The sentence of imprisonment for public protection was outlawed in 2012, but more than 1,000 people are still serving indefinite sentences in prison. Andrew Morris, former IPP prisoner, and Matthew Parris, journalist, join us to discuss why people are still being held under IPP, what impact this sentence has on those who receive it, and what must be done to rid us of the legacy of IPP once and for all.
Andrew Morris
Read the Howard League's expert recommendations on ending the detention of IPP prisoners: https://howardleague.org/publications/ending-the-detention-of-people-on-ipp-sentences/
Matthew Parris
Read Matthew's work here: https://www.thetimes.com/profile/matthew-parris
Further resources
Read the parliamentary briefing on IPP sentences: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn06086/
Transform Justice
Website: www.transformjustice.org.uk
Twitter: @TransformJust1
BlueSky: @transformjustice.bsky.social
Email: policy@transformjustice.org.uk
The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons.
Women are the fastest-growing prison population globally, but most offend to survive or to protect their children. In this episode, our hosts are joined by Dr Sarah Waite, Leeds Beckett University, and Lucy Campbell, founder of Flip of the Coin CIC, to discuss how the prison system is failing women and what could be done to improve how society responds when women are in crisis.
Dr Sarah Waite
Find our more about Sarah's work and see her latest publications here: https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/staff/dr-sarah-waite/
Lucy Campbell
Learn more about Lucy's arts organisation here: https://www.flipofthecoin.scot/
Further resources
Learn more about problem-solving courts for women: https://clinks.org/publication/problem-solving-courts-women
Transform Justice
Website: www.transformjustice.org.uk
Twitter: @TransformJust1
BlueSky: @transformjustice.bsky.social
Email: policy@transformjustice.org.uk
The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons.
Please note that this episode discusses suicide and self harm.
Should someone with schizophrenia stand trial? Can they be held responsible for their actions if their behaviour isn't rooted in reality?
Our hosts are joined by Dr Bradley Hillier, forensic psychiatrist, and Rhona Friedman, solicitor, to discuss how people with serious mental illnesses are treated in the justice system; the legal questions surrounding their participation at court; and the role of forensic hospitals.
Dr Bradley Hillier
Find out more about Bradley here: https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/doctors/roles-doctors/psychiatry/forensic-psychiatry/real-life-story-dr-brad-hillier
Rhona Friedman
Find out more about Rhona's innovative firm Commons Legal here: https://www.commons.legal/
Transform Justice
Website: www.transformjustice.org.uk
Twitter: @TransformJust1
BlueSky: @transformjustice.bsky.social
Email: policy@transformjustice.org.uk
The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons.
Ten years ago, the Single Justice Procedure (SJP) was introduced to make the magistrates’ courts more efficient. Designed to handle minor offences swiftly and cheaply, it allows cases to be decided by a single magistrate behind closed doors, often without the defendant’s knowledge or participation. Guilty pleas and mitigation can be submitted online, and most cases are processed in weeks rather than months. But at what cost?
In this episode, host Penelope Gibbs is in the hot seat alongside barrister Kirsty Brimelow KC to discuss how the SJP works and what it means for people facing charges.
Penelope Gibbs @PenelopeGibbs2
Read Penelope's report on the Single Justice Procedure here: http://bit.ly/4o5bOjG
Kirsty Brimelow KC @Kirsty_Brimelow
Find out more about Kirsty's work here: https://www.doughtystreet.co.uk/barristers/kirsty-brimelow-kc
Transform Justice
Website: www.transformjustice.org.uk
Twitter: @TransformJust1
BlueSky: @transformjustice.bsky.social
Email: policy@transformjustice.org.uk
The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons.
Custody is supposed to be used as a last resort when a child gets in trouble. But that's not always the case. In this episode, our hosts are joined by Dr Anne-Marie Day, youth justice researcher at Manchester Metropolitan University, and Dr Laura Janes KC (Hon), solicitor. They discuss why children are detained, how they are treated in custody, and what the experience of imprisonment is like for a child.
