30 March 2023
To better understand the impact of the justice system on Gypsy, Roma and Traveller young adults and their families
Friends, Families and Travellers (FFT) is a Traveller-led charity working with and for Gypsies, Roma and Travellers.
This project aims to enable the voices of young adults from the Gypsy and Traveller communities involved in the CJS to be heard by policy makers, commissioners and service leaders. FFT report that Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people are the most disproportionately represented group, making up nearly 10% of the youth estate (HMIP, 2021) and 5% in adult prisons (HMIP, 2014), despite being just 0.5% of the overall population of England and Wales. FFT are also aware that official records are often a significant undercount, and that Travellers are less likely to ask for support in any stage of the CJS, with Gypsy and Traveller voices being seldom heard.
It wants to draw upon its deep connections with the communities to hear and understand the experience of young adults and families at the different stages of the T2A pathway model and gain their insights into practical changes for young Gypsies and Travellers to support their rehabilitation and desistance from crime. FFT plans to conduct desk-based research, online and paper-based surveys, themed focus groups and one to one interviews. It will produce a final report and hold a roundtable to discuss its findings and recommendations. FFT will be supported by three local Gypsy and Traveller organisations in its network (Leeds GATE, London Gypsy Travellers and Traveller Space in Devon and Cornwall). These partnerships will bring a wider reach of communities, regions, rural and urban settings and provide capacity building joint learning for the partner organisations
The work will be managed by FFT’s inhouse team. Face to face interviews and focus groups will be delivered by a number of experienced and culturally competent outreach staff at FFT and at the partner organisations.