Volunteering
Why volunteer?
What can I do?
How much time does it involve?
What do I need?
What are the benefits for me?
Where can I find out more?
Why volunteer?
Volunteering can help make a real difference - to individuals, our communities and to how the criminal justice system is delivered.
What can I do?
There is a wide range of volunteering opportunities in the CJS, open to all, regardless of background, age or skills.
For example, you can:
- Make communities safer by supporting the police as a special constable
- Help deliver justice as a magistrate
- Support victims and witnesses of crime as a Victim Support or Witness Service volunteer
- Help tackle crime and reduce re-offending as a youth offender panel member
- Help offenders get their lives back on track as a prison visitor or mentor
How much time does it involve?
How much time you want to devote is up to you and your personal circumstances, but it can also depend on the role. This can range from occasional help to several days a week.
What do I need?
In most cases formal qualifications are not required, just a willingness to devote time and effort.
What are the benefits for me?
Volunteering can be very rewarding. It can offer you:
- a sense of value and need
- work experience and increased career options
- new and improved skills
- personal development and achievement
- training opportunities
- an opportunhity to meet new people
- a chance to make a difference
Where can I find out more?
Volunteering with the Police
The core role of the Special Constabulary is that of added value support to the regular police service. As a volunteer force, its principle function is to be visibly and positively engaging with the local community it is drawn from, through alignment with neighbourhood policing and the citizen focus agenda.
As a Special Constable you will play a crucial role in forging stronger links between the police and the community. Specials help Gloucestershire Constabulary satisfy the needs of the public by offering the reassurance of more uniformed officers on the streets.
Special Constabulary
Volunteering with the Courts
Magistrates are volunteers who deal with around 95 per cent of all criminal cases in England and Wales.
Email for information
Volunteering with victims and witnesses
Most volunteers are involved in directly supporting victims and witnesses. People tend to focus on either work with victims in the community or supporting witnesses at court. Other volunteers work on the Victim Supportline, taking calls from victims and other people affected by crime. And some volunteers choose to do very specific things, such as helping young witnesses at court.
Victim Support for more information
Volunteering within HM Prison Gloucester
Prison visitors are independent volunteers who visit prisons to offer friendship to prisoners. Regular visits from a compassionate, impartial individual from the outside can make a huge difference to a prisoner's outlook whilst they are in custody.
Independent Monitoring Board members have a valuable and important role to play in ensuring that those in custody are being cared for decently and with humanity. They monitor the day to day life of those being detained, talking to both prisoners/detainees and staff, ensuring that all relevant rules and conditions are complied with.
Contact Gloucester Prison on 01452 453000 and ask for the Independent Monitoring Board Clerk
Gloucester Prison are also looking for volunteers to help run their Restorative Justice scheme. For more information see Job Vacancies page.