Dr Anne-Marie Day
Read more about Anne-Marie's work here: https://www.mmu.ac.uk/staff/profile/dr-anne-marie-day#t-tabs_staff_profile-3
Dr Laura Janes KC (Hon)
Find out more about Laura's work here: https://laurakjanes.co.uk/
Transform Justice
Website: www.transformjustice.org.uk
BlueSky: @transformjustice.bsky.social
Email: policy@transformjustice.org.uk
The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons.
The long-awaited final report of David Gauke's sentencing review was published on 22nd May 2025. In this episode, Penelope and Rob are joined by Rachel Sylvester, political editor of The Observer, to discuss its contents.
From chemical castration to early release, the report covers a huge range of suggestions to reduce pressure on our prison system. But will it be enough to finally broker peace between the parties, the public, and the prisons?
Rachel Sylvester
Read more from The Times' crime and justice commission, which Rachel chaired: https://www.thetimes.com/law/crime-justice-commission
Further resources:
Read the sentencing review final report: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-sentencing-review-final-report
Read Rob's latest blog about the sentencing review: https://reformingprisons.blogspot.com/2025/05/a-good-try-but-can-it-be-converted.html
Transform Justice
Website: www.transformjustice.org.uk
BlueSky: @transformjustice.bsky.social
Email: policy@transformjustice.org.uk
The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons.
Does equality before the law mean treating everyone the same? Sparks have flown in recent weeks as Lord Chancellor Shabana Mahmood and Lord Davis, Chairman of The Sentencing Council, debate proposed guidelines that encourage judges to consider pre-sentence reports for certain groups, including ethnic and religious minorities. The Lord Chancellor has publicly criticised the proposals for creating a "two-tier" justice system.
In this episode, hosts Penelope and Rob are joined by Sonya Ruparel, CEO of Women in Prison, and journalist David Shipley. They discuss what sparked the debate, why some oppose the guidelines, and who should have final say on matters informing sentencing.
Sonya Ruparel
Read Women in Prison's statement: https://womeninprison.org.uk/news/women-in-prison-respond-to-discussion-on-sentencing-council-guidance
David Shipley
Read David's article for the Spectator: https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-sentencing-council-has-been-humiliated/
Further resources:
Read the guidlines that sparked the debate: https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/overarching-guides/magistrates-court/item/imposition-of-community-and-custodial-sentences-overarching-guideline/
Read Rob's analysis of the debate: https://reformingprisons.blogspot.com/2025/04/parliamentary-undersight-strange-case.html
Read the letters between the Lord Chancellor and Lord Davis:
https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/20250310-Letter-from-Lord-Justice-William-Davis-to-Lord-Chancellor-on-Imposition-FOR-PUBLICATION.pdf
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67e6640655be617e1490d69c/lord-chancellor-rt-hon_lord-justice-davis.pdf
https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025-03-26-Letter-to-the-Lord-Chancellor-from-William-Davis-LJ-1.pdf
Transform Justice
Website: www.transformjustice.org.uk
BlueSky: @transformjustice.bsky.social
Email: policy@transformjustice.org.uk
The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons.
It's estimated that 50% of people in prison are neurodivergent, compared to around 15% of the general population. But why?
In this episode, hosts Penelope and Rob are joined by David Breakspear, ambassador for ADHD Liberty, and Professor Stan Gilmour, former police officer and neurodisability researcher. Focusing on ADHD and brain injury, they discuss how neurodivergent people get caught up in the criminal justice system, why they might have worse outcomes than those who are neurotypical, and what the system could do to prevent neurodivergent people being unfairly criminalised.
David Breakspear
Find out more about David's work with ADHD liberty here: https://www.adhdliberty.org/
Stan Gilmour
Read Stan's most recent work on brain injury here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/hidden-injuries-unaddressed-link-between-brain-trauma-gilmour-kpm-r0mye/
Further resources:
Brain injury and the criminal justice system: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/v8media/universityofexeter/schoolofpsychology/ccnr/documents/Brain_Injury_News_Issue_5_Spring_15.pdf
ADHD and the criminal justice system:
https://www.adhdfoundation.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Takeda_ADHD-in-the-CJS-Roundtable-Report_Final.pdf
Transform Justice
Website: www.transformjustice.org.uk
Twitter: @TransformJust1
Email: policy@transformjustice.org.uk
The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons.
