1:10 min.




Mark Johnson is Ashoka UK Fellow of the Month



User Voice’s founder, Mark Johnson, is Ashoka UK’s Fellow of the Month.

Ashoka UK helps create networks of “social entrepreneur” and selects Fellows on the basis of their personal drive to change the system within which they work. Mark Johnson was elected to the Ashoka Fellowship in 2011 and is now Fellow of the Month.

Look for updates here, as a number of media material, such as videos and podcast, will be published throughout the month.



Read more information on Mark Johnson and Ashoka UK here.

Read more information on Ashoka UK here.




NEW VACANCY: Evaluation & Impact Manager


Location: London
Salary: Up to £27,000 depending on experience 


User Voice exists to reduce re-offending by presenting the voice of offenders and ex-offenders to decision makers in the criminal justice system.

We establish and support Prison, Probation, Youth and Community Councils; undertake projects which enable agencies to access and act upon the insights of offenders; and present the case for service user engagement to a wide range of key audiences. 

User Voice seeks to recruit an exciting new post, an Evaluation & Impact Manager, leading our newly formed Evaluation & Research Team, based in London.

This is a fantastic opportunity to work in an innovative and growing charity that is at the forefront of gaining insight from criminal justice service users.

The primary role of the post will be to manage and assist in developing and maintaining effective systems for evaluating the impact of all User Voice’s work.

The successful candidates will have an evaluation background at a senior level with relevant academic education, experience of management projects and people to a high standard and a strong commitment to the values of User Voice.

We particularly welcome applications from ex-offenders and from all sections of the community regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age or disability.


Applicants should send a CV and a statement of their suitability outlining their experience against each point of the Person Specification to Recruitment at User Voice, 20 Newburn Street, London, SE11 5PJ or recruitment@uservoice.org.

Deadline for applications: Friday 23 May 2014.