Members' area

How your membership helps

Your membership, quite simply, enables us to exist. The Howard League for Penal Reform is an independent charity and so relies upon the support of its members and donors to continue its work towards less crime, safer communities and fewer people in prison. We need our members to achieve real change and give added authority to our campaigns for a less costly and more effective criminal justice system.

Thank you for your support.

Howard League in the news

We have had some great press coverage recently - see below for a selection of stories.

Frances Crook wrote an opinion piece in The Guardian on Chris Grayling’s prison reforms.

The BBC reported our research showing that magistrates’ courts sentencing is a postcode lottery.

The Economic Voice covered the landmark step in our campaign to get 17 year olds in police custody treated as children.

The Independent reported recent evidence heard by the Sex in Prison commission which sparked a call for more work to be done to prevent non-consensual sex between inmates.

For a full list of press coverage see Howard League in the Media

The Penal Landscape

The Penal Landscape is a new guide to criminal justice published by the Howard League for Penal Reform.

Ten academic papers have been brought together in one collection to map out what is happening with the criminal justice system in England and Wales. All the papers have been written by prominent academics and cover a wide range of issues from prisons and privatisation, mental disorder and imprisonment to the presence of children and young people within the criminal justice system.

The guide shows what is happening within the criminal justice system, as well as highlighting challenges that confront us and gaps in understanding to suggest what may need to be done to move towards a reduced role for the penal system, while still maintaining safe communities and public confidence.

If you would like to buy a copy of The Penal Landscape please visit routledge.com. Howard League members and supporters can get 20% off by entering discount code ERJ67.

Resettlement law training

The U R Boss project has developed a one-day training seminar to complement our guide to resettlement law. The training helps bring the guide to life and both are designed to help improve the support available for young people on release from custody.

See our events page for more details and how to book.

New student online journal

Howard League student members have launched an online journal where their essays on penal reform can be published. For interest or inspiration, click here.

Action of the week

Check back here each week for a new action you can take to help our work.

Fundraising events

Members can fundraise for the Howard League by running, swimming, cycling and more - every penny you raise will help support our vital work for less crime, safer communities and fewer people in prison.