Today User Voice submitted the response to the Ministry of Justice's (MoJ) Green Paper, Breaking the Cycle, from two focus groups held with young people and adults with personal experience of the criminal justice system. The consultations were sponsored by The Ministry of Justice, who recognised the importance of consulting with people with personal experience of the system and the unique ability of User Voice to gain insight from this group.
Participants were asked to respond to a number of questions contained in the Green Paper that were of direct relevance to their own personal experience, categorised under the following headings: punishment and payback, sentencing, working with communities to reduce crime and rehabilitating offenders to reduce crime.
The two focus groups included people from a range of ages, ethnicities, from different areas of the country and from academics and professionals, to those just out of prison and others who are currently on orders.
The submission can be downloaded here.
Youth Justice Board commits to improve practice in response to children and young people’s views
In new research and action plan launched today, the Youth Justice Board (YJB) has made a series of commitments to improve the safeguarding practice of their service providers.
The YJB and Office of the Children's Commission (OCC) commissioned User Voice to consult gather the views of children and young people in Young Offender Institutions, Secure Training Centres, Secure Children’s Homes and those under the supervision of Youth Offending Services in England.
This action plan comes as a direct result of the partnership between the OCC and the YJB listening to the powerful insights of young people about full searches, separation, complaints procedures and help lines in the secure estate. The action plan builds on operational reforms planned by the YJB.
The routine use of full searches will stop across the secure estate; there will be a review of the criteria used to separate young people in custody to manage problems that arise; complaints will be handled more fairly and effectively and; work will be undertaken with the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) and the Samaritans to improve the young people’s access to helpline services.
The safeguarding concerns raised by the young people will now be addressed by the YJB in a series of commitments including:
• Working with NOMS and consulting with young people to redesign the information available to them about the complaints system and delivering training and guidance to improve the quality of staff responses to complaints
• Re-affirming the commitment to only undertake full searches on a risk-led, rather than routine basis
• Providing gowns for the young people in STCs during any necessary full searches
• Working towards phasing out in YOIs the use of separation as a punishment or merely for the use of control.
Download the report, view the press release and joint statement from the YJB, OCC and User Voice here.
The YJB and Office of the Children's Commission (OCC) commissioned User Voice to consult gather the views of children and young people in Young Offender Institutions, Secure Training Centres, Secure Children’s Homes and those under the supervision of Youth Offending Services in England.
This action plan comes as a direct result of the partnership between the OCC and the YJB listening to the powerful insights of young people about full searches, separation, complaints procedures and help lines in the secure estate. The action plan builds on operational reforms planned by the YJB.
The routine use of full searches will stop across the secure estate; there will be a review of the criteria used to separate young people in custody to manage problems that arise; complaints will be handled more fairly and effectively and; work will be undertaken with the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) and the Samaritans to improve the young people’s access to helpline services.
The safeguarding concerns raised by the young people will now be addressed by the YJB in a series of commitments including:
• Working with NOMS and consulting with young people to redesign the information available to them about the complaints system and delivering training and guidance to improve the quality of staff responses to complaints
• Re-affirming the commitment to only undertake full searches on a risk-led, rather than routine basis
• Providing gowns for the young people in STCs during any necessary full searches
• Working towards phasing out in YOIs the use of separation as a punishment or merely for the use of control.
Download the report, view the press release and joint statement from the YJB, OCC and User Voice here.
Maidstone Prison Council election results
On 8 February staff and prisoners had the opportunity to vote for one of the 4 parties in their new Prison Council.
After months of training for prospective Council members and canvassing staff and prisoners, including the party spokesmen delivering speeches to the full staff meeting, it all came down to election day.
During the morning staff and prisoners voted in the Chapel in an authentic election process with ballot boxes and voting boths provided by the local Council's Democratic Services Team. After a tense wait for the votes to be counted the Chief Executive of the Council delivered the all important results.
60% of prisoners and 26% of staff voted. There are 20 seats on the Prison Council and the results were as follows:
After months of training for prospective Council members and canvassing staff and prisoners, including the party spokesmen delivering speeches to the full staff meeting, it all came down to election day.
During the morning staff and prisoners voted in the Chapel in an authentic election process with ballot boxes and voting boths provided by the local Council's Democratic Services Team. After a tense wait for the votes to be counted the Chief Executive of the Council delivered the all important results.
