The importance of lived experience in building a better criminal justice system
The criminal justice system faces a range of systemic issues, and more than ever we need fresh, innovative solutions. People with lived experience – such as those who have been stopped and search, spent time in prison or been the victim of a crime – have unique insight into what works and what doesn’t in the criminal justice system. Our Change from Within report in 2019 found that people with lived experience bring enormous benefit to organisations working in the criminal justice sector. However, they face a range of barriers, from onerous and opaque vetting procedures to workplace cultures and environments that do not effectively support them to achieve their full potential as key influencers and decision-makers.
Lived experience is at the heart of our work and runs through everything we do. We regularly employ people with lived experience of the criminal justice system; we co-produce our work with people who have been directly affected by the issues we’re tackling; and we advocate for the meaningful inclusion of people with lived experience in the criminal justice workforce, including in senior decision-making roles.