AYJ Monthly Newsletter: May 2021
AYJ
NEWS
AYJ’s Young Advocates provide insight to HMI Probation consultation
Last month, at our first Member’s Meeting as the AYJ, we heard from guest speaker Louise Falshaw, Director of Strategy and Research at HMI Probation, who provided an update on the inspectorate’s plans for thematic inspections. The planned areas for thematic inspection in 2021-22 include race, youth to adult transitions, girls, serious youth violence, and education, training and employment. As these areas were in the consultation period, our AYJ Young Advocates were keen to provide some feedback to HMI Probation. The Young Advocate’s thoughts and key points that they believe should be kept in mind when carrying out the inspections can be found here.
AYJ advises review on press standards and the media reporting on children and youth justice
Last month, in collaboration with press regulator, IMPRESS, we held a consultation with our members on what best practice for media should look like. It was an opportunity to share experiences of children’s interactions with and portrayals in the media. Take a look at some key points raised by our members in response to IMPRESS’s questions here.
“How justice system fails girls” – Pippa Goodfellow and Jess Southgate, CYPNow
AYJ Director, Pippa Goodfellow, and Jess Southgate of Agenda, talk through findings from our Young Women’s Justice Project, which aims to highlight the experiences of girls and young women in the criminal justice system who are consistently ignored and misunderstood. Read here.
Millie Hall becomes AYJ’s Communications & Engagement Officer
In her new role, Millie will be working on all things communications and engagement, assisting with the development of the AYJ’s communications strategy and leading on its implementation to reach a variety of audiences including policy makers, the public, AYJ members and the wider sector. Read here.
Welcome to the AYJ! – The Zahid Mubarek Trust
A very warm welcome to our newest AYJ member, The Zahid Mubarek Trust, which seeks to transform the prison system with the belief that response to crime should be effective, fair and humane. In honouring the memory of Zahid Mubarek, the trust supports those in the criminal justice system whilst advocating for systemic change.
AYJ
VIEWS
AYJ engagement on Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill
AYJ briefing on Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill
The AYJ has published its response to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts (PCSC) Bill, currently at Committee Stage in the House of Commons. The extensive briefing, circulated to the Public Bill Committee and other key Parliamentarians and stakeholders, examines the provisions and identifies where new measures should be added to the Bill to address missed opportunities; where provisions stand to reverse recent progress in youth justice and must be removed; and where existing proposals should be amended to maximise their positive potential or address unintended negative consequences.
While there are some elements of the Bill which the AYJ welcomes, we are particularly concerned that measures risk increasing the use of custody for children, exacerbate existing disparities and injustices, and fail to treat children as children. Read the full briefing here.
We have also shared a quick guide to the Serious Violence Duty, what this means for children, & what needs to be changed, here.
New joint briefing and petition to withdraw discriminatory clauses from the PCSC Bill
The AYJ is part of a coalition of voluntary criminal justice sector organisations concerned that the PCSC Bill will further entrench racial inequality and continue to reduce public trust and confidence in the criminal justice system. The coalition has produced a briefing exploring the proposals and analysing the equality impact assessments behind the Bill.
The coalition has also launched a new petition and a social media campaign entitled #EndCJSinequality, calling for the government to withdraw the parts of the Bill most likely to deepen race inequality, and to launch a proper public consultation with the communities and groups most affected. CYPNow reported on the petition here. We urge you to please sign and share the petition with your networks including family and friends.
Receive the full version of our Monthly Newsletter by subscribing here.