60% of prisoners and 26% of staff voted. There are 20 seats on the Prison Council and the results were as follows:
- Diversity & Equality – 9 Seats
- Resettlement – 7 seats
- Training & Education – 2 seats
- Community & Environment – 2 Seats
Further details are available here.
Excluded Youth Project ends in Parliament
What's Your Story
We have engaged around 1000 excluded young people about the reality of their experiences.
Over 600 have completed in-depth questionnaires with over 300 taking part in 22 discussion focus groups.
30 were voted in by their peers to speak to senior policy makers, politicians, business leaders and funders at an event on 2 December in Westminster recommending real solutions.
For further information, to download the report and watch the video click here.
We have engaged around 1000 excluded young people about the reality of their experiences.
Over 600 have completed in-depth questionnaires with over 300 taking part in 22 discussion focus groups.
30 were voted in by their peers to speak to senior policy makers, politicians, business leaders and funders at an event on 2 December in Westminster recommending real solutions.
For further information, to download the report and watch the video click here.
We have officially launched!
On Wednesday 26th May in Portcullis House, Westminster and hosted by Keith Vaz MP and Chair of the Home Affairs Committee, User Voice held its official launch event!
In the last year User Voice has concentrated on piloting a number of innovative projects and so the aim of the event was to explain the work we have done in prisons, probations and youth justice. We also wanted to let everyone know of our future plans and how their support and involvement is needed.
There were a number of speakers on the night who all gave invaluable insight into the work of User Voice through various perspectives. Keith Vaz MP opened the event with an introduction to User Voice’s significance from a policy angle whilst Lord Patel spoke about the benefits and importance of user-led organisations such as User Voice from an academic standpoint. There was also an engaging and imperative speech by Michael Spurr, Director General of NOMS who supported the work of User Voice and spoke of the value of including offenders and ex-offenders in NOMS. Mark Johnson (founder) and Daniel Hutt (Head of Policy) then spoke in more detail about User Voice’s history and current projects.
Most importantly, four ex-offenders and User Voice volunteers each spoke about having a voice and what would have happened if they didn’t. They spoke about the value of someone listening to them but more importantly, that person being someone who has been in their shoes. A big thank you must be given to Tom Butler, Warren Goldie, Corey Campbell and Marina Mason for speaking and representing User Voice.
We had a fantastic turnout and a wide range of people attended including amongst others, senior representatives from prisons, probation, youth justice, policy makers, frontline delivery, media, Lords and MPs, funders, commissioners and academics. This was particularly interesting as it is rare, if ever, that an audience of such a wide spectrum and who have the collective power to solve the problems around re-offending should come together. It was the offenders that brought them together.
At the event we also gave out a draft report evaluating the work of User Voice’s Prison Council model. In true User Voice style the report was deliberately in draft form in order to gain consultation and feedback from the attendees. The final report has now been published and can be accessed here.
In the last year User Voice has concentrated on piloting a number of innovative projects and so the aim of the event was to explain the work we have done in prisons, probations and youth justice. We also wanted to let everyone know of our future plans and how their support and involvement is needed.
There were a number of speakers on the night who all gave invaluable insight into the work of User Voice through various perspectives. Keith Vaz MP opened the event with an introduction to User Voice’s significance from a policy angle whilst Lord Patel spoke about the benefits and importance of user-led organisations such as User Voice from an academic standpoint. There was also an engaging and imperative speech by Michael Spurr, Director General of NOMS who supported the work of User Voice and spoke of the value of including offenders and ex-offenders in NOMS. Mark Johnson (founder) and Daniel Hutt (Head of Policy) then spoke in more detail about User Voice’s history and current projects.
Most importantly, four ex-offenders and User Voice volunteers each spoke about having a voice and what would have happened if they didn’t. They spoke about the value of someone listening to them but more importantly, that person being someone who has been in their shoes. A big thank you must be given to Tom Butler, Warren Goldie, Corey Campbell and Marina Mason for speaking and representing User Voice.
We had a fantastic turnout and a wide range of people attended including amongst others, senior representatives from prisons, probation, youth justice, policy makers, frontline delivery, media, Lords and MPs, funders, commissioners and academics. This was particularly interesting as it is rare, if ever, that an audience of such a wide spectrum and who have the collective power to solve the problems around re-offending should come together. It was the offenders that brought them together.
