Anne Owers is our new Chair
Embargo: 00:01 11th August 2010
Anne Owers is charity Clinks’ new Chair
Clinks is delighted to announce the appointment of Dame Anne Owers OBE as its new Chair. She will take up the post in January 2011.
Dame Anne Owers is renowned across the Criminal Justice System of England & Wales for her role as HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (2001-2010) and as a committed human rights campaigner.
Clinks is a charity which supports, promotes and represents the Voluntary and Community Sector working with offenders in England and Wales. It aims to ensure the Sector and all those with whom it works, are informed and engaged in order to transform the lives of offenders and their communities.
Anne’s interest in Clinks reflects her great belief in the diversity and value of the Voluntary and Community Sector.
“At the moment there is a real opportunity to safely bring down the prison population, improve resettlement outcomes and strengthen community punishments. A strong Voluntary and Community Sector will be crucial in this, as it provides the foundation that many offenders and their families depend on to rebuild their lives. The sector plays a vital role for individuals and society - not just offering services but also providing vision, innovation and hope. But these are challenging times and we need to ensure the sector is confident and well supported.. I worked for 25 years in the sector before I was Chief Inspector and so I am delighted to be involved with Clinks, given its generic role in supporting the whole sector."
Clinks’ Director, Clive Martin said:
“Our trustees and members are delighted that Anne will be bringing her many skills to Clinks and the voluntary sector as a whole. The coalition government has provided opportunities to reduce prison numbers and find more positive ways of dealing with crime such as restorative justice and the notion of Big Society. The Voluntary and Community Sector has a wealth of experience and knowledge to ensure the ‘rehabilitation revolution’ works for the benefit of us all. Anne’s respected and consistent arguments for a better way of doing things will help us create the step change needed to achieve that. It’s wonderful news.”
Note to Editors
1. Contact
For more information, contact Joe Gardham: 07973 378 909 [joe.gardham@clinks.org]
2. About Clinks
Clinks is a charity which supports, promotes and represents the Voluntary and Community working with offenders. Clinks:
- Provides representation and voice
- Promotes the Sector
- Influences policy and campaigns
- Provides information and support
- Undertakes research and development.
More information at: www.clinks.org
3. About Dame Anne Owers OBE
Anne became a Dame in the Queen’s New Year Honours list 2008 in recognition of her services to the Criminal Justice System. This recognition came in addition to a CBE awarded in 2000 for her work in a range of voluntary and public posts.
As the first ever woman to be appointed HMCIP, Anne revolutionised the Inspectorate with frank and candid reports which both celebrated improvements and critically assessed areas for improvements. Having such a distinguished career in both the voluntary and public sectors, Anne brings a huge wealth of experience, knowledge and credentials to her new post.
Anne’s commitment to reform and diversity is long and distinguished. While director of the law reform group Justice between 1992 and 2001, Dame Anne helped to secure the establishment of the Criminal Cases Review Commission to investigate possible miscarriages of justice.
Prior to 1992 Anne was general secretary of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, a member of the race and community relations committee of the Church of England, and a member of the race relations commission of the Diocese of Southwark.
Ms Owers was educated at Washington Grammar School in County Durham before going on to study history at Girton College, Cambridge. After graduation, she spent three years teaching in Zambia and conducting PhD research into African history.
4. About the Voluntary and Community Sector in the Criminal Justice System
The Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) working in criminal justice is large and wide ranging. It includes small, unstaffed community groups and large national organisations that employ hundreds of people. Within this diverse group are campaigning organisations, self help groups, and service providers running a wide range of services including arts projects, counseling services, financial advice and drug and alcohol rehabilitation, to name just a few.
The sector is innovative and responsive. Services are set up to address unmet need, and as a result, tend to focus on the individual and those that are most disadvantaged. The majority of VCS organisations in criminal justice are locally run by people who understand local issues and are well networked in communities.
Read more about the role of the VCS at www.clinks.org
