WELCOME!

Programme For The Day

Tickets Still Available Here

Imago Dei extends a very warm welcome to all who are attending the #SheMatters Criminal Justice Conference today.

You can read all the information here about the day,

including the different Breakout Sessions on offer and Exhibitions.

SESSION 1 - KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

(Please note. due to unforeseen circumstances, there has been a last minute change to the Key Speakers at this event.)

ABBIE GARDNER - Deputy Governor, HMP Send

JENNY HAY - Senior Probation Officer, Kent Sexual Offending Team

ABBIE - With 17 years experience in the Probation Service, Abbie looked for a new challenge and opportunity within the Criminal Justice System, which she achieved through the HMPPS Senior Leadership Scheme. Abbie completed Prison Officer training followed by a placement at HMP Rochester. Since then, she has undertaken Head of Function roles within Corruption Prevention, Counter Terrorism, Residence, Healthcare and Drug Strategy at HMP Swaleside. Supporting people through a trauma informed approach has always been a priority as Abbie believes that if the staff and prisoners are well supported, positive outcomes are achievable for individuals, families, communities and the service as a whole.

"The vast challenge of our prisoners securing appropriate accommodation upon release is one I feel passionately about. Having previously held the lead role for accommodation in Kent I have conducted research into the nature and scale of the local and national challenges of housing and homelessness. I continue to work to address the barriers and champion the cause on behalf of the innumerable people released from custody with no safe or suitable home."

JENNY - Jenny has worked over 20 years in this industry and is passionate about working with women in the Criminal Justice System. Her specialist area is working with people convicted of sexual offences and trauma-informed approaches.

Women within the criminal justice system experience many difficulties as a result of trauma, domestic abuse, poor attachments, social isolation and exclusion. Jenny has found working with women with such vulnerabilities, and enabling and empowering them to make behavioural and life-style changes, is both powerful and rewarding. Observing women flourish and make decisions about their lives for themselves is one of the best rewards a practitioner can observe. Enabling women to parent their children and access community resources to support them when they may have been excluded or marginalised, therefore, being able to work with women and their children empowers them to make changes to their lives and improve outcomes for future generations, reduce risk of recidivism and potential victims.

Jenny will be sharing her activities and approaches on how a community initiative was formed and extended to women who are subject of the CJS and either serving a prison sentence or a community order.

SESSION 2 - BREAKOUT SESSIONS AM

Agenda, Main Auditorium

SESSION TOPIC: ‘Young women’s Justice Project’

Nia Clark will be joining us from Agenda to speak about their ‘Young women’s Justice Project’. Nia is the Senior Research and Engagement Officer at Agenda, where she leads on research for Agenda’s work on girls and young women at risk…….. Read More Here.

Pact (Prison Advice And Care Trust), Room 1

SESSION TOPIC: ‘Working with Mothers In Prison’

Becky Wray works with Pact as the onsite Social Worker in HMP Eastwood Park. Becky qualified as a Social Worker in 2014 and will be sharing specifically about working with mothers in prison…..Read More Here.

Not Beyond Redemption, Room 2

SESSION TOPIC: ‘The Importance of Understanding Parental Rights for Mothers in Prison’

Not Beyond Redemption is a charity that provides Family Law advice and representation to mothers in prison to help them re-establish and maintain contact with their children during and after serving their custodial sentence. They will be speaking on the importance of understanding parental rights for mothers in prison…… Read More Here.

SESSION 3 - BREAKOUT SESSIONS PM

Simeon Sturney - ‘Through The Gate’ Chaplain, Room 1

SESSION TOPIC: ‘Accommodation’

Simeon Sturney is a Through The Gate Chaplain at HMP Bronzefield, and also an Empowerment Worker. He is also the author of ‘One Mile Makes A Difference’. Simeon will be speaking about the reality of finding accommodation for women leaving prison….. Read More Here.

Advance Charity, Room 2

SESSION TOPIC: ‘Resettlement’

Sophia Benedict is Senior Services Manager at Advance Charity, a charity whose vision is a world in which women and children lead safe, violence-free, equal lives so that they can flourish and actively contribute to society. Sophia will be talking today about how that looks in regard to resettlement….. Read More Here.

Hearing from the Experts, Downstairs Space

SESSION TOPIC: ‘Interviews with women with lived experience of the Criminal Justice System’

Jo, the project manager of ID Essence, will be interviewing women who have experience of the Criminal Justice System to learn what it is like for them…. Read More Here.