research report

Open justice: empowering victims through data and technology

Report that shows how the digital environment has the potential to make public services such as the criminal justice agencies more accountable, participatory, collaborative, accessible, responsive and efficient.

It also assesses the degree to which such technologies have so far been utilised within the criminal justice system and explores what victims think about these innovations. In doing so, it looks at surveys of victims’ attitudes towards the criminal justice system and draws on the findings of focus groups undertaken with victims of crime for the purposes of this report.

Reducing the use of imprisonment: what can we learn from Europe?

Paper that looks at features of the criminal justice systems in operation in the Netherlands and Germany and analyses changes in prison numbers in order to see whether any lessons might usefully be considered in England and Wales.

There is a particular focus on Germany and the Netherlands as these are countries which share certain similarities with the UK.

Caught in the headlines: Scottish media coverage of Scottish Gypsy Travellers

To get an overview of media reporting of Scottish Gypsy Travellers, Amnesty International Scotland commissioned a media clippings agency to identify all Scottish media coverage relating to Scottish Gypsy Travellers over a four month period. This report documents findings of press coverage in terms of prevalence, tone, stereotypes and local politics. It concludes with recommendations for journalists,local politicians and the Scottish Government.

Learning independence: views of care leavers, students in residential further education and boarders in boarding schools on moving onto independent adult life

Report that gives the views of young people who are about to leave boarding schools for adult life, of residential students in further education colleges, and of care leavers, about learning and preparing for life as independent adults. It compares the views of those moving into independent adulthood from these very different backgrounds.

When the going gets tough: charities' experiences of public sector commissioning

Reforms to public services, the deficit reduction programme and the coalition government’s Big Society agenda are all affecting the amount of funding going to charities and the way that this money is given. This report provides an in-depth insight into how these changes are affecting the sector, and how charities are responding.

Under one roof

Paper that explores how social housing providers can face up to the dual challenges of increased demand and fewer resources by doing what they do best – providing early, low level supports inan integrated fashion, to ensure resources go further and to generate greater cost savings for the NHS, social care and criminal justice systems.

Improving hospital admission and discharge for people who are homeless

Report that draws together the direct experiences of clients and staff to provide an updated national picture of hospital admission and discharge practice for people who are homeless.

It identifies examples of effective working, as well as where improvements still need to be made. It builds on existing guidance on hospital admission and discharge to propose a set of standards which can be applied regardless of the specific models of practice in place.

Not a minor offence: unaccompanied children locked up as part of the asylum system

Report that highlights the pernicious situation of these forgotten children; young people who have arrived in the UK separated from their parents or usual guardians and who are detained in immigration removal centres as adults.

It discusses the circumstances leading to the detention of unaccompanied children, wrongly treated as adults and therefore in extremely vulnerable situations, as their needs as children are left unrecognised. It also recommends changes to the system that should reduce the number of young people whose short lives are damaged in this way.