A coalition of Christian leaders has issued a call to the UK government to urgently reform the nation’s struggling criminal justice system, asserting that years of punitive policies and deprivation have left communities in danger and vulnerable people unsupported.
In a latest report titled Picking Up the Pieces: An Ecumenical Approach to Criminal Justice Reform, Rachel Treweek, Anglican Bishop to HM Prisons, Richard Moth, Catholic Liaison Bishop for Prisons, and other Christian leaders, urge policymakers to shift from a punitive approach to a restorative, community-led model — backed by faith-based groups which can be already filling critical gaps left by the state.
The bishops write within the foreword: “This report calls for change and invites the federal government to work alongside the a whole bunch of churches, Christian organisations, and other faith communities which can be already working to ‘pick up the pieces’ of our broken criminal justice system.
“We strive for a society where nobody has to live in fear of crime; a society where individuals who find yourself in prison are reformed and able to rejoin society once released. We know this cannot occur without change.”
The report, coordinated by the charity Pact (Prison Advice and Care Trust), highlights how churches and Christian charities have stepped in where government services have fallen short.
Across England and Wales, Christian volunteers and organisations offer practical and emotional support to prisoners, victims, and families — mentoring youth, operating food banks, hosting restorative justice sessions, and aiding prison leavers as they reintegrate into society.
“In every prison on this country, there are chaplains of all faiths providing pastoral, emotional, and practical support alongside spiritual guidance,” the bishops state within the foreword.
“In visitors’ centres and inside prison visits halls, there are Christian organisations supporting children and families as they visit their family members in prison.
“Ordinary Christians are doing their part; it’s time for the federal government to tackle its responsibility for maintaining a secure society where everyone in touch with the criminal justice system is treated with humanity.”
The report highlights three key concerns that require urgent government motion to handle the deep-rooted issues inside the criminal justice system.
First, it calls for meaningful support for prisoners’ children and families.
With roughly 200,000 children within the UK affected every year by a parent’s imprisonment, the report describes them as “the hidden victims” of crime.
These children often take care of stigma, disrupted family life, and worse leads to education and well-being.
The Christian leaders urge the federal government to fulfil its 2024 manifesto commitment to recognise and aid these children, recognising the long-term impact parental incarceration can have on their lives.
Second, the report advocates for a big expansion of restorative justice programmes.
These initiatives, which facilitate structured dialogue between victims and offenders, are presented as a more practical and humane alternative to standard punishment.
Unlike incarceration, the bishops maintain that restorative justice has been shown to “reduce reoffending by 39%”.
The bishops argue that being tough on crime “is just not about locking more people up and for longer, but relatively requires creativity and a reformed whole systems approach during which individuals are recognised as unique individuals created within the image of God”.
Lastly, the report calls on the federal government to raised empower faith-based organisations by establishing a £10m small grants scheme, with as much as £20,000 available for each project.
These organisations, many already energetic in prisons and communities, are described as essential partners in criminal justice reform.
The report argues that Christian charities and churches have long delivered transformative services and must be resourced and recognised as formal collaborators in constructing a fairer, more compassionate system.
Drawing on a historical tradition that features Nineteenth-century Quaker prison reformer Elizabeth Fry, the bishops frame Christian involvement in justice work as a spiritual imperative rooted “within the core belief within the inherent dignity of each individual.”
“This dignity is bigger than their worst act or the worst experience they’ve endured,” the foreword reads.
“No one is beyond the potential of redemption and of living a transformed life.”
Christian organisations like Prison Fellowship, Pact Langley and Trust have change into lifelines for countless individuals caught within the system.
The report underscores that many prisoners were themselves victims of crime and trauma long before their convictions — highlighting the blurred lines between victim and offender.
The report ends with a challenge to ministers: work alongside the Christian communities already embedded in prisons, visitor centres, and communities across the UK.
The bishops say: “We remind the federal government that the UK’s 40,000 church communities and a whole bunch of Christian charities offer ever greater potential to work alongside the federal government; divert people from crime, support victims, reduce reoffending by former prisoners, and alter people’s lives for the higher.”
“We wish to help shape a society during which all people can flourish.”
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