About
We are an independent, unaffiliated collective dedicated to promoting radical change in the criminal justice system through prioritising the perspectives of individuals and groups with lived expertise. Our members represent a wide range of professional and personal expertise, including academia, practitioners, people from the voluntary sector, commissioners, representatives of organisations both large and small, and activists working in this space. Most group members have some lived experience within the criminal justice system, and we share a basic analysis that a major barrier to improving outcomes for people in the CJS is the systematic exclusion of those with lived expertise from the “corridors of power”.
Who we are
Our Vision
Our vision is a fairer and more just criminal legal system, and better outcomes for individuals involved with criminal justice.
Our Mission
Our mission is to challenge criminal justice policies and practices that maintain social inequality, oppression and exclusion.
Our Values
Fairness
Inclusivity
Intersectionality
Transparency
Our Aims
* To meet contemporary challenges faced by individuals involved with criminal justice with coordinated, considered collective action.
* To challenge harmful and regressive narratives about crime, criminal justice and the individuals involved.
* To promote social justice and radical change within criminal justice policy and practice.
* To challenge systemic injustice and promote fair and progressive policies that enable better outcomes for justice involved individuals.
* To ensure fair and just treatment of individuals with lived experience within organisations, academia, the press and public life and protect against exploitative or tokenistic engagement.
* To prioritise the needs, perspectives and outcomes of individuals involved in criminal justice.
How we will Achieve our Aims
*Counter-narrative: We will centralise the voices of lived experience individuals in all matters, and promote radical criticality and alternative, lived expertise narratives
Relationships: We will connect individuals and organisations across the UK and Ireland who share our vision, and optimise opportunities for lived expertise individuals to engage in both independent and collective action.
Campaigning: We will use our collective voice to highlight areas for change, and advocate for the rights and needs of justice involved individuals.
Knowledge-production: We will contribute to existing knowledge bases with co-produced knowledge from the perspectives of lived expertise.
Conscientious objection: We will operate in ways that actively reject the perpetuation of existing power structures, and the agendas of the powerful.