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Some good examples of charities and academics working together - ''Building academic-third sector praxis in criminal justice''

During the course of this research, we discovered how much good work is going on in partnerships between charities, universities and practitioners on the ground that we can learn from and build on. We were struck by the sporadic nature of knowledge (including our own) in this area.

Here are some of the examples we found:

Tracking ongoing research and discovering gaps

College of Policing Research Projects Map - Enables researchers to record details of ongoing research so that researchers and charities can connect with each other and link up their research to prevent duplication and fill gaps.

Using criminal justice data for research

Royal Holloway University of London project using historic prisons data

Government Justice Data Lab – Enabling the use of re-offending data to assess impact.

Involving the public in building knowledge

Transform Justice Court Watch London - Courtwatching is the practice of observing and documenting what happens in the courtroom.  By attending court hearings and writing down what they see, volunteer courtwatchers gather data that helps to hold courts accountable, identify both good and bad practice, and take action to improve the courts.

Using economic cost/benefit analysis to make the case

Women in Prison (2022) The Value of Women’s Centres

Accessible summaries of research knowledge and facts

College of Policing Practice Bank - Records the research for particular policing interventions.

Prison Reform Trust (PRT) Bromley Briefings Prisons Factfile - Issued around twice a year the PRT Bromley Briefings summarise the latest facts about prisons.

Russell Webster blogs - Handy 'real time' summaries of the latest research

Implementing research findings

Centre for Policing Research and Learning, based at the Open University - A collaborative centre with police forces and academics working closely together to make sure research knowledge is applied 'on the ground'.

Setting out manageable steps for change (backed by evidence)

In the Tackling Double Disadvantage Ten Point Action Plan, Hibiscus Initiatives and partners have set out ten actions for change needed for Black, Asian and minoritized women caught up in the criminal justice system.