Quakers in Criminal Justice

Autumn 2022 Newsletter Download PDF

Editorial

As I compile these newsletters several times a year, I feel that some of the most worthwhile items I receive are the contributions from those with lived experience of the criminal justice system. This particular issue contains multiple contributions from people currently in prison, many of whom are in Northern Ireland prisons. It is imperative that this publication gives a voice not only to those who work in the Criminal Justice System, but also to those who live, and have lived within it.

One of our contributors with lived experience talks about reducing harm through introducing changes to our education systems, another talks of his slow journey to allowing himself to let go of anger and to forgive. One writes a letter to himself.

Melanie Jameson, our clerk and a regular contributor to the newsletter interviews civil activist, Rajan Naidu who has been imprisoned on multiple occasions for his active participation in the Just Stop Oil campaign. Sadly at the time of going to press we learned that he had once again been returned to custody having been found guilty off his third breach of the high court injunction at Kingsbury Oil Terminal in North Warwickshire.

An article by Alan Hurford explores the part Quakers can play in encouraging new approaches to how prisons are monitored through involvement in Independent Monitoring Boards.

Marian Liebmann gives us a report on a recent conference addressing restorative justice practices, attended by 350 people from over 40 countries which was held in Sassari , Sardinia.

That's just a small number of the many great contributions I received this time. Once again there were more articles than there was space for in our allotted 24 pages. So we already have some fantastic stuff ready to fill the pages of our Winter edition. That being said, I encourage you to send anything that you might wish to add to the next newsletter to me via the contact details on the back page.

Jonathan Lamb
Editor

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