Howard League for Penal Reform
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Howard League for Penal Reform is a London-based registered charity in the United Kingdom. It is the oldest penal reform organisation in the world, named after John Howard. Founded in 1866 as the Howard Association, a merger with the Penal Reform League in 1921 created the Howard League for Penal Reform. The League's Director since 1986 has been Frances Crook.
Over its 140-year history, the Howard League has had a significant impact on the development of criminal justice policy. It led the creation of various other agencies and organisations, including the Magistrates Association, Victim Support and the Prisoners' Advice Service. Throughout its history it has campaigned vigorously against the death penalty.
The League has mounted recent high-profile campaigns on children in prison, women prisoners, suicide and self-harm, prison education, and young offenders. A law department was set up in 2002 to bring law suits against the British government and local authorities to challenge what it sees as the unacceptable treatment of children in the youth justice system. In 2005, the Howard League set up a graphic design studio in Coldingley Prison which offers prisoners fully remunerated employment at market rates.
The Howard League often courts controversy. The jailed Conservative Party Peer, Jeffrey Archer, used their Annual Conference in 2003 to make his first public speech since his release from prison.
The Howard League has a number of high-profile supporters, including Michael Palin, Prunella Scales, Sheila Hancock, and a large number of members of the House of Lords and House of Commons. The Howard League Centre for Penal Reform, into which the organisation moved in 2000, was officially opened by Betty Boothroyd in November 2001. The Centre is located in Islington, north London.
Today, the Howard League has a staff of fourteen (as of June 2006) and more than twenty trustees, including Lord Alex Carlile as President since 2006 (previous presidents include the playwright John Mortimer QC). The current Chair is Dick Whitfield, former Chief probation officer in Kent, and a member of the Parole Board.
