Rod Aldridge

Rod Aldridge is an entrepreneur with over 40 years experience of working in the public and private sectors.

He is the founder of the Capita Group retiring in July 2006 as Chairman. Subsequently he established The Aldridge Foundation to continue his work on public service reform and to focus on his charitable activities.

• Educational underachievement & Social Exclusion
• Public Service Reform Partnership and Development
• Community Engagement

The User Voice of the Criminal Justice System

Report and key findings of a seminar for serving and ex-offenders designed to give users of the criminal justice system a voice in prison services

• The criminal justice system is in crisis
• In the UK, 75 per cent of young offenders re-offend within two years of release from custody
• Offenders and ex-offenders say why

In April 2008, a seminar was organised to listen to the voice of current and former offenders.
 
The event was a unique approach to criminal justice evaluation; debate was restricted to users of the criminal justice system. All 35 delegates were serving or ex-offenders, clocking up 200 years of incarceration between them.
 
The seminar was co-organised and funded by The Aldridge Foundation and was the brainchild of ex-offender and policy adviser Mark Johnson. The event was run and organised entirely by offenders themselves, including the design of the questions: neither the funder nor administrators, although present, took part in the discussions which helped increase levels of confidence and openness within the groups.
 
Predominately delegates were people who have already made a decision to change their lives and against the odds succeeded in doing so. Many have gained degrees or professional qualifications, most now work in jobs which help others, a few have gone on to gain national recognition for their work.
 
But the seminar also included delegates currently on the methadone programme (controlled heroin withdrawal), tagged offenders and a serving offender (Released on Temporary Licence). Crimes committed varied from gang, violent and drug-related crimes to armed robbery and crimes which carry life sentences.
 
Empowering prisoners has been regarded as morally questionable and politically dangerous. But Rod Aldridge and Mark Johnson believe that, when given a chance to speak, the voice of the user of the criminal justice system can add insight, value and answers to many of the system’s current problems and failings.

Documents:

• Read the findings of the seminar here
• Read article by Rod Aldridge in Local Government Chronicle here