The National Justice Awards 2008
Excellent work taking place across Dorset's criminal justice system has been recognised at the national Justice Awards 2008 ceremony in London.
Two top awards went to teams working within Dorset’s CJS at the special ceremony on 21 October – with a team from Dorset Probation’s Community Service Unit and the Shaftesbury Town Partners and Communities Together (PACT) Panel honoured at the event.
Dorset Probation Service’s Linda Tolman and Jane Martin scooped the team award for outstanding commitment to diversity for their work in supervising offenders carrying out unpaid work orders at Club 21 – a small voluntary group for adults with learning disabilities based in Poole.
Linda and Jane assist Club 21 members to make sure they can enjoy social and leisure activities at the club every Saturday.
This work does not just benefit Club 21’s members. It has also had a profound impact on many of the offenders who have carried out their sentences there. In fact, it is not uncommon for offenders to come back and volunteer their own time at Club 21 after they have completed their unpaid work orders.
Linda and Jane – who also won the overall award for outstanding achievement at the Dorset Justice Awards 2008 in October – embrace the Club 21 culture of caring and supporting members. They even volunteer their own time to go on club day trips or weekends away.
After winning the awards, Jane Martin said: “I am overwhelmed about winning this award, both locally and nationally. When Linda Tolman and I learned that we were one of the final three teams to be nominated for the national award it was unbelievable – but to win it was another story!
“As a job it is one of the best I could have ever wished for, it is such a rewarding position to work with Club 21 and its members.”
The Shaftesbury Town PACT Panel received the national Justice Award for outstanding contri
bution to engaging local communities for their work in organising a number of community initiatives.
These included a first of its kind two-day traffic collision awareness event aimed at targeting and engaging potential young traffic offenders and tackling community perceptions about young people in general.
After winning the national award PC Fiona Gaffney said: “From the beginning it was all about working in partnership and making young drivers realise that speeding and antisocial behaviour was not acceptable.
“Shaftesbury doesn’t get a lot of recognition, especially nationally. So for Shaftesbury to get this award is brilliant and it will act as an instigator for us to achieve more.”