A coalition of Christian leaders has issued a call to the UK government to urgently reform the nation’s struggling criminal justice system, asserting that years of punitive policies and deprivation have left communities at risk and vulnerable people unsupported.
In a new report titled Picking Up the Pieces: An Ecumenical Approach to Criminal Justice Reform, Rachel Treweek, Anglican Bishop to HM Prisons, Richard Moth, Catholic Liaison Bishop for Prisons, and other Christian leaders, urge policymakers to shift from a punitive approach to a restorative, community-led model — backed by faith-based groups that are already filling critical gaps left by the state.
The bishops write in the foreword: “This report calls for change and invites the government to work alongside the hundreds of churches, Christian organisations, and other faith communities that are already working to ‘pick up the pieces’ of our broken criminal justice system.
“We strive for a society where no one has to live in fear of crime; a society where people who end up in prison are reformed and ready to rejoin society once released. We know this cannot happen without change.”
The report, coordinated by the charity Pact (Prison Advice and Care Trust), highlights how churches and Christian charities have stepped in where government services have fallen short.
Across England and Wales, Christian volunteers and organisations offer practical and emotional support to prisoners, victims, and families — mentoring youth, operating food banks, hosting restorative justice sessions, and aiding prison leavers as they reintegrate into society.
“In every prison in this country, there are chaplains of all faiths providing pastoral, emotional, and practical support alongside spiritual guidance,” the bishops state in the foreword.
“In visitors’ centres and inside prison visits halls, there are Christian organisations supporting children and families as they visit their loved ones in prison.
“Ordinary Christians are doing their part; it is time for the government to take on its responsibility for maintaining a safe society where everyone in contact with the criminal justice system is treated with humanity.”
The report highlights three key concerns that require urgent government action to address the deep-rooted issues within the criminal justice system.
First, it calls for meaningful support for prisoners’ children and families.
With approximately 200,000 children in the UK affected each year by a parent’s imprisonment, the report describes them as “the hidden victims” of crime.
These children often deal with stigma, disrupted family life, and worse results in education and well-being.
The Christian leaders urge the government to fulfil its 2024 manifesto commitment to recognise and aid these children, recognising the long-term impact parental incarceration can have on their lives.
Second, the report advocates for a significant expansion of restorative justice programmes.
These initiatives, which facilitate structured dialogue between victims and offenders, are presented as a more effective and humane alternative to conventional punishment.
Unlike incarceration, the bishops maintain that restorative justice has been shown to “reduce reoffending by 39%”.
The bishops argue that being tough on crime "is not about locking more people up and for longer, but rather requires creativity and a reformed whole systems approach in which people are recognised as unique individuals created in the image of God".
Lastly, the report calls on the government to better empower faith-based organisations by setting up a £10m small grants scheme, with up to £20,000 available for every project.
These organisations, many already active in prisons and communities, are described as essential partners in criminal justice reform.
The report argues that Christian charities and churches have long delivered transformative services and should be resourced and recognised as formal collaborators in building a fairer, more compassionate system.
Drawing on a historical tradition that includes 19th-century Quaker prison reformer Elizabeth Fry, the bishops frame Christian involvement in justice work as a spiritual imperative rooted “in the core belief in the inherent dignity of every individual.”
“This dignity is greater than their worst act or the worst experience they have endured,” the foreword reads.
“No one is beyond the possibility of redemption and of living a transformed life.”
Christian organisations like Prison Fellowship, Pact Langley and Trust have become lifelines for countless individuals caught in the system.
The report underscores that many prisoners were themselves victims of crime and trauma long before their convictions — highlighting the blurred lines between victim and offender.
The report ends with a challenge to ministers: work alongside the Christian communities already embedded in prisons, visitor centres, and communities across the UK.
The bishops say: “We remind the government that the UK’s 40,000 church communities and hundreds of Christian charities offer ever greater potential to work alongside the government; divert people from crime, support victims, reduce reoffending by former prisoners, and change people’s lives for the better.”
“We want to help shape a society in which all people can flourish.”
