30 March 2023
To strengthen advocacy for young adults on key serious violence policies
The Centre for Crime and Justice Studies (CCJS) is an independent educational charity that scrutinises and challenges conventional criminal justice agendas, discusses fresh knowledge and ideas, and seeks to develop transformational solutions.
The project proposed by CCJS relates to three key themes it has been progressing over the last few years; 1. understanding the problematic use of the term ‘gang’ in criminal justice debates, 2. identifying racial bias in criminal justice and 3. challenging the evidence base for enforcement-led strategies to safety and increasing knowledge about effective alternatives. CCJS plans to work with frontline community-based organisations and individuals to strengthen advocacy and influencing on key serious violence policies.
There is a risk that young adults are both underserved in terms of the priorities and resources of local violence reduction agencies, and over criminalised by recent legislative developments and approaches. There are specific legislative developments that would benefit from independent civil society scrutiny and collaboration. In particular, the piloting of Serious Violence Reduction Orders, current joint enterprise prosecution practices, and the introduction of the Offensive Weapons Homicide Reviews.
CCJS will be conducting three main activities 1.: reaching out to frontline organisations through hosting in-person events, 2: developing interventions in dialogue with others, and 3: capturing organisational learning about building productive relationships with others and how working practices can best support wider movements for change. CCJS over the course of the project will host a number of events and publish outputs.