Social Justice - about us
Working Links has set up a Social Justice
division, specifically to focus on supporting offenders, their
families and their communities.
The name Social Justice demonstrates our deeply held belief that
reducing re-offending is the responsibility of the society
generally, not simply those working in the criminal justice
system.
We believe that the root causes of most offending lie in wider
social issues: drug and alcohol misuse, mental and physical
ill-health, experience of abuse, unemployment, low skills, debt,
and intergenerational deprivation.
By looking at the offender as a whole, we work with partner
agencies to tackle a range of underlying issues across the
NOMS (National Offender Management service) pathways and
offer opportunities to develop new skills so they can find and
sustain employment, and make a new life away from crime.
Our aim is to ensure equality of opportunity and true social
justice for each and every person we meet – giving everyone a new
chance to turn their lives around.
Entering employment is the most successful ways to reduce
re-offending. Working Links offers a range of skills training
programmes nationally, and works with over 50,000 employers
nationally.
By working with employers to challenge misconceptions about the
risks associated with employing ex-offenders, we are creating new
employment opportunities for ex-offenders and those leaving prison
or under Probation Supervision.
The families of offenders often face tremendous financial and
emotional strain, and are one of the groups most ‘at risk’ of
experiencing social exclusion.
And children of prisoners are disproportionately at risk of
becoming offenders in adulthood. Furthermore, research shows that
the more contact a prisoner has with their family during their
sentence, the better their outcomes post release. So Social Justice
will provide whole-family support to families.