Victims’ commissioner for England and Wales warns against U-turn on limiting jury trials
14 January 2026
Exclusive: Claire Waxman says justice system risks collapse and no other viable way to drastically reduce courts backlog
Alexandra Topping
Political correspondent
A potential government U-turn on changes to jury trials risks breaking a justice system on the brink of collapse, the new victims’ commissioner for England and Wales has warned.
The justice secretary, David Lammy, must face down MPs and the legal profession over proposals to reduce the number of jury trials or “we will not have victims coming into the system”, said Claire Waxman.
Waxman said she was “disappointed” that the changes to jury trials had generated more “noise” than other plans to release prisoners recalled to prison early and abolish most short prison sentences. Changing in the sentencing bill risked undermining a key Labour manifesto promise to halve violence against women and girls in a decade, she argued.
Waxman said she understood the strength of feeling in the legal profession over jury trials, but said “an obstructive and unhelpful” discourse could plunge the system into deeper chaos.
https://www.theguardian.com/law/2026/jan/14/victims-commissioner-claire-waxman-warns-against-u-turn-limiting-jury-trials
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The numbers don’t lie: they tell a clear story about the prevalence and harmful effects of abuse. Domestic abuse is all too common in the UK, and its harmful impacts can extend to many areas of survivors’ lives, including mental health, physical wellbeing and family safety. Some women are disproportionately affected, particularly those facing intersecting forms of inequality such as racism, disability, poverty, insecure immigration status, or discrimination based on gender identity, and they often face additional barriers to accessing support . Fact : 1 in 4 women in England and Wales will experience domestic abuse in her lifetime. Domestic abuse feels incredibly isolating, but the numbers tell a different story: you are not alone. Fact: On average, one woman is killed by an abusive partner or ex every five days in England and Wales. If you are afraid of your partner, Refuge is here to help you. Always call 999 in an emergency. Fact: The police receive a domestic abuse-related call every 30 seconds. Yet it is estimated that less than 24% of domestic abuse crime is reported to the police. Fact: Domestic abuse can begin or escalate during pregnancy. 1 in 3 pregnant women experience domestic abuse and between April 2024 and March 2025, 14% of Refuge’s service users reported being pregnant.
Twenty-five domestic abuse offenders have been jailed in the West Midlands within the past two months alongside a police crackdown aimed at protecting victims, officers said. A total of 30 offenders appeared in court for crimes including assault, stalking, harassment, threats, criminal damage, and breaches of restraining and non-molestation orders. Sentences for those jailed averaged 25 weeks. The campaign came during the run-up to Christmas when reports of domestic violence traditionally rise, the West Midlands force said. Nearly 100 suspects detained In a planned operation across the region in December, nearly 100 suspects were detained on suspicion of domestic abuse offences. Among the 25 people who were jailed, a 45-year-old man sentenced to 33 months for a domestic assault in Edgbaston, and a 71-year-old man who was imprisoned for 21 months for stalking a woman in Birmingham. Five other offenders who were convicted received suspended sentences, community orders, or restraining orders. Det Insp Charlie Sparks said: "Our specialist teams remain wholly focused on supporting survivors and bringing perpetrators before the courts. "We understand the devastating impact these crimes have on victims, often in the place they should feel safest—their own homes. "Our officers work tirelessly to gather strong evidence and secure convictions, ensuring victims are safeguarded and offenders held accountable." But is that enough. . Key Statistics for the West Midlands Police Recorded Offences: The total number of sexual offences recorded by the West Midlands Police was 11,401 for the year ending March 2022, a 37% increase from the previous period. Prevalence Rates (Estimated): The Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) for the year ending March 2025 estimated that in the West Midlands, 9.1% of women (and 6.5% of men) experienced domestic abuse in the last year.