More than 70,000 cases ranging from drug possession to rape are currently waiting to be heard in the crown court. This backlog is leaving victims without justice, defendants in limbo, and the public questioning if our justice system is fit for purpose. The backlog has been the subject of much discussion, but is it all just commentary?
Hosts Rob and Penelope are joined by former Lord Chancellor Alex Chalk KC and Dominic Thomas, barrister at 25 Bedford Row, to talk solutions. Will increasing judge sitting days, reducing sentence lengths, or introducing a new 'intermediate' court finally fix things?
Alex Chalk KC @AlexChalkChelt
Read more about Alex's proposal for a new kind of court here: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/law/article/alex-chalks-radical-solution-for-the-crown-court-backlog-xpgrkdgw5
Dominic Thomas @domttom
Find out more about Dominic's work here: https://www.25bedfordrow.com/site/people/profile/dthomas
Further resources
For information about the courts review: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/independent-review-of-the-criminal-courts
Transform Justice's response to the review: https://www.transformjustice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Transform-Justices-response-to-the-Independent-Review-of-the-Criminal-Courts.pdf
Read more about Rob's experience being called for jury duty: https://reformingprisons.blogspot.com/2025/02/jurys-out.html
Transform Justice
Website: www.transformjustice.org.uk
Twitter: @TransformJust1
Email: policy@transformjustice.org.uk
The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons.
Prison is intended to punish wrongdoing. But all too often it's not just the person on the inside who's punished, but those on the outside too: their family.
In this episode, Penelope and Rob are joined by Josie Cole, author of 'prison bag', a blog describing her experience navigating family life with a partner on the inside, and Dr Lorna Brookes, founder of Time Matters and Reader in Parental Imprisonment at Liverpool John Moores University.
They discuss the impact of separation through imprisonment on partnerships and children and how prison thwarts attempts to maintain relationships.
Josie Cole @prisonbag
Read Josie's blog Prison Bag here: https://us15.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=d1afca7a40fd3dfb4cead907c&id=fda16af2c8
Dr Lorna Brookes @TimeMattersUK1
Find out more about Lorna's work here: https://www.timemattersuk.com/
Transform Justice
Website: www.transformjustice.org.uk
Twitter: @TransformJust1
Email: policy@transformjustice.org.uk
The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons.
Though rare, children as young as 10 can be tried in criminal court in England and Wales. But are the courts up to the task of dealing with vulnerable children?
In this episode Rob and Penelope are joined by Aika Stephenson, solicitor and co-founder of Just for Kids Law, and Danielle Manson, criminal defence barrister. They discuss what kind of cases involving children go to court, how children are treated by judges and prosecutors, and how courts can be made more 'child friendly'.
Aika Stephenson @Justforkidslaw
Find Aika's book 'In Their Defence: Fighting for Youth Justice One Child at a Time' here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/in-their-defence/aika-stephenson-just-for-kids-law/9781789294873
Danielle Manson @daniellejmanson
Read more about Danielle's work here: https://www.matrixlaw.co.uk/member/danielle-manson/
Transform Justice
Website: www.transformjustice.org.uk
Twitter: @TransformJust1
Email: policy@transformjustice.org.uk
The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons.
Louise Haigh recently stepped down from government after a decade-old fraud case resurfaced. She is one of the 1 in 4 working age people in England and Wales with a criminal record. Her resignation ignited debate around our criminal records system, leaving many asking: when can someone with a criminal record move on?
In this episode, hosts Rob and Penelope are joined by Paula Harriott, CEO of Unlock, and Dr Nicola Collett, senior lecturer at De Montfort University. They discuss the reaction to Haigh's resignation, the reality of living with a criminal record, and the barriers that prevent people with past offences from moving on.
Paula Harriott @unlockcharity
Find out more about Paula's work and learn about criminal records here: https://unlock.org.uk/
Dr Nicola Collett @nicola_collett
Read Nicola's research on the lifelong impact of criminal records here: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/385410602_The_life-long_consequences_of_criminal_justice_interactions_research_findings
Join FairChecks and help us reform the outdates criminal records system
Sign up here: https://fairchecks.org.uk/
Transform Justice
Website: www.transformjustice.org.uk
Twitter: @TransformJust1
Email: policy@transformjustice.org.uk
The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons.
