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Practical toolkits for staff in prisons and probation
Service user involvement is an essential part of an effective criminal justice system. Giving service users the opportunity to give their views and contribute to areas such as service design and monitoring of probation services or involvement in prisons councils has many benefits. It ensures your service is responsive to service users’ needs and it gives people a voice and develops their skills. In prisons, it can deal with issues before they become a problem, and can improve staff and prisoner relations. Playing an active role in their community and taking on a measure of responsibility can assist in the journey away from crime.
These practical toolkits are designed for prison governors and staff to review and improve your prisoner involvement systems, and for managers and staff of any probation service provider that wants to involve their service users in the management, design and delivery of their probation services.
The content is outstanding and I would like to thank you for the guidance provided and associated material that will prove of real value with our own service developments.
Peer research
The handbook for staff on peer research draws on our significant experience of designing and undertaking peer research with people facing multiple exclusion, including people in contact with the criminal justice system. It follows on from our recent literature review on peer research.
Over the last two years, peer researchers in our Wandsworth and Barking projects have influenced local commissioning decisions affecting criminal justice services
Peer researchers have been genuinely listened to in Wandsworth where our findings have changed local services for the better.
Find out more about the benefits of peer research
If you’d like to discuss your involvement strategy or would like to talk further about benefits of peer research.
Running a peer research project with offenders in the community:
A handbook for staff (2016)
Improving your prisoner involvement systems:
A toolkit for staff (2016)