SPENDING £4 million a year to keep open an unusable jail is an “embarrassing sign” of the state of prison management, campaigners said yesterday. Prison reform groups slammed the government after a report from the parliamentary spending watchdog revealed the Ministry of Justice agreed to a 10-year lease at HMP Dartmoor despite high levels of poisonous gas at the site. TROUBLED JAIL: HMP Dartmoor The public accounts committee said the deal signed in 2022 to rent the prison from the Duchy of Cornwall was concluded “in a blind panic” as civil servants looked to increase the number of places for prisoners. The report found that HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) locked itself into the deal until December 2033, despite it being shut in August 2024. Radon, a radioactive gas which can cause lung cancer, was found at 10 times the safe level of concentration in some areas of the prison as early as 2020. Andrew Neilson, campaigns director at the Howard League for Penal Reform, told the Morning Star: “That the government is spending £4m a year to keep open a jail it can’t use is an embarrassing sign of how disastrous the prison capacity crisis has become. “Rather than continuing to focus on increasing prison places, the government must urgently address the inadequacy of the prison cells it already has and look to significantly reduce population numbers so it can begin providing safe, productive sentences for the people held in our jails.” Public accounts committee chair Sir Geoffrey CliftonBrown called the ministry’s handling of the lease of Dartmoor Prison an “absolute disgrace, from top to bottom.” Its report found that £1.5m of the estimated £4m yearly cost of the now defunct prison would go to the royal family. The lease obliges HMPPS to pay annual rent of £1.5m to the Duchy of Cornwall, which is part of the private assets of the Prince of Wales. Prison upkeep including security and additional business rates make up the rest of the £4m yearly bill. The lease also obliges the HMPPS to make improvements to the site, which cost a total of about £68m.
In 2026, bthechange CIC, in association with Waythrough, will extend its highly effective Continuity of Care programme to HMP Bristol. The expansion reflects the programme’s proven impact in supporting people at critical points of transition from custody to community. By providing consistent, relationship-based support before and after release, the Continuity of Care model reduces gaps in provision, strengthens engagement with services, and improves outcomes for people leaving prison. Supporting People Through Transition Continuity of Care is designed to address one of the most vulnerable periods in the criminal justice journey: the transition from custody back into the community. The programme focuses on: Building trusted relationships prior to release Ensuring seamless handover to community-based support Reducing disengagement from services at the point of release Supporting stability, recovery, and long-term reintegration Delivered through partnership working, the model ensures that individuals are not required to repeatedly retell their story and that support remains consistent, culturally competent, and trauma-informed. A Partnership Built on Impact The extension of the programme to HMP Bristol builds on the strong working relationship between bthechange and Waythrough and responds to identified need within the system. It reflects shared values around dignity, inclusion, and recovery-focused practice, and a commitment to improving outcomes for people leaving custody. Looking Ahead As the programme expands in 2026, bthechange and Waythrough will continue to work closely with local partners to ensure support is responsive, joined-up, and rooted in lived experience and hearing the user voice. Further updates will be shared as implementation progresses.
bthechange CIC has been commissioned to deliver a CMI Level 5–aligned Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) training programme for 100 senior leaders, supporting the development of inclusive, confident, and accountable leadership across the organisation. The programme will be delivered through five full-day, in-person cohorts, this cohort-based approach has been intentionally designed to ensure depth of learning, high-quality facilitation, and meaningful engagement, while creating psychologically safe spaces for reflection, challenge, and growth. Aligned to the standards of the Chartered Management Institute, the programme will strengthen leadership capability by: Increasing legal literacy and understanding of EDI responsibilities Embedding inclusive leadership behaviours into everyday management practice Supporting the creation of psychologically safe, high-performing teams Enabling managers to respond confidently to challenge, conflict, and complexity A Proven, Transformational Approach The training draws on bthechange’s lived-experience-informed, trauma-aware, and values-led methodology, ensuring learning is grounded in real-world leadership contexts rather than abstract theory. Sessions will balance practical tools, reflective practice, and facilitated dialogue, enabling managers to translate learning directly into action. By partnering with bthechange, the organisation benefits from: Expert facilitators with deep experience across justice, public, and community systems A strong focus on behaviour change, not just compliance An approach that connects EDI to leadership, culture, wellbeing, and performance Evidence-informed practice that supports sustainable cultural transformation Building Inclusive Leadership at Scale This programme represents a significant investment in leadership capability and organisational culture. By equipping 100 managers with the knowledge, confidence, and skills to lead inclusively, the organisation is taking a clear and proactive step towards fairness, accountability, and long-term cultural change. bthechange looks forward to delivering this programme and supporting managers to lead with integrity, empathy, and impact.
