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.