The Transform Justice Podcast

By Transform JusticeNews Politics

The Transform Justice Podcast episodes

September 01, 2023 Ep24: Justice in crisis - why can't the system cope?
In this experimental episode of the Transform Justice podcast, hosts Penelope and Rob ask each other questions about their areas of expertise. Covering broad ground from prison overcrowding to the court backlog and digital justice, our hosts paint a picture of a justice system in crisis.
This episode asks why can't our justice system cope? And will current proposals help or hinder progress towards a fairer future for justice?

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https://transformjustice.eo.page/courtwatchlondon

Penelope Gibbs @PenelopeGibbs2
Find Penelope's work on courts and digital justice here: https://www.transformjustice.org.uk/podcast-insights/?news_category=insight

Rob Allen @RobRobAllen
Read Rob's blog here: http://reformingprisons.blogspot.com/

Further resources:
Annual Report of the Independent Monitoring Board at HMP/YOI Norwich:
https://imb.org.uk/document/norwich-2022-23-annual-report/
Less is more – the case for dealing with offences out of court:
https://www.transformjustice.org.uk/publication/less-is-more-the-case-for-dealing-with-offences-out-of-court/

Transform Justice
Website: ⁠www.transformjustice.org.uk⁠
Twitter: @TransformJust1
Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠
The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons. With thanks to Burges Salmon LLP for use of their space.
32 min
August 04, 2023 Ep23: Can the judiciary become anti-racist?
Abundant evidence shows that the criminal justice system disproportionately impacts minoritised communities, and many reports have made recommendations to tackle discrimination in the courts. Yet racist treatment of lawyers, defendants, witnesses, and even judges by other court actors persists.
In this episode, hosts Penelope and Rob are joined by Abimbola Johnson, barrister at Doughty Street Chambers, and Keir Monteith KC of Garden Court Chambers to discuss institutional racism in the criminal justice system and what steps must be taken for the judiciary to become anti-racist.
Abimbola Johnson @BarristerAbi
Learn more about Abimbola's work here: https://www.doughtystreet.co.uk/barristers/abimbola-johnson
Keir Monteith KC @gardencourtlaw
Read 'Racial Bias and the Bench', the report Keir co-authored with Professor Eithne Quinn et al, here: https://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=64125
Further Resources
Baroness Casey Review: https://www.met.police.uk/SysSiteAssets/media/downloads/met/about-us/baroness-casey-review/update-march-2023/baroness-casey-review-march-2023a.pdf
The Lammy Review: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/643001/lammy-review-final-report.pdf
Transform Justice
Website: ⁠www.transformjustice.org.uk⁠
Twitter: @TransformJust1
Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠
The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons. With thanks to Burges Salmon LLP for use of their space.
32 min
July 07, 2023 Ep22: "I'm a victor not a victim" - taking back power in domestic abuse
PLEASE NOTE: This episode contains detailed and sometimes graphic descriptions of domestic abuse.
Although public awareness of domestic abuse has risen in recent decades, it remains a widespread issue. How the police and courts should respond to cases of domestic abuse is a huge topic of discussion within criminal justice, and many feel current processes do not do enough to support survivors.
In this episode, hosts Penelope and Rob are joined by Janika Cartwright, who survived an attempt on her life by her ex-partner and is a passionate advocate for restorative justice, and Jackie Sebire, retired police officer and co-author of Policing Domestic Abuse.
They discuss the nuances of domestic abuse, why people experiencing it may not go to the police, and what needs to be changed to prevent it where possible, and provide a better response to survivors when it does happen.

