Clinks has commissioned the Prison Reform Trust, in partnership with Dr Coretta Phillips and Dr Jessica Jacobson, to undertake a study of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) offenders’ experiences of resettlement services. Currently, little is known about the specific resettlement needs of BAME offenders, any barriers they may encounter in accessing appropriate services, and their views on the services they receive. This research study proposes to fill these gaps in knowledge, with a particular focus on the four service areas of education and employment, accommodation, mental health services and family services. If you have any good or innovative practice you'd like to share in this area, please email May Jacobson Deegan

CLINKS SURVEY: for non-VCS readers

Do you work in the Public or Private sectors? Are you a student, academic or an individual with an interest in the Criminal Justice System? Clinks are surveying our contacts in these sectors to find out how our services can help you support the work of our members. As someone who receives information from Clinks, we value your feedback about our services. It will help us to tailor our services to ensure we meet your needs, and target our resources for maximum impact. Please complete our quick Clinks Survey

CLINKS TRAINING: Harness the power of the media

You want to promote your organisation, build its reputation, attract supporters, and dismantle stereotypes. Learn how to harness the power of the media to achieve this, the best tactics and the pitfalls. 'Harness the power of the media' is a free one day training course [10^th June, London], run by Clinks and Women’s Resource Centre, aimed at individuals working in organisations that support women offenders or ex-offenders. The day will provide a step-by-step guide to deciding what stories you have to tell, involving service users and communicating your own key messages. More at Clinks Training

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: A new government – your thoughts

Following last night’s election and the preceding period of purdah, it’s obviously a quiet time to be reporting about developments in Government and the Criminal Justice System. Light Lunch will hope to bring you initial commentary and opinion from the VCS in next week’s edition. Please feel free to alert Joe Gardham to your latest blogs, reports, briefings and published opinion regarding the new Government’s plans for the Voluntary Sector, Criminal Justice System and those within it.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: Prisoner voting

There has been a lot of lobbying recently regarding the legality of those in prison being denied a vote. Nacro have done a brilliant piece, asking "if (prisoners) could vote, would they? And which party would be more likely to get their support?" They spoke to a small group of women prisoners about the election. The women were from a variety of backgrounds, ranging in age from mid 20s to mid 60s. Some were sentenced and some were on remand. Read the article here

COMMISSIONING: NOMS ESF event for smaller organisations

NOMS Yorkshire & Humber are inviting organisations to attend a briefing and consultation event [20^th May, The Queens Hotel, City Square, Leeds, LS1 1PJ] for its significant procurement exercise in support of the NOMS ESF Programme 2. Following three national stakeholder events Regional NOMS teams across the country are running events to inform potential providers of Regional specific variations. Smaller organisations in particular are encouraged to attend and seek assistance where necessary from NOMS Yorkshire and Humberside representatives to ensure effective engagement with primes and other potential subcontractors or consortia members. To book your place, request a registration form from Lorna Hill

FUNDING: for groups in East London

The East London Community Foundation Grassroots Grants aim to increase immediate grant funding and capacity building support to small voluntary and community groups and organisations. Community groups, voluntary organisations, charities, community interest companies and social enterprises can apply for up to £5,000 in the London boroughs of Barking & Dagenham, Haringey, Havering, Redbridge and Waltham Forest before the imminent deadline of 10th May at: ELCF

FUNDING: Reaching Communities

The Big Lottery Fund (BIG) has introduced a series of improvements to the Reaching Communities programme for England, designed to make it easier for groups to apply. Grants will be awarded for projects that: offer people better chances in life; build strong communities; develop improved rural and urban environments; and create healthier and more active people and communities. The improvements make the application process simpler, increase the success rates of applications and provide more support throughout the process. Proposals can be submitted at any time through: BLF