At the event we also gave out a draft report evaluating the work of User Voice’s Prison Council model. In true User Voice style the report was deliberately in draft form in order to gain consultation and feedback from the attendees. The final report has now been published and can be accessed here.
Prison Councils showcased as best practice in new report
The New Economics Foundation and Nesta published today their report on co-production, Public Services Inside Out.
It provides examples that represent a radical new approach to public services. They embody what has come to be known as ‘co-production’: public services that rest on an equal and reciprocal relationship between professionals, people using services, their families and neighbours. They exist today not as promises in pamphlets or manifestos, but as real services serving real people more cheaply and more effectively than traditional approaches. This is public services inside out – innovation that overturns the conventional passive relationship between the ‘users’ of services and those who serve them.
As we enter a period in which cuts and savings will be made from on high, the report agues that these examples point to the possibility of a different approach: better, cheaper services created from the ground up by those who know public services the best.
The report recognises User Voice’s unique approach in criminal justice: “Engaging peer and personal networks alongside professionals [is] the best way of transferring knowledge and supporting change.”
Download the report here.
Young offenders give evidence to the Home Affairs Committee
The Home Affairs Committee, chaired by Keith Vaz MP, took evidence from seven young offenders through User Voice. Their contribution was highly valued and referred to around 20 times in their report assessing, and furthering, the policy development of government crime prevention strategies since Labour came to office in 1997.
Why User Voice?
User Voice was given this prestigious platform as one of its representatives challenged the Committee to look around them and take stock of the fact that young offenders, the group they were debating and intending to reach as a result of their consultation, were entirely absent from the consultation exercise, which instead focussed on policymakers and service providers.
Keith Vaz MP challenged User Voice to invite a group of young offenders to give evidence to the committee. A challenge User Voice was only too happy to take on!
Key Outcomes
One of the main difficulties expressed by the committee was the lack of availability of reliable evidence in this field. It therefore welcomed User Voice’s involvement and agreed with the importance of dialogue between policy makers and the “service users” themselves in making decisions about services.
The key messages from our ex-offenders were:
• their need for visible success stories to act as positive role models in communities,
• the ineffectiveness of the education system on children from deprived backgrounds,
• and the need for prisons to act less as areas for “storage people” by empowering detainees to change their lives once released.
As a consequence a Home Affairs Committee report was published, The Government’s Approach to Crime Prevention (Tenth Report of Session 2009-2010). The report highlights amongst other things, that despite the pressures on governments to be seen to act quickly, it is vital that the scoping, piloting and evaluation of programmes is undertaken in constant dialogue with young offenders, to make a positive impact on crime prevention. The report recommended that the Government should “...take account of the experiences of victims and offenders, such as the organisation User voice set up by former offenders for this precise purpose.”
For full report please follow this link
Why User Voice?
User Voice was given this prestigious platform as one of its representatives challenged the Committee to look around them and take stock of the fact that young offenders, the group they were debating and intending to reach as a result of their consultation, were entirely absent from the consultation exercise, which instead focussed on policymakers and service providers.
Keith Vaz MP challenged User Voice to invite a group of young offenders to give evidence to the committee. A challenge User Voice was only too happy to take on!
Key Outcomes
One of the main difficulties expressed by the committee was the lack of availability of reliable evidence in this field. It therefore welcomed User Voice’s involvement and agreed with the importance of dialogue between policy makers and the “service users” themselves in making decisions about services.
The key messages from our ex-offenders were:
• their need for visible success stories to act as positive role models in communities,
• the ineffectiveness of the education system on children from deprived backgrounds,
• and the need for prisons to act less as areas for “storage people” by empowering detainees to change their lives once released.
As a consequence a Home Affairs Committee report was published, The Government’s Approach to Crime Prevention (Tenth Report of Session 2009-2010). The report highlights amongst other things, that despite the pressures on governments to be seen to act quickly, it is vital that the scoping, piloting and evaluation of programmes is undertaken in constant dialogue with young offenders, to make a positive impact on crime prevention. The report recommended that the Government should “...take account of the experiences of victims and offenders, such as the organisation User voice set up by former offenders for this precise purpose.”
For full report please follow this link
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