Churches Criminal Justice Forum

About us      Membership       Staff & Council     Background     Contact us

About Us 

The Churches’ Criminal Justice Forum is a network of CTBI.

We have the following purpose, objectives, membership and historical background.

Purpose

To uphold Christian values in the field of criminal justice

Objective

Members will seek:

To create a network on criminal justice that is appropriately accountable to CTBI

To share information about their activities, and about relevant initiatives in the field of criminal justice

To share concerns arising from the field of criminal justice with regard to the value and dignity of human life.

To share ideas, and develop ways, of increasing awareness and understanding in congregations, with a view to enabling individuals to engage with the issues in informed and practical ways.

To draw on members knowledge and Christian perspectives when assisting the churches to formulate approaches to government, or government agencies, that express concerns or urge reforms

To encourage measures to counter social exclusion.

To encourage agencies working with ex-offenders.

To develop dialogue with representatives of non-Christian faiths with regard to the above objectives.               

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Membership

Full membership of CCJF is available to any Christian denomination in Britain and Ireland in agreement with the purpose and objectives of CCJF.

Associate membership is available to Christian service providers, secular and non-Christian organisations in agreement with the purpose and objectives of CCJF.

Future applications for membership will be considered by current members of CCJF.

Current full members of CCJF are: The Board for Social Responsibility, Church of England; The Methodist Church; The United Reformed Church; The Unitarians; The Baptist Union; The Salvation Army; The Quakers; The Bourne Trust; The Mothers Union, Catholic Agency for Social Concern, Payback a small secular voluntary organisation working to promote greater public confidence in the effectiveness of community sentences, joined as an associate member in July 2000. Click here to Join CCJF as a full member or associate member.

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Staff & Council

Moderator Rt Rev Terence Brain, Roman Catholic Bishop for Prisons

Chair Rev. Christopher Jones, national policy advisor to the Church of England on criminal justice

Executive Committee Peter Sedgwick, Anthea Cox, Bruce Chilton, Sheila Foreman, Iain & Wilma Frew, Mary Gandy, Lawrie Brown, Paula Harvey, Lynda Henstock, Andy Keen Downs and Noel Loughrey

Administration Lesley Versprille

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Background

In July 1999 the Catholic Agency for Social Concern (CASC) published a report on Women in Prison. The report was supported by a number of other Christian denominations, and in September 1999, CASC established the ‘Ecumenical Women in Prison Group’ (EWPG) as a forum through which churches could together seek to progress the report’s recommendations.

EWPG continued to meet throughout 2000 and provided a useful platform for the churches’ dialogue with Government on prison issues. The group had two meetings with the Minister for Prisons, Paul Boateng MP, and a number of meetings with the Home Office, Social Exclusion Unit and Prison Service senior civil servants. Discussion with Government is continuing about a range of initiatives, including development of family visiting in prisons; research about child care issues arising from the imposition by courts of unexpected custodial sentences on mothers; extension of the use of restorative justice schemes in prisons; and the possible production of a ‘What can I do?’ Video and information pack to encourage greater involvement by Christians in criminal justice issues.

In January 2001 EWPG held a day to evaluate work done to date and to identify a future strategy. It was agreed that EWPG:

Adopt the name ‘Churches Criminal Justice Forum’ to reflect the group’s ecumenical nature and ongoing interest in a range of criminal justice issues.

Explores ways in which links with Christian service provider organisations working with prisoners, ex-prisoners and their families could be further developed

For CCJF to apply to become a network under the auspices of CTBI.

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Contact us

Church’s Criminal Justice Forum

39 Eccleston Square

London SW1V 1BX

Tel. 020 7901 4878

Email:  ccjf@cbcew.org.uk

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