The University of Liverpool’s Department of Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology is hosting three ‘Challenge Labs’ at the School of Law and Social Justice to think about how change happens with people who care deeply about change in our criminal legal system because of their own experiences and knowledge.
As described in our first blog, the events aim to make space for radical imagination – imagination that tackles the roots of things. They will take place on the following dates:
- 28 April, 11am – 3pm: For people with lived experience of prison and/or probation supervision in the criminal justice system, led by consultant, Scott Kidd.
- 5 May, 11am – 3pm: For people with lived experience of criminal harm, led by consultant Jo Reilly.
- 22 May, 11am – 3pm: For frontline practitioners working in criminal justice related roles or professions, led by consultant Anne Fox.
Each lab will involve brief presentations by leading academic researchers (Dr Ruth Armstrong, Prof Shadd Maruna and Dr Laura Naegler) combining their expertise on social movement theory, creative resistance, radical imagination, and generating justice through systems thinking.
Additionally, there will be reflections from innovators from inside and outside the system who have made real-life changes, transforming the way justice works in practice. These presentations will be followed up with workshop opportunities to discuss our ideas for change and the effects we hope these ideas have. We will focus on the systemic arrangements that would need to change to scaffold new ways of working together; between communities, those who lead the institutions design to serve them, and universities like ours - designed to lead research that transforms lives, drives innovation, and creates a better, fairer world.
Alongside contributing to a report from these events which will be presented in a lecture to parliament and in a roundtable discussion with the Ministry of Justice team responsible for staff training and development, contributors to the above meetings will also have the opportunity to participate in further a live recording of The Secret Life of Prisons with the Prison Radio Association team at The Edge at Joey Orr’s in Liverpool on 16th June - we are looking for both panellists and audience members.
How to get involved
Please fill out our short survey for a place: https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/liverpool/making-space-for-radical-imagination
- Deadline for applications: Monday 6 April
- Offer of places: Friday 10 April
Lunch will be provided and funding is available for travel costs to attend the events if needed.
Please do share this blog with others in your networks who might want to be involved.