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The CJA Awards


The next CJA Awards will be held in early 2025. For enquiries, please contact media@criminaljusticealliance.org.uk.

The CJA Awards, generously supported by the Barrow Cadbury Trust, celebrate the outstanding individuals, organisations and journalists/broadcasters working to make the criminal justice system fairer and more effective.

Click the links on the right to view all the organisations and individuals recognised and celebrated by the awards since 2018.

Sector Awards

The Sector Awards celebrate the outstanding individuals and organisations working within the criminal justice and social justice sector to make the criminal justice system fairer and more effective. 

Sector Awards criteria 

Overall vision 

  • Contributes to a fairer and more effective criminal justice system 

Work 

  • Delivers services which improve outcomes for people impacted by the criminal justice system and/or focuses on producing systemic change.
  • This may include: training others, working with the media, campaigning, influencing policy or practice. 

 Demonstration of impact  

  • Able to refer to examples of the impact of their work on a fairer and more effective criminal justice system. 

 Reach of prize money 

  • Describes a valuable and meaningful way in which the prize money would be spent, through improving their own work and/or the criminal justice system. 

The Outstanding Individual Award celebrates the work of individuals in the criminal justice sector.

 

Prizes

The winner of the Outstanding Individual Award receives £1,000.

The runner up of the Outstanding Individual Award receives £500.

The Outstanding Local or Regional Organisation Award recognises the work of local or regional organisations in the criminal justice sector.

 

Prizes

The winner of the Outstanding Local or Regional Organisation Award receives £3,000.

The runner-up of the Outstanding Local or Regional Organisation Award receives £1,000.

The Outstanding National Organisation Award recognises the national organisations who are working for a fairer and more effective criminal justice system.

 

Prizes

The winner of the Outstanding National Organisation Award receives £3,000.

The runner-up of the Outstanding National Organisation Award receives £1,000.

The Saskia Jones Legacy Award recognises outstanding work to support and improve outcomes for victims of crime.

 

Prizes

The winner of the Saskia Jones Legacy Award receives £1,000.

The runner-up of the Saskia Jones Legacy Award receives £500.

The Jack Merritt Legacy Award recognises outstanding work for racial equality.

 

Prizes

The winner of the Jack Merritt Legacy Award receives £1,000.

The runner-up of the Jack Merritt Legacy Award receives £500.

Media Awards

The Media Awards celebrate the journalists, broadcasters and digital creators who shine a light on criminal justice issues, challenging misperceptions and improving public understanding.  

Media Awards criteria

 Original content  

  • Demonstrates originality and relevance, including ‘hidden’ voices and issues.   
  • It must show what works, not just what is broken 

Challenges perceptions 

  • Challenges myths and avoids stereotypes, clichés, negative terminology and sensationalism.   
  • Encourages dialogue and discussion.   

Well-crafted and responsibly sourced  

  • Must be well researched, accurate and based on evidence with credible sources.   
  • Engaging, persuasive and appropriate for the audience for which it was intended. 

 Safe and sensitive 

  • Portrays individuals’ experiences authentically, humanely and sensitively. 
  • Sets individuals’ experiences within a wider social policy context.   

 Reach and impact  

  • Influences and inspires people to think differently, care about the issue and take positive action.  
  • Consideration will be given to the audience reached in terms of number and / or a demographic likely to be less well informed about criminal justice and/or those who are able to make positive change in the system and/or those who are affected by the criminal justice system. 

The Outstanding Journalism Award recognises the journalists who have improved understanding and challenged misperceptions of criminal justice.

The Outstanding Digital Media Champion celebrates the individuals who use digital media to improve understanding and challenge misperceptions of criminal justice.

The Outstanding Documentary Award celebrates the documentary makers who have improved understanding and challenged misperceptions of criminal justice.

What I valued in so many of the nominations was the ability of the journalists to take an individual story and and use it to tell a much bigger story about social challenges and systemic failings. And sometimes even successes and solutions. Through the Media Awards the CJA are setting the bar for safe, fair and powerful reporting of criminal justice issues.

Judge of the CJA Media Awards 2021

Winning the Saskia Jones Legacy Award was an honour and to hear from her family made me feel so humble. The recognition of hard work and efforts will forever be something we need it inspires and motivates change.

Jenni Steele, Founder of Project Yana CIC, Winner of the Saskia Jones Legacy Award for Victim Services 2021

The annual CJA Awards event was … a stand-out moment in terms of helping reframe the media narrative and celebrate best practice. Importantly, the event was acknowledged for engaging key journalists and a member summed up its positive impact as setting the gold standard and showing the sector what can be done. 

Kathleen Christie, CJA Awards Evaluator 

The prize money will mean we can host more events and go full throttle next year to support students and institutions!

Jen Harris, Founder of the Black Criminology Network, runner up for the Jack Merritt Legacy Award 2022