Action for Race Equality is looking for new members to join its National Independent Advisory Group (NIAG) to help continue its work tackling racism in the criminal justice system.
This is a brilliant opportunity to help ARE coordinate efforts by Black, Asian and Minority-ethnic led organisations already working across the criminal justice space.
There is no strict eligibility criteria to become a member of the NIAG, however applicants must be able to demonstrate work that positively impacts Black, Asian, Mixed heritage, Gypsy, Roma, Traveller and Muslim people and communities. We hope to welcome three new members to help continue the NIAG’s work tackling racism in the criminal justice system.
If you are interested in joining the NIAG, please send an expression of interest to meka@actionforraceequality.org.uk by 10th January 2024. This should include:
- Your name and your organisation’s name
- A link to your website or relevant material
- No more than 400 words about why you would like to join the NIAG.
About the National Independent Advisory Group
The NIAG is made up of a dedicated team working collaboratively to help those developing criminal justice practice and policy. We work closely with His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service, the Ministry of Justice, the Mayor’s Office of Policing and Crime and the Metropolitan Police Service, to create a fairer system for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people. The NIAG’s members include representatives from Prison Reform Trust, Zahid Mubarak Trust, Wipers CIC, the Ministry of Justice, St Mary’s University, Manchester Metropolitan University, Maslaha and University of Suffolk. The NIAG is a key legacy of EQUAL and the Young Review.
The NIAG has been working to address disparities impacting Black, Asian and minority ethnic people, and Muslims in the criminal justice system since 2014, and has driven much of ARE’s criminal justice work. It was previously was known as the Young Review Independent Advisory Group, before becoming a part of ARE’s EQUAL project.
I have been on the advisory group for EQUAL and, before that, on the Young Review. Both groups were facilitated by Action for Race Equality and much has been accomplished in influencing policy change in relation to prisons, probation and youth justice. Since 2014, ARE (then the Black Training and Enterprise Group) has aimed to address racial disparity in criminal justice by building collective capacity in bringing together stakeholders from the voluntary and community sector, statutory sector, academia and funders.
This has helped to turn knowledge held collectively by our communities into meaningful action when it comes to policy change across criminal justice. ARE continues to play a key role in bridging the gap between Black and minoritised communities and policy makers, presenting opportunities for policy reform, and stimulating community involvement on issues of crime, victimisation, and criminal justice.”
Neena Samota, Senior Lecturer and Director of Criminology at St Mary’s University Twickenham,