bthechange to Deliver Pilot Programme Supporting Racial Equity in Welsh Prisons HMPPS Wales has commissioned a six-month pilot programme to strengthen trust, fairness, and accountability for ethnically diverse people in custody. The pilot will be delivered by bthechange CIC and will assess the viability of a longer-term commitment to independent service provision across Wales. The programme will focus on providing external scrutiny of Discriminatory Incident Report Forms (DIRFs) and supporting improved relationships between prison staff and ethnically diverse people in prison. It has been commissioned in response to inspection findings, assurance processes, and data highlighting disproportionality, perceptions of unfair treatment, and low confidence in internal discrimination reporting mechanisms. Why This Pilot Matters Evidence from inspections, surveys, and national data continues to show that ethnically diverse people are disproportionately represented in the prison system and experience lower levels of trust in complaint and redress processes. The pilot has been designed to respond directly to these challenges by addressing: Disproportionate representation Ethnically diverse groups make up a significantly higher proportion of the prison population than of the general population. Without effective oversight, this disproportionality risks being reinforced by unequal treatment and systemic bias. Low confidence in DIRF processes Inspection surveys consistently indicate that ethnically diverse people often lack trust in internal discrimination reporting mechanisms, with concerns that complaints are not taken seriously, investigated thoroughly, or followed up transparently. Inconsistent handling of discrimination reports Previous national audits have highlighted weaknesses in DIRF handling, including inconsistent recording, variable staff knowledge, and limited learning from incidents. These gaps contribute to ongoing marginalisation and disengagement. Impact on wellbeing and recovery Experiences of discrimination or perceived unfair treatment can have a profound impact on mental health, safety, and rehabilitation, increasing the risk of disengagement, poorer outcomes, and reoffending. Gaps in race-specific expertise The pilot recognises that staff often lack the time, training, or specialist support required to respond confidently and consistently to racial discrimination concerns. What the Pilot Will Do During the six-month period, bthechange will: Provide independent scrutiny and audit of DIRFs Identify patterns, gaps, and good practice in handling discrimination complaints Support improved confidence, transparency, and learning within the DIRF process Strengthen relationships between staff and ethnically diverse people in prison Produce learning that informs sustainable, system-wide improvement Looking Ahead This pilot will generate evidence to assess the impact and value of independent oversight in improving trust, outcomes, and confidence in discrimination reporting processes. Findings will inform decisions about longer-term service provision and wider implementation across Wales. bthechange welcomes the opportunity to support this work and remains committed to advancing racial equity, accountability, and culturally competent practice across the justice system. Further updates will be shared as the pilot progresses.