Janika Cartwright
Read more about restorative justice for domestic abuse and Why Me? here: https://why-me.org/our-work/our-projects/restorative-justice-for-survivors-of-domestic-and-sexual-violence/

Jackie Sebire
Read Police Domestic Abuse: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Policing-Domestic-Abuse-Routledge-Knowledge/dp/0367684152

Further Resources
Project CARA: https://hamptontrust.org.uk/program/cara/

Transform Justice
Website: www.transformjustice.org.uk
Twitter: @TransformJust1
Email: [email protected]
For resources and support related to sexual assault please visit Helping Survivors: https://helpingsurvivors.org/

The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons. With thanks to Burges Salmon LLP for use of their space.
41 min
June 09, 2023 Ep21: Imprisoned for 50p - are anti-social behaviour rules out of order?
Should asking for 50p or feeding pigeons land you in prison? In this episode we discuss anti-social behaviour injunctions, and the harsh outcomes that can occur when they are breached.
Hosts Rob and Penelope are joined by Dr Rona Epstein, researcher at Coventry Law School, and James Stark, barrister. They share cases which resulted in disproportionately severe punishment, and question current approaches to anti-social behaviour.
Dr Rona Epstein @CovLawSchool
Read some of Rona’s recent work here: https://www.thejusticegap.com/anti-social-behaviour-law-punishing-the-poor-and-vulnerable/
James Stark @JHASTARKBAR
Read the Civil Justice Council report for which James was on the working party here: https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/ASBI-final-accessible.pdf
Further Resources
Read Penelope's blog on anti-social behaviour injunctions: https://www.transformjustice.org.uk/news-insight/in-praise-of-criminal-courts/
Transform Justice
Website: www.transformjustice.org.uk
Twitter: @TransformJust1
Email: [email protected]
The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons. With thanks to Burges Salmon LLP for use of their space.
31 min
May 19, 2023 Ep20: Is prison education up to the mark?
There are wonderful success stories of people using time in prison to pursue education, learn new skills, and even earn degrees. But the reality of prison education is a lot more complex than many realise. Between staff shortages, waitlists, and limited resources, accessing appropriate education on the inside can be a minefield. In this episode, guests David Breakspear, peer mentor at Revolving Doors, and Ian Merrill, CEO of Shannon Trust, discuss the challenges facing prison education and why it is essential for promoting independence and improving opportunities for people in prison.

David Breakspear @RevDoors
Find David's writing, TEDx talk and more here: https://journeyofareformedman.wordpress.com/

Ian Merrill @Shannon_Trust
Learn more about Shannon Trust's programmes and sign up to volunteer here: https://www.shannontrust.org.uk/

Transform Justice
Website: www.transformjustice.org.uk
Twitter: @TransformJust1
Email: [email protected]
The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons. With thanks to Burges Salmon LLP for use of their space.
32 min
April 28, 2023 Ep19: Behind closed doors - is justice 'seen to be done'?
"Justice must not only be done, but must also be seen to be done." Lord Hewart's oft-quoted phrase is just as relevant almost 100 years on. In this episode, we ask how transparent justice processes are in two courts - the Court of Protection and the Family Court.
Hosts Rob and Penelope are joined by Sanchia Berg, BBC radio correspondent, and Celia Kitzinger, co-director of the Open Justice Court of Protection Project to discuss if and why some cases need to be shielded from public observation, barriers to accessing court hearings, and what could be improved to ensure that justice truly is seen to be done.

Sanchia Berg @Sanchia7
Read Sanchia’s article about the pilot scheme for reporting in the family court: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64411229
Celia Kitzinger @KitzingerCelia
Read the blog post that started the Open Justice Court of Protection Project here: https://transparencyproject.org.uk/remote-justice-a-family-perspective/
Open Justice Court of Protection Project @OpenJusticeCoP
https://openjusticecourtofprotection.org/about/

