Webinar: Supporting People in Criminal Justice Detention
Briefing for Voluntary Sector Practitioners
Voluntary organisations provide crucial support to people in criminal justice detention across England and Wales. However, working within custodial settings involves navigating complex institutional constraints, limited resources, and power imbalances that can create unintended consequences.
This briefing examines four core categories of voluntary sector activities—holding authorities to account, participation programmes, campaigning and information provision—identifying both their benefits and potential pitfalls. This briefing explores the natural limitations of working within a systemically constrained environment. It provides practical recommendations to strengthen positive impacts while mitigating unintended consequences and reducing potential harm to detained people.
The dynamics of voluntary sector engagement with people in detention were discussed and best practice shared. This webinar presented findings and offered opportunities to provide feedback and ask questions.
This webinar was held on 18th March 2026
