Our staff

Chris Callender, Assistant Director (Legal)

Chris is a solicitor and an assistant director at the Howard League responsible for the legal team.  Our team represents children and young adult offenders within the prison estate using prison and public law to challenge the treatment and conditions while in custody, along with young peoples rights to support and care during resettlement. 

Gemma Barker, Practice Co-ordinator

Gemma is the initial point of contact for children and professionals in custody. Gemma also assists the legal director in the management and development of the legal team and provides general and administrative support to the team.

Nathaniel Baverstock, Practice Co-ordinator 

Nathaniel oversees the day-to-day running of the Howard League's legal team. He assists Assistant Director Chris Callender in the management of the department and provides general organisational and administrative support. 

Natalie Canham, Practice Co-ordinator

Natalie is the initial point of contact for children and professionals in custody. Natalie also assists the legal director in the management and development of the legal team and provides general and administrative support to the team.

Robert Elias, Youth Participation Officer, U R Boss

Robert works with young people in the community and secure estate in order to engage them in participation work of U R Project. 

Anna Fairbank, Caseworker

Anna is a caseworker in the children's legal team.

Ruth Green, Solicitor and Legal Officer for Children

Ruth Green represents clients under 18 years old in relation to a wide variety of prison law matters which they face whilst in penal detention, including parole and their treatment and conditions. She also advises in relation to resettlement issues upon their release. She is currently on maternity leave.

Laura Janes, Solicitor and Legal Officer for Children  Laura Janes heads up the children’s legal team. She qualified as a solicitor in 2006, when she was also named Young Legal Aid Lawyer of the year. She has been awarded rights of audience for the higher courts in civil cases. She is the chair of the Young Legal Aid Lawyers and a member of the Law Society’s Access to Justice Committee. She has a Masters in Research in Law and Human Rights and is a visiting lecturer in the Law Department at South Bank University. She is currently undertaking a professional doctorate in youth justice.

Anne-Marie Jolly, Inquiries and Mental Health Solicitor

Anne-Marie works with children and young people who suffer life-threatening injuries in custody, often through self-harm. She helps them to obtain and participate in a public inquiry into their treatment.

Laura Orger, Solicitor and Legal Officer for Children

Laura represents children and young people in custody in a variety of prison law matters including parole and resettlement cases.

Anna Prasad, Solicitor and Legal Officer for Young Adults

Anna Prasad represents 18 to 21 year olds in custody with legal issues relating to their treatment and conditions, complaint investigations, adjudications, parole and resettlement.

Shez Sutton, Project Coordinator, U R Boss

Shez has previously worked as a project manager for national charities, running citizenship and participation programmes for children and young people. After volunteering with her local Youth Offending Team, she joined the Howard League as Project Coordinator for U R Boss.

Eva Whittall, Solicitor and Legal Officer for Young Adults

Eva Whittall works at the Howard League as solicitor and legal officer for young adults. She represents young adults in custody over several areas of prison law, including parole, resettlement, and their treatment inside prison.