On 17 October 2016 The Monument Trust Fellowship and its inaugural publication 'Working Together To Improve Criminal Justice' were launched at an event attended by over 50 people and hosted by The Koestler Trust's annual exhibition of art 'We Are All Human'.

Mark Woodruff of The Monument Trust explained the Trust's work and its impact in criminal justice as well as the thinking behind creating an enduring legacy for Simon Sainsbury's aspirations. The Trust wanted to invite 8 organisations (that it had worked with for many years) to form a Fellowship to pursue their particular approaches in concert for the next 5 to 6 years in the hope that they will achieve a momentum and lasting influence greater than the sum of the parts. The Monument Trust believes that their distinctive approaches add up to a comprehensive response to the offender's journey through chances for diversion and taking opportunities for personal change, towards desistance from offending and rehabilitation in society. 

Chief Executive of the Koestler Trust, Sally Taylor talked to Mick and Linda about their journeys from offending and imprisonment. They told their inspiring stories of how they overcame the different challenges they faced.

Gerard Lemos, partner at Lemos&Crane and author of 'The Good Prison'  announced an inaugural question for 2017: 'What Do Prisoners and Ex-Offenders Need to Learn?', responses to which would be gathered from the Fellowship organisations and far beyond, reflecting The Monument Trust's belief that the Fellowship is not exclusive and makes no claim to have all the answers.

In addition to the staff and governing members of the Fellowship organisations - Centre for Justice Innovation, Clinks, Diagrama Foundation, Khulisa, Koestler Trust, Lemos&Crane, National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance and Restorative Solutions - the following organisations were among the well-wishers represented at the event: Geese Theatre, Clean Break, British Board of Film Classification, Leap Confronting Conflict, John Lyons Charity, Changing Paths Charitable Trust, Retired Greyhound Trust, Ministry of Justice, MEAM, Arts at the Old Fire Station, Caritas Westminster, Agenda, Sir John Cass Foundation, Rise Mutual, Catch 22, the Sieff Foundation, Orchestras Live, West London Mission, and Third Sector.

Working Together to Improve Criminal Justice: The Monument Manifesto

Last night at the 2016 Koestler Exhibition at the South Bank Centre, we launched our common manifesto for the Fellowship taking forward the objectives of The Monument Trust as it concludes its fifty year history of grant-making.

We did not wish merely to end our work without leaving something behind that might have a chance of gaining momentum and have a positive and lasting effect into the future. So we set in place a six-year funded Fellowship, working around each of the steps of the Journey of an Offender. Our Fellowship is a concerted effort between:

- Centre for Justice Innovation
- Clinks
- Diagrama Foundation UK
- Khulisa UK
- Koestler Trust
- Lemos&Crane: The Good Prison
- National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance
- Restorative Solutions CIC

and of course The Monument Trust and any who wish to ally with us and support the work.

Download Working Together to Improve Criminal Justice

Each year, we will work round a theme together, answering a question that we will seek answers for across the Fellowship and from all out friends and networks. We will translate this into practice and at the end of twelve months, we will gather the answers and the thinking up into a publication, or an event.

Our question for the next year is: What do prisoners and ex-offenders need to learn? Please visit the sites of any of the Fellowship members to give your answer.

The Monument Fellowship: After 50 Years of Grants in Criminal Justice

The Monument Trust’s long-held objective has been to keep young people out of prison, and to ensure that those who offend and are sent to prison never go back.

At the end of its work, to take forward its fifty years of work, the Trust has brought together a group of organisations to collaborate as a Fellowship for several years on each stage of the journey an offender experiences in the criminal justice system - from prevention and diversion, encounter with the police and arrest, through prosecution and sentencing in court, in prison and young offender institution, and in the community after release.

We are:
• Centre for Justice Innovation
• Clinks
• Diagrama Foundation
• Khulisa
• Koestler Trust
• Lemos and Crane - The Good Prison
• National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance
• Restorative Solutions
and The Monument Trust

We invite all our friends and colleagues in other organisations and networks who share our values and ideals to join us as our work together develops and emerges.

We do not so much wish to leave a legacy behind, but set on course a concerted movement that will go beyond our work as a Foundation after it reaches its end.

Our Fellowship's manifesto - Working Together to Improve Criminal Justice - will be presented on Monday 17th October.

Mark Woodruff, The Monument Trust