www.criminaljusticealliance.org

Who we are

The Criminal Justice Alliance is a network of 200+ organisational and academic members working towards a fair and effective criminal justice system.

We advocate for sensible changes to make the criminal justice system work better. Our insight comes from our members: over 200 organisational and academic members with expertise across the whole criminal justice system. Their broad remits enable us to piece together the right formula for lasting change.

Our drive comes from the recognition that a fairer and more effective system will help communities across England and Wales, with positive effects that can be felt far beyond crime and justice.

Our members include charities, social enterprises, think tanks, research institutions, staff associations and individual academics. They work across the criminal justice system, in areas such as crime prevention, sentencing, policing, prisons, probation, victim services, mental health, drug policy and treatment, and more.

Our vision is of a fair and effective criminal justice system that works well for everyone and leads to a more equitable society.

Our mission is to achieve sustainable, systemic change, through the collective power of our membership network.

We are based in London but cover the whole of England and Wales. Our staff team is led by Director Annette So. We are governed by a board of trustees, who bring expertise from advocacy, academia, finance and lived experience.

The CJA was founded in 2007, having previously been the Penal Affairs Consortium. We became a charity in 2011.

We receive our funding mainly from the generous support of trusts and foundations, as well as membership fees. We do not take any funding from the government, so we can remain fully independent.

What we do:

Investigating key issues and influencing policy. We gather the experiences, ideas and good practice of members, as well as carrying out our own research and investigation into key issues in criminal justice. We promote our findings through co-produced, evidence-led briefings for policy makers and commissioners, showing them how they can create a fair and effective criminal justice system. We show what is working and what isn’t working, and make recommendations for systemic change.

Making connections. We bring together practitioners, researchers, people with lived experience and policy makers from across the criminal justice system, so they can share learning, break down silos and identify opportunities for collaboration.

Keeping people informed. The criminal justice system is vast and complex.  Through our newsletters, social media, blogs and events, we keep members informed and up to date with fast-moving changes in policy and practice. We highlight success stories and good practice, as well as potentially damaging reforms, and promote ways for members to get involved in influencing policy.

We value having a diverse range of perspectives, expertise and insights in the organisation. We are particularly keen to receive applications from Black, Asian and minority ethic people and people with lived experience of the criminal justice system.