PUBLICATION: the politics of multiple needs and exclusions

Hardest to Reach is a new pamphlet by the MEAM coalition, of which Clinks is a member, that looks at policies to improve the lives of people who experience a combination of issues including homelessness, substance misuse, mental ill health and who are often serving short-term prison sentences. The report is available at MEAM. Clinks have 20 hard copies to give away free to Members on a first-come, first-served basis. Simply send your membership number and postal address to Joe Gardham

PUBLICATION: free journal articles

To celebrate The British Journal of Criminology reaching its 50^th volume, the editors have hand-picked five articles spanning all five decades and made them freely available. Titles include: from the 2000s - Setting Standards for Restorative Justice; from the 1990s - The Limits of the Sovereign State: Strategies of Crime control in Contemporary Society; from the 1980s - Radical Criminology in Britain: The Emergence of a Competing Paradigm; from the 1970s - Conflicts as Property; and from the 1960s - Is Criminal Behaviour Deviant Behaviour? These can be viewed by logging on to their website BJC

PUBLICATION: on changing public perceptions of crime

‘Reducing Crime: More Police, More Prisons or More Pay?’ is a Centre for Economic Performance report that demonstrates increasing prison populations are not reducing levels of crime and addressing offending behaviour. To address these issues, the report suggests "politicians must take account of the public’s false perception of increasing levels of crime". Download at: CEP

PUBLICATION: prisoners’ families ask the questions

For the latest edition of pact's freshSTART magazine, they decided to hand the role of interviewer over to prisoners' families themselves. Inside the magazine you'll find a frank and insightful discussion between four prisoners' relatives and the London Director of Offender Management, Digby Griffiths. As people who have experienced the impact of imprisonment firsthand, they did not shy away from tackling some very difficult issues. Download at: pact

EVENT: supporting female substance misusers

'Women and Children First? Supporting Female Substance Misusers and their Families' is a one day conference [25^th May, Brighton, £120] that aims to consider the role of gender specific services in substance misuse treatment, to consider the evidence around current best practice in safe-guarding the children of substance misusers, to consider the support needs of the children of substance misusers and to highlight the needs of women substance misusers and identify how these can be met in practice. More info and bookings at: Oasis Project

EVENT: Offender Management

Leading experts from NOMS, Clinks, Nacro, Prison Service, and the Police Service, are coming together to showcase strategies for reducing re-offending through a partnership approach at the 3rd Annual Offender Management 2010 Conference [8^th June, London, £282]. This annual event will again bring together over 100 representatives from across public, private and third sector working in criminal justice to discuss current offender management policy and practice, and develop future strategies to reduce re-offending and successfully reintegrated ex offenders into the community. Light Lunch readers can get a 10% discount by quoting “Clinks 10% discount” when you book at: Neil Stewart Associates

TRAINING: strengthening relationships with public bodies

'Public Law and the Compact: Strengthen and Empower your Relationships with Public Bodies' is the free national event [25^th May, Leicester] which will see the launch of the Public Law and Compact training series for Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) third sector organisations. Co-hosted by Voice4Change England and the Empowering the Voluntary Sector Project, the event will provide BME third sector organisations with a practical guide to strengthening and empowering their relationships with public bodies at a national, regional and local level. Book your place at: Voice4Change England

RESOURCE: for fundraisers

Calendar Check is a new website designed to help organisers plan their events more effectively and boost fundraising potential by avoiding clashes with other high profile occasions. Organisers can search for competing charitable events and, having selected the perfect date, can simply upload details of their own event for free. Calendar Check also offers a means of directly communicating with supporters and creating greater awareness for their fundraising efforts. Visit: www.calendarcheck.co.uk

RESOURCE: for Fathers’ Story Week

Kids VIP is supporting Fathers’ Story Week (14^th – 20^th June) and has produced free resources for prison play staff to use with children and their fathers during domestic visits and family days. Download your Fathers’ Story Week ideas and activities at: Kids VIP

