In the decade since the start of 2000 the number of women in prison had risen by 60%. Most served ineffective and wasteful short sentences of six months or less. With many having experienced high rates of mental health problems, sexual abuse, domestic violence and substance misuse, custodial sentences were increasingly seen to be adding to the trauma, chaos and disruption to the lives of the women and their children.

In an unprecedented move, during June 2008, concerned that their grant-making investments in this field were being applied to a failing system, more than 20 independent philanthropic foundations (including the Barrow Cadbury Trust) formed the CIFC to challenge the government to implement the Corston Report. This called for an end to putting non-violent women offenders in jail and moves towards placing them in far more effective community solutions.

The aim of the CIFC was to:

• Give a single voice to the concerns of funders in relation to the treatment of women offenders
• Keep the women’s agenda in the criminal justice system in the public eye
• Work with the Government to implement the Corston report and ensure the women’s agenda was not lost to the public spending squeeze

The evaluation, published today demonstrates the impact the CIFC has had. It finds that through funder advocacy and collaboration the CIFC achieved outcomes that individual trusts and foundations could not have achieved alone. Its contribution was helpful and timely, demonstrating the role of funder advocacy and the potential of funder-Government collaboration.

Achievements include:

• An expanded network of women’s centres offering alternatives to custody
• A new national body supporting women’s centres – Women’s Breakout – has received sufficient MoJ funding to secure its future for the next few years
• The Prison Minister publically declaring that he would build on the work started by his predecessor, Labour minister, Maria Eagle, and reduce the number of women in prison by the supporting a network of women only community provision

At the launch, in the House of Lords today, the CIFC announced that they are to continue their work as more needs to be done to establish a just and proportionate response to women caught up in the criminal justice system and for their children who were inadvertently punished as a result.

Liz Cadogan, from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and a member of the CIFC stated ‘We believe that in the last couple of years, by working together trust funders have had a strong influence on community-based women’s services and have held a light to government policy. We believe that we have to continue this work together.’

Notes:

About the CIFC

The Corston Independent Funders’ Coalition was formed during June 2008 by more than 20 independent philanthropic foundations who wanted to challenge the government to implement the Corston Report.

About the evaluation:

The independent evaluation was undertaken by the Centre for Charity Effectiveness at CASS business school.  It covered a period of three years between June 2008 and May 2011 and involved scrutiny of a wide range of CIFC documents, a literature search, semi-structured interviews and two online surveys.

It is available to down load from the LankellyChase Foundation website and The Bromley Trust website.

For more information contact Peter Kilgarriff, Chair of the CIFC, on 07914529984

Sara is a co-signatory of a letter to the Editor published in the Times Newspaper today.

The letter is a result of the findings by the Centre for Social Justice’s new report on Youth Justice, published today, which is the result of a two year inquiry.  The report also references the Barrow Cadbury Trust’s Transition to Adulthood (T2A) programme, and its project in West Mercia led by YSS.

The full text of the letter, and list of signatories, is:

Sir, At 10 years old the minimum age of criminal responsibility (MACR) in England and Wales is too low. It makes society less safe and delivers counter-productive outcomes for children. Its other fatal flaws are set out in today’s report, Rules of Engagement, from the Centre for Social Justice. It should be raised to at least 12.

Since the MACR was raised from 8 to 10 in 1963, a significant body of research has emerged indicating that early adolescence is a period of marked neurodevelopmental immaturity. During this time, children are deemed less responsible for their behaviour and have limited competence to participate in criminal justice proceedings.

This lack of competence significantly reduces the likelihood of determining the truth and achieving justice. Compelling evidence demonstrates that involving young children in the youth justice system can increase the likelihood of their future offending.

The above issues are distinct from the question of the age at which children understand the difference between right and wrong, a question on which the MACR debate often misguidedly centres. Most children can broadly differentiate between right and wrong, however their capacity to judge magnitudes is limited, especially if they have grown up in dysfunctional families and experienced abuse as many young offenders have.

The MACR is also peculiarly inconsistent with other aspects of the law in England and Wales, as well as being out of step with that of many western countries and the judgment of international human rights bodies.