The government has just announced an independent review of sentencing to be carried out by former Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, David Gauke, and an expert panel. But will it help solve our prison crisis?
In this episode, our hosts are joined by Nicky Padfield, a member of the sentencing review panel, and John Bache, a magistrate and former Chair of the Magistrates' Association. They discuss how sentencing practices have contributed to our overgrown prison population and what they hope to see out of the sentencing review.
This episode was recorded on 5th November 2024.
Professor Nicky Padfield KC @cambridgelaw
Sentencing review panel member and Emeritus Professor of Criminal and Penal Justice, University of Cambridge
John Bache @JohnBache3
Magistrate and former Chair of the Magistrates' Association
Further resources
Submit to the sentencing review call for evidence here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/independent-sentencing-review-2024-to-2025/independent-sentencing-review-2024-to-2025-call-for-evidence
For more information about the Sentencing Review: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/independent-sentencing-review-2024-to-2025
Transform Justice
Website: www.transformjustice.org.uk
Twitter: @TransformJust1
Email: policy@transformjustice.org.uk
The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons.
Lawyers and judges are the gatekeepers of our justice system. But the Post Office scandal has forced many to ask: are they the ethical backbone of society or enablers of injustice?
In our second episode looking at the scandal, hosts Penelope and Rob are joined by Professor Richard Moorhead, University of Exeter, and John Hyde, Law Society Gazette, to discuss whether lawyers and judges were complicit in the miscarriages of justice which have emerged through the ongoing Post Office enquiry.
Who knew what when? Did they have a responsibility to disclose? What should they have done differently? Join us to dive into these questions and more.
Richard Moorhead @RichardMoorhead
Subscribe to hear more of Richard's thoughts on the Post Office scandal here: https://richardmoorhead.substack.com/
Read about Richard's research work here: https://postofficeproject.net/
Sign up to watch the livestream of Richard's Hamlyn Lecture on 13th November:
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/laws/events/2024/nov/hamlyn-lectures-2024-frail-professionalism
John Hyde @JohnHyde1982
Read John's work on the Post Office scandal here: https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/john-hyde/3670.bio
Transform Justice
Website: www.transformjustice.org.uk
Twitter: @TransformJust1
Email: policy@transformjustice.org.uk
The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons.
The criminal justice system is bursting at the seams. But why is it so hard to fix this system in crisis? In this episode, Rob and Penelope are joined by Tom O’Grady, associate professor at UCL, and Campbell Robb, CEO of NACRO to discuss how the voluntary sector can advocate for better justice.
They discuss the impact of the media and public opinion and and ask the crucial question: if politicians know the system’s broken, why haven’t they done more to fix it?
Tom O’Grady @DrTomD_OG
Read the report, co-authored by Tom and Gemma Buckland, about what politicians and their advisors think about criminal justice reform: https://www.nacro.org.uk/resource/better-justice-report-march-2024/
Campbell Robb @Nacro
Find out more about the Better Justice partnership and NACRO’s work here: https://www.nacro.org.uk/better-justice-partnership/
Transform Justice
Website: www.transformjustice.org.uk
Twitter: @TransformJust1
Email: policy@transformjustice.org.uk
The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons.
England and Wales is one of a tiny number of jurisdictions worldwide in which lay people sit in judgement of their peers. Some argue that magistrates play a vital role bridging the courtroom and the community. But does this work in practice?
In this episode our hosts are joined by Robin Fenwick, former magistrate, and Dr Kate Leader, senior lecturer at Queen Mary University. They discuss why we have magistrates, what powers they possess, and what it's like to be a magistrate behind the scenes.
Robin Fenwick @RobinComms
Read more about Robin here: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-64512612
Dr Kate Leader @leader_kate
Find out more about Kate's work here: https://www.qmul.ac.uk/law/people/academic-staff/items/leader.html
Transform Justice
Website: www.transformjustice.org.uk
Twitter: @TransformJust1
Email: policy@transformjustice.org.uk
The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons.