RESOURCE: for organisations working with Somali communities

Tawakala Lifeline UK has launched their website. The charity promotes awareness of the Criminal Justice System to BME communities in order to reduce crime and imprisonment amongst young people, adults and females in the Somali communities. Any readers working with Somali communities may find this a really helpful resource, as they offer translation, volunteering opportunities, a confidential helpline and undertake preventing extremism work. Visit: Tawakala Lifeline UK

OPPORTUNITY: researcher needed

Reflex are commissioning an external body/individual to assess the artistic and educational value of their projects delivered to young offenders. Assessment will take place begin 1st June with a completion date of 30th Sep. During this time the commissioned researcher will have access to 8 non-formal education projects in both custody and the community with offenders and at risk young people in the West Midlands. Applicants should submit a research proposal no longer than 2 A4 sides detailing their experience and a plan for the assessment before the 31^st May. The work carries a £2,000 value. For more information and submissions, contact Lea Milligan

OPPORTUNITY: to fun run for charity

OBJECT, the charity that raises awareness of the links between sex object culture and sexism because of the need to tackle the attitudes underpinning inequality and violence against women, is looking for supporters to take part in the Adidas Women's 5k challenge on 5th September. The run is the perfect chance to raise money for OBJECT and support their work. You don't have to be an incredible runner; the organisation says people even pushed prams around the course last year! For more information go to OBJECT's fun run pages at: OBJECT

OPPORTUNITY: to promote your services

Zig Zag Productions are currently producing a documentary for the BBC about the children, teenagers and partners of female prisoners. They would like to highlight the challenges that face families when their mum or wife is imprisoned. ZigZag hope to show how prisoners maintain strong family relationships and how voluntary sector organisations are helping families. If you are interested in talking about the documentary please contact Alex Stockley

CLINKS MEMBER’S NEWS: Prisoners Families & Friends Service

'Families on Trial', a series of films highlighting the issues facing prisoners’ families, has been awarded the best documentary award in the Babelgum Online film festival. The five films were produced by WiredVideo and shown in New York at the recent Tribeca Film Festival. They were commissioned by Prisoners’ Families and Friends Service (PFFS) and developed in partnership with SHARP, Action for Prisoners’ Families, Castle Gate Family Centre, NIACRO and Storybook Dads and funded by the Nationwide Foundation. The films can be used for training and for raising awareness and can be ordered free from PFFS

CLINKS MEMBER’S VACANCIES

Shannon Trust is advertising for two Project Leaders (Manchester & London areas) to be part of the National Reading Network delivering the Toe by Toe Reading Plan to young people – details at: Shannon Trust. In London, Women in Prison are advertising for a new Director, whilst Safe Ground are looking to recruit a new Chief Executive, details at: Safe Ground. And Novas Scarman are advertising for a Women’s Outreach Support Worker in Bristol, email Novas Scarman recruitment

TIPS OF THE WEEK…

TIP OF THE WEEK I: Get a free two-month family and friends railcard and a code for 50% discount when you register here

TIP OF THE WEEK II: Sign up today (Friday 7th) to get a totally free 3 month tastelondon card. It gives you 50% off over 1,000 restaurants in London and usually costs £70 a year! Get yours here

TIP OF THE WEEK III: You can apply for up to 4 FREE tickets for the World Series by Renault at Silverstone on the weekend of 18th - 19th September 2010. You can also take one child with you for FREE with each adult entering the event. Details at: Renault

TIP OF THE WEEK IV: Transport for London has free cycling guides, split into 14 areas around the capital. Request yours at: TFL

TIP OF THE WEEK V: Bizet’s "Carmen" at The O2, London has up to 50% off tickets, starting at just £17.50 for the weekend of 21/22/23^rd May. Book yours at: Seetickets

TIP OF THE WEEK VI: Britannia Hotels has launched a UK hotel sale, with a 2-night weekend 'Champagne Break' now from £99 per person. This offer includes two nights' accommodation in a Superior Room, Buffet breakfast each morning, A 3-course dinner on both evenings, A bottle of champagne in the room on arrival. Details at: Britannia Hotels

Date Published:

07/05/2010

Source:

Clinks