We were honoured and extremely surprised to win the Outstanding Regional Organisation at the Criminal Justice Alliance Awards 2020 on 26th November. The CJA Awards, now in its sixth year and generously supported by the Hadley Trust, celebrate outstanding individuals and organisations who have made a significant contribution towards creating a fair and effective criminal justice system.
The judges of the CJA Awards 2020 are:
- Alexandra Wilson. A barrister and the author of ‘In Black and White: A Young Barrister’s Story of Race and Class in a Broken Justice System.’
- Jamie Bennett. Former prison governor and Deputy Director for Operational Security at HMPPS. He is also Editor of the Prison Service Journal.
- Whitney Clark. A youth consultant and Advisory Board Member for Peer Power, which was the Runner-Up of the Outstanding Organisation Award in 2019.
- Pastor Lorraine Jones. CEO and Founder of Dwaynamics, which Lorraine set up in memory of her son.
There were some fantastic nominees in our category, so it was even more of an achievement that we were chosen by the judges as the winner. Congratulations to Changing The Game who were runners up in our category and who run a group therapy programme, delivered in prisons in London, to improve engagement and outcomes for Black and minority ethnic men who have been involved with gangs and serious violence.
It was great to be a part of the awards this year, which was so well hosted by Junior Smart. As you can see from the video below, we were so shocked when we were announced as winners! Thank you to the judges for recognising the hard work we put in to supporting children with a parent in prison, to everyone who supports us and raises money so that we can continue to do what we do, and of course a big thanks to all the amazing families that let us into their lives and make our work so satisfying and rewarding.