Custody is supposed to be used as a last resort when a child gets in trouble. But that's not always the case. In this episode, our hosts are joined by Dr Anne-Marie Day, youth justice researcher at Manchester Metropolitan University, and Dr Laura Janes KC (Hon), solicitor. They discuss why children are detained, how they are treated in custody, and what the experience of imprisonment is like for a child.

Dr Anne-Marie Day

Read more about Anne-Marie's work here: https://www.mmu.ac.uk/staff/profile/dr-anne-marie-day#t-tabs_staff_profile-3

Dr Laura Janes KC (Hon)

Find out more about Laura's work here: https://laurakjanes.co.uk/

Transform Justice

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.transformjustice.org.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

BlueSky: @transformjustice.bsky.social

Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠policy@transformjustice.org.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons.

The long-awaited final report of David Gauke's sentencing review was published on 22nd May 2025. In this episode, Penelope and Rob are joined by Rachel Sylvester, political editor of The Observer, to discuss its contents.

From chemical castration to early release, the report covers a huge range of suggestions to reduce pressure on our prison system. But will it be enough to finally broker peace between the parties, the public, and the prisons?

Rachel Sylvester

Read more from The Times' crime and justice commission, which Rachel chaired: https://www.thetimes.com/law/crime-justice-commission

Further resources:

Read the sentencing review final report: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-sentencing-review-final-report

Read Rob's latest blog about the sentencing review: https://reformingprisons.blogspot.com/2025/05/a-good-try-but-can-it-be-converted.html

Transform Justice

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.transformjustice.org.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

BlueSky: @transformjustice.bsky.social

Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠policy@transformjustice.org.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons.

Does equality before the law mean treating everyone the same? Sparks have flown in recent weeks as Lord Chancellor Shabana Mahmood and Lord Davis, Chairman of The Sentencing Council, debate proposed guidelines that encourage judges to consider pre-sentence reports for certain groups, including ethnic and religious minorities. The Lord Chancellor has publicly criticised the proposals for creating a "two-tier" justice system.

In this episode, hosts Penelope and Rob are joined by Sonya Ruparel, CEO of Women in Prison, and journalist David Shipley. They discuss what sparked the debate, why some oppose the guidelines, and who should have final say on matters informing sentencing.

Sonya Ruparel

Read Women in Prison's statement: https://womeninprison.org.uk/news/women-in-prison-respond-to-discussion-on-sentencing-council-guidance

David Shipley

Read David's article for the Spectator: https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-sentencing-council-has-been-humiliated/

Further resources:

Read the guidlines that sparked the debate: https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/overarching-guides/magistrates-court/item/imposition-of-community-and-custodial-sentences-overarching-guideline/

Read Rob's analysis of the debate: https://reformingprisons.blogspot.com/2025/04/parliamentary-undersight-strange-case.html

Read the letters between the Lord Chancellor and Lord Davis:

https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/20250310-Letter-from-Lord-Justice-William-Davis-to-Lord-Chancellor-on-Imposition-FOR-PUBLICATION.pdf

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67e6640655be617e1490d69c/lord-chancellor-rt-hon_lord-justice-davis.pdf

https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025-03-26-Letter-to-the-Lord-Chancellor-from-William-Davis-LJ-1.pdf

Transform Justice

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.transformjustice.org.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

BlueSky: @transformjustice.bsky.social

Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠policy@transformjustice.org.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons.

It's estimated that 50% of people in prison are neurodivergent, compared to around 15% of the general population. But why?

In this episode, hosts Penelope and Rob are joined by David Breakspear, ambassador for ADHD Liberty, and Professor Stan Gilmour, former police officer and neurodisability researcher. Focusing on ADHD and brain injury, they discuss how neurodivergent people get caught up in the criminal justice system, why they might have worse outcomes than those who are neurotypical, and what the system could do to prevent neurodivergent people being unfairly criminalised.

David Breakspear

Find out more about David's work with ADHD liberty here: https://www.adhdliberty.org/

Stan Gilmour

Read Stan's most recent work on brain injury here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/hidden-injuries-unaddressed-link-between-brain-trauma-gilmour-kpm-r0mye/

Further resources:

Brain injury and the criminal justice system: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/v8media/universityofexeter/schoolofpsychology/ccnr/documents/Brain_Injury_News_Issue_5_Spring_15.pdf

ADHD and the criminal justice system:

https://www.adhdfoundation.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Takeda_ADHD-in-the-CJS-Roundtable-Report_Final.pdf

Transform Justice

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.transformjustice.org.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

BlueSky: @transformjustice.bsky.social

Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠policy@transformjustice.org.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons.

