Volunteering Opportunities
Get involved in Justice!
A small amount of your spare time could be used to make a big difference
Fancy making a contribution to your community by helping to prevent crime, support victims or help offenders get their lives back on track? Then read on to see how local people get involved and support Criminal Justice agencies in the delivery of local justice:
POLICE WORK
The Special Constabulary is a force of trained volunteers who work with and support their local police force. 'Specials', as the Special Constables are known, come from all walks of life and volunteer a minimum of four hours a week to their local police forces.
As a 'Special' you would be thoroughly grounded in the basic aspects of police work before carrying out any police duties. This would include police service self defence, powers of arrest, common crimes, and preparing evidence for court.
Once trained, 'Specials' have the same powers as a regular officer and wear a similar uniform.
www.policecouldyou.co.uk
IN THE COURTS
In the magistrates' courts – courts that deal with less serious crimes – it is not a judge employed by the government, but a volunteer from the local community who makes the decisions. They set the timetable for trials, hear the evidence, decide whether the accused is guilty or not guilty and select an appropriate punishment.
As a magistrate you would make life-changing decisions every day – decisions which affect the lives of every defendant and, ultimately, everyone in the community. You don't have any special qualifications, just the right personal qualities and a willingness to commit some of your time to serve your community voluntarily.
www.magistrates.gov.uk
IN YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD
Neighbourhood Watch is one of the most successful crime prevention initiatives ever in the UK. It has been built on the simple principle of members of the public working hand-in-hand with the police to combat and reduce crime in the community. The police are paid professionals whose job it is to fight crime, but with your help, they can do an even better job.
Neighbourhood Watch schemes vary in size, perhaps covering a whole estate or just a few houses. No matter what the size, a scheme is generally led by a volunteer co-ordinator whose job is to get people working together and oversee actions to meet the aims of the scheme.
To find out about schemes in your area, or to get one started contact your local police station.
www.neighbourhoodwatch.uk.com
VICTIMS & WITNESSES
Victim Support is the national charity helping victims of crime. The charity consists of a national office, a country-wide network of Victim Support branches, the Witness Service and a national helpline. Victim Support offers help to around one and a half million people affected by crime each year. Volunteers are crucial to this work and throughout the year there are many opportunities to get involved either in your local branch or on the Supportline (based in South London).
The Witness Service (run by Victim Support) provides practical information and emotional support for witnesses attending court. To volunteer for the Witness Service you need to be available on working days (Monday to Friday) for at least one day every two weeks.
www.victimsupport.org.uk
YOUNG OFFENDERS
Volunteers can make a significant contribution to the Youth Justice System. You could be involved in befriending or mentoring a young person, acting as a 'responsible adult' to support young people when being interviewed by the police, sitting on special Youth Offender Panels for first-time offenders, or working as a youth court magistrate.
Youth Offender Panels are a key way of dealing with young people who commit crime. Being a panel member is a challenging yet rewarding role. You will talk to the young person, together with parents, guardians and victims to agree a tailor-made package aimed at repairing the harm done and preventing further offending. If you want to see less crime in your community, this is a great opportunity to get actively involved.
www.yjb.gov.uk/en-gb/yjs/GetInvolved/Volunteering/YouthOffenderPanels/
PRISONERS & DETAINEES
Prison Visitors
Officially appointed prison visitors are independent volunteers who visit prisons to offer friendship to prisoners. Any prisoner may ask for an official visitor, whether he/she has visits from family members or friends or not. As an official prison visitors you would visit all categories of prisoners, whatever their circumstances.
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.
www.naopv.com
Independent Custody Visitor
An Independent Custody Visitor visits police stations to carry out checks on police cells and how people in custody are being treated. You would visit police stations in your local area on a weekly basis, usually with a colleague. The actual timing of visits would be at your own discretion, but is always random and unannounced.
As a volunteer you would be trained in detainees' rights and police responsibilities. After each visit you would compile a report raising any issues about the environment of the custody suite or the welfare of the detainees to be raised and addressed.
www.icva.org.uk/site/becomeavisitor/
Independent Monitoring Boards
Independent Monitoring Boards have a valuable and important role to play in ensuring that those in custody are being cared for decently and with humanity.
Board members 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. You would visit establishments on a regular basis but may also be called in at any time to monitor how any serious incidents are dealt with. The work of a Board member is wide-ranging and requires both an objective and caring approach, and an understanding of individual situations and cultural needs.
www.imb.gov.uk
@CROWN COPYRIGHT 2008