Transform Justice
Website: www.transformjustice.org.uk
Twitter: @TransformJust1
Email: [email protected]
The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons. With thanks to Burges Salmon LLP for use of their space.
32 min
March 30, 2023 Ep18: Falsely accused - the Post Office prosecutions
The notorious Post Office scandal saw a thousand people falsely accused of theft or false accounting because of a known computer system bug. The Post Office itself conducted the investigations and prosecutions which left some of its former employees imprisoned or bankrupt. In this episode, hosts Penelope and Rob are joined by Paul Marshall, barrister, and Richard Moorhead, Professor of Law at Exeter University to discuss how and why these events unfolded and why it took twenty years to uncover the truth.
Paul Marshall @cornerstonebarr
Read Paul's professional profile here: https://cornerstonebarristers.com/barrister/paul-marshall/
Richard Moorhead @RichardMoorhead
Read more of Richard's thoughts here: https://lawyerwatch.wordpress.com/author/lawyerwatch/
Transform Justice
Website: www.transformjustice.org.uk
Twitter: @TransformJust1
Email: [email protected]
The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons. With thanks to Burges Salmon LLP for use of their space.

32 min
March 09, 2023 Ep17: Are criminal records fair?
More than 12 million people in England and Wales have a criminal record, many for old or minor offences. The vast majority have already moved on with their lives, but for many their criminal record still haunts them, preventing them from gaining employment or developing in their career. In this episode, our hosts Penelope and Rob bring together campaigning expertise from the UK and US contexts to discuss why the criminal records system is unfair and what needs to change. We hear from Jay Jordan, CEO of the Alliance for Safety and Justice in the US, and Chris Stacey, Director of Support and Development at Clinks, about the reality of living with a criminal record and campaigning efforts to build a fairer system on both sides of the pond.
Jay Jordan @misterjayjordan
Find out more about Jay's work and the Time Done campaign here: https://www.timedone.org/
Chris Stacey @ChrisStacey
Find out more about Chris here: https://www.clinks.org/user/117928
Further resources
Join the FairChecks campaign for criminal records reform here: https://fairchecks.org.uk/
Follow the campaign on Twitter @FairChecks
Transform Justice
Website: www.transformjustice.org.uk
Twitter: @TransformJust1
Email: [email protected]
The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons. With thanks to Burges Salmon LLP for use of their space.
35 min
February 16, 2023 Ep16: Why can't police solve more crime?
Most crime has gone down in recent years, but police have been criticised for not resolving more of the crime that does happen. In this episode, hosts Penelope and Rob ask Richard Horton, retired police officer and prize-winning blogger, and Rick Muir, Director of the Police Foundation, what is preventing police from solving more crime. We discuss over-reliance on the police in cases better addressed by other public services, exacting recording standards, a changing crime landscape, and whether we should reallocate police funding to social services.
Richard Horton @iofiv
Listen to Richard's Thin Blue Mind podcast here: https://audioboom.com/channels/4785119
View Richard's Night Jack blog archive here: https://web.archive.org/web/20090510125846/http://nightjack.wordpress.com/
Rick Muir @the_police_fdn
Read the Police Foundation's strategic review of policing here: https://www.policingreview.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/srpew_final_report.pdf
Transform Justice
Website: www.transformjustice.org.uk
Twitter: @TransformJust1
Email: [email protected]
The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons. With thanks to Burges Salmon LLP for use of their space.
32 min
January 19, 2023 Ep15: Out of court, out of mind?
In this episode. we discuss different ways of resolving crime without going to court and ask why these methods are little used or understood despite evidence showing they can have a positive impact on preventing reoffending.
Dr Peter Neyroud @pwneyroud
Learn more about Peter’s work at https://www.crim.cam.ac.uk/People/peter-neyroud
Pavan Dhaliwal @RevDoors
Visit the Revolving Doors website for more information and resources https://revolving-doors.org.uk/
Transform Justice
Website: www.transformjustice.org.uk
Twitter: @TransformJust1
Email: [email protected]
The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons. With thanks to Burges Salmon LLP for use of their space.
32 min

About The Transform Justice Podcast

From the publisher's feed

The Transform Justice podcast throws light on the hidden corners of the criminal justice system. Each episode, we focus on one aspect of the justice system and ask if it’s fair and what can be done to make it better. Transform Justice is a national charity working for a fair, humane, open and effective justice system.