Our work

All our work is based on high-quality research; on the experiences of our members in prison, prison leavers and their families; on insights gleaned from people working in criminal justice and related areas; and on the information provided by children and young people calling our advice line.

Two men read while sharing a cell in Littlehey prison

Lifting the lid on prisons

Prisons in England and Wales face an overcrowding crisis of unprecedented proportions. In response to the many enquiries that we have received from politicians, journalists and the public, we have created a dedicated page on our website to explain what the problems are, how they arose, and how they might be solved.

A prisoner waits to be let through an internal security gate buy a prison officer on D wing. HMP Wandsworth, London, United Kingdom

Sentencing reform

We are campaigning for a more sensible approach to sentencing, to build a more humane and effective response to crime. Sending people to prison for longer and longer only succeeds in piling more pressure on the criminal justice system and creating more problems.

Don't let PAVA spray be used on children

We understand that the government is deliberating whether to authorise the use of PAVA spray on children in prison. We are preparing to take whatever steps necessary to challenge it, including potential legal action – and we need your support.

Move girls out of Wetherby prison

We are urging the government to move girls out of Wetherby, a prison designed for boys. The campaign began after it emerged that, on two occasions, a teenage girl had been stripped and held down by all-male teams of prison officers because she was trying to harm herself.

A prisoner staring out of a window down one of the corridors of the enhanced wing at HMP/YOI Portland, Dorset, United Kingdom.

Legal work

We run a free, confidential legal service that can be accessed through our helpline. Our lawyers identify the problems and injustice faced by children and young adults in prison. Not only do we work to find legal solutions for the young people who contact us; we also work for wider policy changes that prevent the problems reoccurring for others.

Better Justice Partnership

We are working in partnership to champion evidence-based policymaking to reduce crime and make communities safer. The Better Justice Partnership brings together four major UK charities – Action for Race Equality, the Howard League for Penal Reform, Nacro, and Transform Justice – to drive government support for justice system reform. The steering group also includes Centre for Mental Health, Clinks, the Criminal Justice Alliance, and Prison Reform Trust.

Leela Jadhav presents at the launch event for the Howard League programme to address racial disparities in youth justice

Reducing racial disparities in youth justice

Focusing primarily on remand and joint enterprise, our three-year project involves working with grassroots groups, institutional actors, and decision-making bodies to improve outcomes and lift the voices of Black, Brown and Racialised children who face unjust criminalisation and unfair judicial decisions.

Imprisonment for Public Protection and other indeterminate sentences

We are working to resolve the ongoing incarceration and recall of people serving the abolished Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentence and the automatic, or 'two-strike', life sentence. We are also working to address the injustices of other indeterminate sentences, such as 'discretionary life'.

A prison officer watches men as they collect their medication from the B wing treatment room at Wandsworth prison.

Remand

We are campaigning against the overuse of remand, after the number of people held in prison while awaiting trial or sentence reached its highest level in at least half a century.

People walking through the grounds of The Mount prison.

Joint enterprise

We are working to address the injustices wrought by 'secondary liability' in joint enterprise murder cases, particularly on people from racialised minorities.

A view of the cell doors on different levels through the wire fencing inside a wing at HMP Featherstone, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire United Kingdom. HMP Featherstone is a Category C adult male training prison with a population of around 700 and operated by HM Prison Services. (Picture credit: © Andy Aitchison)

Research

We have a long history of working alongside academics and researchers to develop new ideas and understanding of the penal system. Our international peer-reviewed journal, The Howard Journal of Crime and Justice, is committed to publishing high-quality theory, research and debate on all aspects of the relationship between crime and justice across the globe.

Black and white image of person gambling online on a laptop.

Commission on Crime and Gambling Related Harms

Our Commission was the first inquiry in the UK to focus specifically on the relationship between gambling-related harms and crime. The Commission, which published its final report in April 2023, sought to establish what the links were; what impact they had on communities and wider society; and what steps could be taken to reduce crime and make people safer.

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