Robust action, outside the youth justice system, to deal with child offenders aged 10 and 11 would serve justice more effectively and better prevent future crime.

Shami Chakrabarti, Director, Liberty
Chris Wright, Chief Executive, Catch 22
Lord Warner, House of Lords and first Chair, Youth Justice Board
The Earl of Listowel, House of Lords
Frances Crook, Chief Executive, the Howard League for Penal Reform
Shauneen Lambe, Just for Kids Law
Dr Eileen Vizard, CBE, FRCPsych, Sieff Trustee
Professor John Pitts, Director, Vauxhall Centre for the Study of Crime, University of Bedfordshire
Dr Charlie Alcock, Founder and Chief Executive, MAC-UK
Lord Dholakia, House of Lords
Desmond Hudson, Chief Executive, The Law Society (of England and Wales)
Baroness Deech, House of Lords
Lord Ramsbotham, House of Lords
Baroness Linklater, House of Lords
Baroness Stern, House of Lords
Dr Maggie Atkinson and Sue Berelowitz, Children’s Commissioner and Deputy Children’s Commissioner for England
Keith Towler, Children’s Commissioner for Wales
Tam Baillie, Children’s Commissioner for Scotland
Sir Louis Blom-Cooper, QC, Doughty Street Chambers
Sally O’Neill, QC, Furnival Chambers
Paul Mendelle, QC, 25 Bedford Row Chambers
Shan Nicholas, Interim Chief Executive, The Children’s Society
Professor Sir Andrew Ashworth, Vinerian Professor of English Law, All Souls College, Oxford
Professor Sue Bailey, Royal College of Psychiatrists
Richard Garside, Director, Centre for Crime and Justice Studies
Andrew Flanagan, Chief Executive, NSPCC
Camila Batmanghelidjh, Founder and Chief Executive, Kids Company
Andy Bell, Deputy Chief Executive, Centre for Mental Health
National Association of Youth Justice
Professor Sir Al Aynsley-Green, Professor Emeritus of Child Health, University College London
Sara Llewellin, Chief Executive, Barrow Cadbury Trust
Enver Solomon, Chair, Standing Committee for Youth Justice
Juliet Lyon, Director, Prison Reform Trust

British Future is a new independent, non-partisan organisation seeking to involve people in an open conversation, which addresses people’s hopes and fears about identity and integration, migration and opportunity. The report, as well as information on British Future’s work, can be found on its newly launched website.

The Barrow Cadbury Trust’s support for this organisation derives from its longstanding commitment to promoting a fair and equitable approach to migration and integration. For further information about the Trust’s Migration and Europe programme please click here.

- the Trust’s ‘Small Change’ funding initiative

- a report on social and ethical investment

- Barrow Cadbury’s 2011 party conference season and

- a report on ‘Funding Plus’ by IVAR

As in previous editions, the newsletter covers each of the Trust’s programmes, including new grants and an update on progress made by some of the grassroots, policy and research projects that we are currently funding.

Read the full report here

Khan writes: ‘Tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime’ was more than a clever soundbite, it was a successful approach to criminal justice policy that left crime 43 per cent lower when Labour departed office than when it entered. Punishment and Reform: How our justice system can help cut crime addresses the challenge of how Labour is to build on this legacy and further reduce crime, but within the tough spending constraints imposed by straitened times.

The report includes a chapter by Barry Mizen who, along with his wife Margaret and the rest of their family, set up the Jimmy Mizen Foundation following the murder of their son in May 2008. Other authors include Lord Victor Adebowale, Baroness Jean Corston, Dame Helen Reeves, Professor Julian V Roberts and Matthew Ryder QC.

This year the survey examines public attitudes to the Arab Spring and EU burden sharing. It also explores what the public think about economic migration and seeks to identify what they value most in prospective immigrants.

The Key Findings report and topline data can be found on the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) website.

The survey is a project of the German Marshall Fund of the United States , the Barrow Cadbury Trust, Compagnia di San Paolo, with additional support from the Fundación BBVA.

