The Case for Prison Reform

Prison Reform Trust comes to The Conduit to explore what a just, humane and effective penal system looks like in 2026. Join us for an urgent discussion of prevention and policy, featuring senior operational leaders from the sector. With a panel including Alice Dawnay of the Common Ground Justice Project, writer and philosophy teacher Andy West, and chair Pia Sinha, CEO of the Prison Reform Trust, we’ll consider the perspectives of victims, prisoners and the wider public, seeking coherence between them, actionable solutions, and ways to reframe the voice of prison reform.

Event Schedule

6:00pm: Pre-event socialising and networking

A cash bar will be available for refreshments.

6:15pm: Event begins

7:30pm: Event ends

Speakers

Alice Dawnay founded the charity Switchback in 2008, which supports young Londoners to find a way out of the justice system. She’s now part of the team that’s just launched the Common Ground Justice Project, which is an initiative to find the common ground in the sometimes polarised debate around crime and justice.

Andy West has taught philosophy in over twenty-five prisons since 2016. He is the author of The Life Inside: A Memoir of Prison, Family and Learning to be Free (Picador 2022). His writing has featured in The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Evening Standard, Aeon, 3AM Magazine and Huck. His book was recently adpated into the acclaimed BBC One series Waiting for the Out.

Katy Swaine Williams started as a solicitor in the private sector, and has since spent over 15 years in senior voluntary sector roles focused on criminal justice, human rights and equality. At the Prison Reform Trust she co-ordinated Lord Laming’s review of looked after children in the criminal justice system, pursued new legal protection for women whose offending is driven by their experience of domestic abuse, and helped develop the London Blueprint for Women in Contact with the Criminal Justice System. Katy recently researched and wrote a report for Advance about mothers involved in offending who are survivors of domestic abuse, and their children. Katy continues to focus on overcoming gender discrimination against women and girls in and around the criminal justice system. At The Centre for Women’s Justice, Katy leads on a criminalisation project which aims to achieve permanent change in the state’s treatment of women at risk of criminalisation due to domestic abuse in England and Wales.

Pia Sinha joined the Prison Service in 1999 as a Higher Psychologist at HMP & YOI Holloway. After joining HMP Wandsworth as a Senior Psychologist, she took up the post of Head of Safer Prisons, followed by Head of Reducing Re-offending at HMP Wormwood Scrubs. She then took up her first Deputy Governor role at HMP Send, and subsequently Downview and Liverpool. In 2013 Pia was appointed to her first Governing role at HMP & YOI Thorn Cross, going on to govern at both Risley and Liverpool. In 2020 she became Acting Deputy Director Probation Reform Programme, then the Workforce Programme, before becoming Director of Women in November 2021. Pia’s vision for the Women’s Directorate was to enable safe, compassionate and individualised care for women. In April 2023 Pia became the CEO of the Prison Reform Trust.