bthechange CIC has reached the halfway stage of its Appreciative Inquiry into the racially motivated disorder that took place in Plymouth in August 2024. This work forms part of our ongoing commitment to community recovery, racial justice, and learning from lived experience. Rather than focusing solely on harm, the Appreciative Inquiry approach centres on understanding what has helped, where strengths exist, and how communities, services, and systems can build safer, more connected futures together. Over the past phase, we have been engaging with community members, grassroots organisations, and partners to listen, reflect, and create principled spaces where people feel safe to share their experiences. These conversations are helping to surface critical insights about trust, belonging, accountability, and healing following the events of last summer. As we move into the next stage of the inquiry, our focus will be on deepening engagement, identifying themes for action, and shaping practical recommendations that support long-term community recovery in Plymouth. We would like to thank everyone who has contributed so far with honesty, care, and courage. Further updates will be shared as the inquiry progresses. If you would like to be involved or learn more about this work, please contact the bthechange team
Our work sits at the point where people, systems, and power meet. Our focus is on strengthening what works, responding to what is failing, and shifting how the justice system listens, learns, and acts. We work across prisons, probation, and communities to support safer transitions from custody, fairer decision-making, and systems that are accountable to the people most affected by them. We know that the greatest harm occurs at moments of transition — when women leave prison without safe accommodation, when complaints are not trusted, when decisions are made without transparency, and when lived experience is absent from the rooms where power sits. Our priorities reflect these realities. Over the next three years, we will expand continuity of care for women leaving prison, scale procedural justice approaches that improve trust and legitimacy, and deepen our role in independent scrutiny across HMPPS. Alongside this, we will embed user voice within joint alliances, extend the Principled Space Model as a protected space for reflection and learning, and grow the Safe Haven initiative so fewer people are released into crisis. This is not about creating parallel systems. It is about working alongside statutory services to strengthen practice, challenge inequity, and support cultural change. Our ambition is practical, evidence-informed, and rooted in lived experience. Our success will mean fewer people falling through gaps, stronger accountability, and systems better equipped to respond with fairness, dignity, and care. 1. Expanding Continuity of Care for Women Leaving Prison We aim to significantly strengthen end-to-end continuity of care for women leaving custody, recognising the heightened risks during the first week’s post-release. Operational goals: • Extend continuity-of-care provision across additional women’s prisons and probation regions • Increase post-release support from 20 weeks to a flexible, needs-led model • Embed trauma-informed, culturally competent support as standard practice • Strengthen pathways into stable housing, healthcare, family support, and employment • Co-design services with women with lived experience to improve relevance and trust Outcome focus: Reduced recalls, improved stability, and safer transitions into community life. 2. Scaling the Procedural Justice Programme in Prisons We will expand our procedural justice programme to support fairer, more transparent, and more trusted prison environments. Operational goals: • Deliver procedural justice training in additional regional prisons • Support both operational staff and leadership teams to embed procedural fairness • Integrate procedural justice principles into induction, supervision, and culture change work • Develop evidence-based resources to support HMPPS culture and behaviour frameworks Outcome focus: Improved trust, legitimacy, and staff-prisoner relationships. 3. Expanding Independent Scrutiny Across HMPPS We will broaden our role as a trusted independent partner, providing external scrutiny that strengthens confidence, accountability, and learning. Operational goals: • Expand independent scrutiny activity across multiple HMPPS regions • Increase structured audits of complaint processes, discrimination reporting, and use of force • Support prisons to respond constructively to scrutiny through action planning and learning • Provide regular thematic insight reports to inform regional and national practice Outcome focus: Increased trust in systems, improved complaint handling, and reduced disproportionality. 4. Embedding User Voice in Joint Alliances and System Partnerships We will move beyond consultation to ensure user voice is embedded at every level of joint working and alliance activity. Operational goals: • Establish lived-experience representation within formal partnerships and alliances • Support people with lived experience to participate safely and meaningfully in system spaces • Embed feedback loops so user insight directly informs design, delivery, and review • Co-produce service improvements with communities most affected by the system Outcome focus: Services and systems shaped by those who experience them, not just those who manage them. 5. Expanding and Embedding the Principled Space Model The Principled Space Model will be a core mechanism for reflection, learning, and culture change across justice and community systems. Operational goals: • Deliver Principled Space sessions across prisons, probation, and community partners • Support organisations to embed Principled Spaces as a routine, protected practice • Train facilitators to ensure sustainability and fidelity to the model • Use Principled Spaces to address trauma, race, power, and organisational culture Outcome focus: Safer, more reflective systems capable of learning and change. 6. Growing the Safe Haven Initiative We will expand the Safe Haven initiative to ensure nobody that we are working leaves custody without immediate support when accommodation fails during the first week of release. Operational goals: • Increase Safe Haven capacity across additional geographic areas • Strengthen partnerships with probation, housing, and health services • Provide rapid, short-term accommodation alongside critical welfare support • Use Safe Haven data to influence longer-term housing solutions and policy change Outcome focus: Reduced homelessness on release and improved short-term safety and stability. Our Commitment Across all priorities, our 2026 ambition is to: Scale what works Hold systems to account Centre lived experience Build fairer, safer transitions from custody to community Josh Stunell – Founder & CEO