More than 70,000 cases ranging from drug possession to rape are currently waiting to be heard in the crown court. This backlog is leaving victims without justice, defendants in limbo, and the public questioning if our justice system is fit for purpose. The backlog has been the subject of much discussion, but is it all just commentary?

Hosts Rob and Penelope are joined by former Lord Chancellor Alex Chalk KC and Dominic Thomas, barrister at 25 Bedford Row, to talk solutions. Will increasing judge sitting days, reducing sentence lengths, or introducing a new 'intermediate' court finally fix things?

Alex Chalk KC @AlexChalkChelt

Read more about Alex's proposal for a new kind of court here: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/law/article/alex-chalks-radical-solution-for-the-crown-court-backlog-xpgrkdgw5

Dominic Thomas @domttom

Find out more about Dominic's work here: https://www.25bedfordrow.com/site/people/profile/dthomas

Further resources

For information about the courts review: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/independent-review-of-the-criminal-courts

Transform Justice's response to the review: https://www.transformjustice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Transform-Justices-response-to-the-Independent-Review-of-the-Criminal-Courts.pdf

Read more about Rob's experience being called for jury duty: https://reformingprisons.blogspot.com/2025/02/jurys-out.html

Transform Justice

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.transformjustice.org.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Twitter: @TransformJust1

Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠policy@transformjustice.org.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons.

Prison is intended to punish wrongdoing. But all too often it's not just the person on the inside who's punished, but those on the outside too: their family.

In this episode, Penelope and Rob are joined by Josie Cole, author of 'prison bag', a blog describing her experience navigating family life with a partner on the inside, and Dr Lorna Brookes, founder of Time Matters and Reader in Parental Imprisonment at Liverpool John Moores University.

They discuss the impact of separation through imprisonment on partnerships and children and how prison thwarts attempts to maintain relationships.

Josie Cole @prisonbag

Read Josie's blog Prison Bag here: https://us15.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=d1afca7a40fd3dfb4cead907c&id=fda16af2c8

Dr Lorna Brookes @TimeMattersUK1

Find out more about Lorna's work here: https://www.timemattersuk.com/

Transform Justice

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.transformjustice.org.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Twitter: @TransformJust1

Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠policy@transformjustice.org.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons.

Though rare, children as young as 10 can be tried in criminal court in England and Wales. But are the courts up to the task of dealing with vulnerable children?

In this episode Rob and Penelope are joined by Aika Stephenson, solicitor and co-founder of Just for Kids Law, and Danielle Manson, criminal defence barrister. They discuss what kind of cases involving children go to court, how children are treated by judges and prosecutors, and how courts can be made more 'child friendly'.

Aika Stephenson @Justforkidslaw

Find Aika's book 'In Their Defence: Fighting for Youth Justice One Child at a Time' here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/in-their-defence/aika-stephenson-just-for-kids-law/9781789294873

Danielle Manson @daniellejmanson

Read more about Danielle's work here: https://www.matrixlaw.co.uk/member/danielle-manson/

Transform Justice

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.transformjustice.org.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Twitter: @TransformJust1

Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠policy@transformjustice.org.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons.

Louise Haigh recently stepped down from government after a decade-old fraud case resurfaced. She is one of the 1 in 4 working age people in England and Wales with a criminal record. Her resignation ignited debate around our criminal records system, leaving many asking: when can someone with a criminal record move on?

In this episode, hosts Rob and Penelope are joined by Paula Harriott, CEO of Unlock, and Dr Nicola Collett, senior lecturer at De Montfort University. They discuss the reaction to Haigh's resignation, the reality of living with a criminal record, and the barriers that prevent people with past offences from moving on.

Paula Harriott @unlockcharity

Find out more about Paula's work and learn about criminal records here: https://unlock.org.uk/

Dr Nicola Collett @nicola_collett

Read Nicola's research on the lifelong impact of criminal records here: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/385410602_The_life-long_consequences_of_criminal_justice_interactions_research_findings

Join FairChecks and help us reform the outdates criminal records system

Sign up here: https://fairchecks.org.uk/

Transform Justice

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.transformjustice.org.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠

Twitter: @TransformJust1

Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠policy@transformjustice.org.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons.