• Date: 24 May 2023

• Location: Leeds Trinity University

Reducing the prison population: Using research to develop and support reform agendas

An event for early career researchers, in collaboration with Leeds Trinity University

About this event

The latest prison population projections for England and Wales suggest that it will increase, reaching 94,400 prisoners by March 2025. Evidence shows that prison is ineffective in terms of enabling people to move on from crime, and that there are widespread and long term harms resulting from imprisonment. The aim of this event is to build evidence, ideas, strategies and actions to challenge the established criminal justice paradigm. Central issues to this debate include the reduction in the use of remands to custody, the role of sentence inflation, racial disproportionality, recall to prison and the impact of certain sentences e.g. IPP and joint enterprise. What are the challenges? What are they key issues? Who are the important actors? How can we encourage people, the public, to think differently about the criminal justice system?

This event is aimed at Early Career Researchers (ECRs) based in universities as well as other research engaged organisations. It will include sessions that highlight ECR research, and opportunities to hear from and engage with people working and shaping in the criminal justice system including the penal voluntary sector as well as people with direct experience of the criminal justice system.

The event is free to attend and includes a light lunch and refreshments, followed by a networking reception (running from 10:30am to 4pm). The first half of the day will comprise of research presentations by attendees, and the second half will comprise of a keynote address, ‘human library’, and plenary discussion.

Spaces are limited and registration is required (a registration form and guidance are available at the bottom of this page). There will be opportunities to present research as either a short talk or a poster through a competitive process. A limited number of travel bursaries will be available.

This is an inclusive event and we welcome participants from underrepresented communities including people from ethnic minority communities and people with direct experience of the criminal justice system.

This event has been organised by the Howard League for Penal Reform in collaboration with members of its Research Advisory Group and with support from Leeds Trinity University.

Registration

Registration is now closed. If you have already registered and wish to apply for a bursary, follow the guidance above.