Junior Smart, Founder of the SOS Project –
A recent report from The Times Crime and Justice Commission (published on 14 April 2025) made some enlightened, progressive recommendations on how to address some of the most stubborn issues facing our strained justice system. As someone who has been through it myself, I endorse the report’s recommendations providing pragmatic, sustainable solutions.
Firstly, let’s talk about justice.
I would suggest most policy making on justice has been formed by what politicians believe will land well with the electorate. A YouGov survey from the Commission suggests they may be behind public thinking: 47% of respondents believed that non-violent offenders should be spared prison and three quarters felt those with substance use issues should be diverted to treatment options.
From our own experiences at St Giles, we know that the justice system should be seen as part of a wider interconnected system where other areas such as substance use, mental health, youth services and education are linked.
At ground level, St Giles’s experiential-led approach of engaging trained professionals who have been through the system themselves can really make a difference here. Our caseworkers provide a single point of contact where all the areas I mention above can be brought together for people who often struggle to navigate a myriad of services.
But we need to look at what is happening at the top. Silos in Government structure trickle down into practice and mean drivers such as mental health issues, child criminal exploitation and poverty and how they relate to the justice system remain unaddressed. It’s time to join the dots.
The Times Commission also highlights that reoffending is the real crisis we should be focused on. An extraordinary 80% of crimes are committed by people who have already offended, creating what the report calls a “doom loop of retribution and recidivism.” Yet instead of investing in rehabilitation, the system often repeats the same failing approaches. At St Giles, we focus on breaking that cycle. Our interventions are built around addressing the trauma, poverty, and lack of opportunity that feed reoffending. Punishment alone does not create safer communities. Rehabilitation does.
The Commission further points out the devastating economic cost of ignoring poverty and reoffending, citing a staggering £23.6 billion a year in England and Wales alone. When we fail to tackle poverty, we aren’t just failing people — we are draining public resources. At St Giles, supporting people out of poverty is not only about doing what is right; it is about doing what is economically essential. Ensuring people have access to basic necessities, stable housing, education, and employment is the most cost-effective way to reduce crime and build safer communities.
Secondly, child criminal exploitation and knife crime.
Misapprehensions around the true nature of child criminal exploitation remain and our staff play a vital role in training, educating and informing other professionals around the fact that young people should be seen as victims. A scared 11-year-old carrying a knife because his friend carries one for protection needs support and education and not punishment. Our early-intervention work in schools plays a vital part in raising awareness and providing trusted mentors on whom children can rely for support and care.
We also need to take the services to young people, whether this is the gym, the park or the walkways of an estate, and ensure they are relevant to local communities. Young lives in Somerset are going to be different to those in south London. We have been working in Cheltenham to prevent young people from becoming criminally exploited through providing community-based mentoring in local data-led hotspots. In one year, school attendance amongst the young people has increased from 40% to 100%.
Alongside this, we must acknowledge the urgent need to rebuild trust in services. The Times Commission makes clear that many young people no longer believe the system will protect them. At St Giles, we fill this trust gap. Our trained caseworkers, bring lived experience and real understanding, can engage with young people who would otherwise disengage or be invisible to traditional services. Those at risk don’t disclose to services, they disclose to individuals, people who are trusted. Practitioner relationships are not built overnight; they are built by consistent action, real understanding, and being present, and that is exactly what we provide.
Thirdly, poverty.
Poverty is a key driver of crime and low-level, survivalist crime is often the reason behind our persistently high re-offending rates. The report mentions the rise in shoplifting and its link to the cost-of-living crisis. Support around budgeting, welfare and accessing affordable food is a key feature of our work at St Giles. Once the basics are in place, it gives people breathing space to plan for their futures and build their lives away from poverty. Food is particularly important, as the hunger and ill-health caused by not having it can drive people to extremes. At St Giles, our network of Pantries are a vital safety net providing affordable, healthy food alongside advice and support to uplift people out of poverty.
Family poverty can be a direct cause of increasing young people’s vulnerability. The Times Podcast series spoke with a young man being mentored by our colleague Des Skyers. He mentions the effects of seeing his mum struggle financially, how this impacted his sisters and how he felt the need to be the household provider at the tender age of 14. Young people fulfilling the role of providing adults is common in families who are struggling. We should not blame parents as they are often facing real barriers which prevent them from leaving the poverty trap. Instead, it further highlights the need for early intervention, support and trusted adults that young people can turn to in times of stress.
Moreover, as highlighted through Farah Naz’s powerful testimony in the Times Commission, the need for early interventions and joined-up working has never been more urgent. When services do not communicate, the risks simply multiply, with sometimes fatal consequences. At St Giles, we have long designed our approach to bridge those gaps. Our caseworkers act as connectors between health, education, policing, and welfare services, ensuring that young people and families get consistent, comprehensive support. Early action saves lives. Early collaboration prevents tragedies.
In conclusion, the report lays down some stark findings and recommendations, providing an opportunity for us to really take stock. Our justice system is struggling and there are many reasons beyond the justice system itself that are key drivers of this. There are organisations such as St Giles delivering evidence-based services which have a high impact. These can be part of a wider solution towards bringing meaningful change and creating safer communities for us all.