Prison Reform Trust Strategic Plan 2018-2023

The Prison Reform Trust (PRT) was founded in 1981 to inform and influence public debate on prison conditions and the treatment of prisoners, amidst concerns about a projected prison population of 48,000 by 1984. With the prison population in England and Wales now exceeding 82,000 and projected to rise to 86,400 by 2023, the charity remains as important to civic society today as it was then.

While often working alongside the Prison Service to effect reform and maintaining close links with departments including the Ministry of Justice, Treasury, Home Office, Cabinet Office, Department of Health and Department of Children, Schools and Families, to retain its independence PRT does not seek or accept Government funding. The structure and rigour of programmes are agreed with those trusts and foundations that generously fund the work. PRT has a strong track record of effecting change in policy and practice.

A major challenge for a small organisation working in this field is to determine its priorities, while retaining some capacity to seize opportunities and respond to events. This requires a strategic approach which, through close coordination of our research, communications and advice functions, carefully identifies the possibilities for, along with the effective means of achieving, change. It also requires discipline and the ability to set aside, or refer to partner agencies, that which cannot be tackled. This document sets out objectives for 2018–2023 and milestones towards achieving them, but stops short of repeating the detail of each grant application.