How should we deal with offenders whose offences we abhor?

The High Sheriff of Oxfordshire, Sylvia Jay, will host a talk by Professor Nick Hardwick, formerly HM Chief Inspector of Prisons and Head of the Parole Board.

During her year as High Sheriff of Oxfordshire (2019-20), Sylvia hopes to raise awareness of issues to do with crime and punishment, and of work done by many voluntary, charitable and statutory bodies in our community to prevent criminal behaviour. OCF is supporting her in her fundraising during the year.

Nick Hardwick has led several UK-based charities and criminal justice organisations, and most recently was chair of the Parole Board for England and Wales.

With early roles as leading charities Centrepoint and the Refugee Council, he went on to chair the Independent Police Complaints Commission, and was involved in investigations including enquiries into the death of Jean Charles de Menezes and the policing of the 2009 G20 London summit protests. From July 2010, he was Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons.

He was appointed chair of the Parole Board for England and Wales in March 2016, and resigned on 28 March 2018 following a successful legal challenge which led to the quashing of the Parole Board decision to release convicted rapist John Worboys from prison on licence.

At this event, he will bring his experience to bear in reflecting on how should we deal with offenders whose offences we abhor.

During the reception there will be an opportunity to buy needlework by current or former prisoners from a Fine Cell Work pop up-shop.