The Centre for Social Justice Research (CSJR) collaboration with Women in Prison provided undergraduate and Masters students with an opportunity to learn about the work of the charity and contribute towards a National Lottery Heritage Fund project documenting the organisation’s 40 year history. Established in 1983, Women in Prison is a national charity that supports women affected by the criminal justice system and campaigns to end the harm caused to women, their families and our communities by imprisonment.
The internships were organised as part of the CSJR work-based learning programme, which provides students with opportunities to develop research and employability skills by working with key organisations within the social justice and civil society sector. A total of 10 students from across the School of Social Sciences took part in the project, which over the course of 12 weeks saw a series of workshops on the various aspects of Women in Prison’s work and the importance of trauma informed practice. Students then undertook a variety of research, administrative, and public engagement tasks. Some were involved in helping to catalogue the charity’s archive as it was being transferred to the Bishopsgate Institute, a cultural venue in the City of London whose special collections focus on documenting the lives of those who have campaigned for social, political, and cultural change. Others carried out desk-based research, building a timeline of key events relating to the criminalisation of women over the last forty years.
Following the completion of the of the 12-week project, Valentina Serra and Irene Sangaletti, both students on the Global Criminology MA, undertook an 8 week part-time placement with Women in Prison. Reflecting on her experience of the internship, Valentina said: ‘Working with Women in Prison as a researcher while pursuing my Master's in Global Criminology has been an incredibly valuable opportunity…as it really allowed me to explore the connections between gender issues, social justice, and the criminal justice system up close…developing practical research and analytical skills that will be useful as I move forward in my career.’
Irene Sangaletti, who graduated from Westminster’s Criminal BA programme in 2023 before deciding to pursue her Masters, reflected that, ‘it was truly inspiring to work with an organisation so dedicated and passionate about promoting women's rights in the criminal justice system. The experience offered me the opportunity to connect with different people in the field, opening doors for my professional future.’
Other students were involved in supporting Women in Prison at a large summit organised in collaboration with the women’s theatre company Clean Break. Ladan Abdulle, a third year Sociology and Criminology BA student, was involved in documenting the discussion at the summit, which included sessions on the structural barriers which lead to the criminalisation of women, asking delegates to imagine a future beyond criminalisation.
The project with Women in Prison is one of a number of collaborations that Dr Jac St John has established through the CSJR work-based learning programme, which is funded by the Quentin Hogg Trust. Dr St John would like to extend his thanks to Haley Perry (project manager for the Women in Prison 40th Anniversary project), Nicola Drinkwater (Director of External Affairs and Campaigns at Women in Prison), Lucy Russell (Head of Policy and Public Affairs at Women in Prison), Miranda Dobson (Head of Communications at Women in Prison), and Karin Wejmo (CSJR project coordinator).
CSJR x Women in Prison interns 2024: Stefania Satharasinghage Don, Ladan Abdulle, Emma Lewis, Maria Bagiami, Irene Sangaletti, Valentina Serra, Karolina Dauksaite, Chiara Mbonu, Ilyass Jalloh, Karen Khazaal, Rasheda Begum, and Summar Curran.