The US has guns, we have knives. Knife crime is often at the centre of our dialogue around crime, public safety, and urban youth culture. But is it on the rise?
In this episode hosts Rob and Penelope are joined by Jon Yates, chief executive of the Youth Endowment Fund, and Craig Pinkney, criminologoist and urban youth specialist. They discuss the loaded dialogue around knife crime, why people carry knives, and what could be done to reduce these crimes.
Jon Yates @YouthEndowFund
Read the latest report from the Youth Endowment Fund: https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/reports/beyond-the-headlines-2024/
Craig Pinkney @RealActionUK
Watch Craig’s TED talk on the roots of youth violence here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=uWNTMmktoCQ
Transform Justice
Website: www.transformjustice.org.uk
Twitter: @TransformJust1
Email: policy@transformjustice.org.uk
The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons.
With a general election just around the corner, all eyes are on the parties’ plans for a new government. In this special election episode, our hosts Penelope and Rob are joined by Rick Muir, Director of the Police Foundation to discuss the parties’ plans for justice.
Will more police, more prisons, and harsher punishments fix a justice system on its knees? And will a new government listen to the evidence around what works to reduce crime and prevent reoffending?
This episode was recorded on 6 June 2024, before any manifestos were published.
Rick Muir @rickmuir1
Find our more about Rick’s work at the UK’s policing think tank here: https://www.police-foundation.org.uk/
Further Resources
Lib Dem manifesto: https://www.libdems.org.uk/manifesto
Transform Justice
Website: www.transformjustice.org.uk
Twitter: @TransformJust1
Email: policy@transformjustice.org.uk
The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons.
Last year, 82 volunteers armed with booklets, pens and a desire to see justice in action took to London's magistrates' courts and observed over 1000 hearings. They diligently recorded what they saw and heard, and provided Transform Justice with a wealth of insights into the often unseen goings-on of the magistrates' courts.
In this episode, hosts Rob and Penelope are joined by passionate volunteer courtwatcher Premila Trivedi and senior lecturer and criminal justice researcher Becky Clarke of Manchester Metropolitan University. Together, they draw on the project findings as well as their own personal experiences to explore some critical questions: what challenges do court observers and defendants face in the magistrates' courts? How efficient and accessible are the courts, and are judgements fair and consistent?
Premila Trivedi
Premila is one of 82 volunteers who attended magistrates' courts around London from July to December 2023 contributed data to the CourtWatch London reports.
Becky Clarke @beckyjoyC
Learn more about Becky's work here:
https://www.mmu.ac.uk/research/groups/the-justice-project-sites-of-resistance
Further Resources
Read and download all three CourtWatch London reports here:
https://www.transformjustice.org.uk/focus-areas/courtwatch-london/
Sign up to the CourtWatch mailing list to be informed if volunteer applications open again:
https://transformjustice.eo.page/courtwatchlondon
Transform Justice
Website: www.transformjustice.org.uk
Twitter: @TransformJust1
Email: policy@transformjustice.org.uk
The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons.
No one wants to be a victim of a scam, especially in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis. Yet, whether it's phishing, benefit fraud, insurance scams, or online romance cons, fraud is only on the rise and now constitutes over 40% of all crime in the UK.
In this episode, hosts Penelope and Rob are joined by experts Nicola Harding, CEO of We Fight Fraud, and Michael Levi, Professor of Criminology at Cardiff University. Drawing on years of research as well as personal experience, they explore what's causing fraud to skyrocket, and what could be done to curb it.
Dr Nicola Harding @NicolaAHarding
Find out more about Nicola's organisation We Fight Fraud here: https://www.wefightfraud.org/
And explore Nicola's academic research here:
Professor Michael Levi
Explore Michael's academic research here:
https://profiles.cardiff.ac.uk/staff/levi
Further Resources
CIFAS survey:
https://www.cifas.org.uk/newsroom/fraudbehaviours23
Fair4All Finance and We Fight Fraud report:
https://fair4allfinance.org.uk/resources/as-one-door-closes-report/
Transform Justice
Website: www.transformjustice.org.uk
Twitter: @TransformJust1
Email: policy@transformjustice.org.uk
The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons.