Signing up to the mutual gives you access to rewards, information and advice that can help support you to take action and improve the community you live in.  Your Square Mile has already negotiated substantial benefits for Mutual members, including:

• £1m of Public Liability Insurance for community events and volunteering
• Personal accident insurance
• A free legal services helpline
• 20% off printing to help you promote local activity in your community

It is also working on additional deals including;

• A loyalty card for discounts at local shops in partnership with the Big Issue;
• Faster and cheaper CRB checks
• Community gardening kits
• Clean up my community kits
• Cheaper street party insurance for 2012 Jubilee and Olympics parties

This is a great package for anyone involved in local community action. You can join the mutual at http://yoursquaremile.co.uk/action-page/

Social Finance have stated that:

“We have over 500 individuals on our watch in the community. While engagement in the One* Service is purely voluntary, the proportion we are working with pre and post release is encouragingly high. There is clear evidence of an unmet need from a group who typically receive little or no support on release. Needs vary considerably across the population we are working with. Some, fortunately a small minority, suffer from very deep seated often inter-generational issues which will take considerable time to work through. A larger group, but nevertheless still a minority, are in a cycle of crime where the support we provide offers a framework for finding an alternative way of life. For the rest, it is too early to say.

“The question we are inevitably asked – have we reduced reoffending sufficiently to generate a return to our investors – will only be answered in Year 4. We are measured against a very clear metric. The number of reconviction events of our cohort compared to a similar group of short sentenced male prisoners across the UK drawn from the Police National Computer. Against this objective measure, investors will either gain a return or lose their investment.

“On reflection, the Social Impact Bond funding structure has brought flexibility and innovation to the project. Flexibility in terms of finance and therefore service provision; innovation in terms of the solutions and partnerships we are able to build because we are judged by outcomes and not outputs.  The enthusiasm for this project from criminal justice experts and practitioners harbours well for its success. Peterborough Prison has aligned some of its services for male prisoners with our programme and has moved to adopt some of our interventions for its female prisoners. The value of a programme which is funded for over six years is tangible both for our service delivery partners and other stakeholders. It enables them to plan and build around it. We are hopeful that not only will this project succeed but that it will encourage others to be bolder in their approach to reducing reoffending in their communities. Our sense on the ground is that we are making a difference. People say to us “If it wasn’t for you, we’d be back inside again.””

For the full report please visit http://www.socialfinance.org.uk/resources/social-finance/social-impact-bonds-one-service-one-year

The Guardian newspaper’s editor, Alan Rusbridger, noted that:

‘Eight charities that specialise in turning around the lives of troubled young people’ who ‘will be the beneficiaries of this year’s Guardian and Observer charity appeal’.

‘The legendary Community Links charity wrote the book on how to regenerate deprived neighbourhoods and engage with young people. Despite recent severe cuts to its funding, it continues to develop innovative projects with young people in the east London neighbourhoods in which it is deeply embedded.

‘We are supporting St Giles Trust, which runs hugely effective projects to help rehabilitate young ex-offenders, and provide support for families whose younger members may be at risk of going off the rails.

‘These are difficult times for all our charities, who face increasing demand for services at a time when donations are harder to come by and public funding for youth services is being cut dramatically.

‘Our Christmas appeal is not just a chance to raise much needed funds for our charities and raise the profile of the excellent work they do, but make a real difference to the lives of the thousands of young people they support every year.’

To find out more visit the Guardian’s Christmas Charity Appeal pages.

The first ‘National Ethical Investment Week Action Guide for Charities’, produced in association with the Charity Finance Directors’ Group, has been launched today.

The Action Guide offers practical tips to help charities ensure their savings and investments bestsupport their mission. It explores some of the latest thinking in the field, including the growth ofsocial impact investing.

It also gives ideas on how to help to spread the word about this and other trends in modern green and ethical investing. Forward thinking charities have already begun to explore the potential benefits of social impactinvesting and it seems that the public may be interested in following their example.

YouGov research for National Ethical Investment Week (www.neiw.org) has found that 36% of GB adults with investments want to know more about ‘impact investing’ and this figure rose to 43% among 18-24 year olds.

The NEIW11 Action Guide for Charities, sponsored by the Barrow Cadbury Trust, is available here: http://www.neiw.org/charities_guide