People with lived experience frequently flourish in client-facing roles. But many of these roles do not provide professional development opportunities to bolster their strengths and to progress their career. And if these professionals want to elevate to higher paid, influential roles, they are faced with multiple barriers. Some barriers are perceptions, both of those hiring and those applying. Legislation and policy can also preclude people with lived experience from opportunities to be part of senior leadership and governance teams. Stigma continues to overshadow capability, and self-confidence can be hindered by imposter syndrome. Sharing lived experience allows people to highlight their valuable expertise, but this is not often possible without fear of judgment and repercussions. People may be so grateful to be working and building a life for themselves that they do not have the confidence to speak up and step up, despite their potential. This is not surprising – the people who do tend to be shut down.

Lived experience leadership

Lived experience leadership is crucial, yet it is far from common. This begs the question: How progressive and effective can our sector be in helping people impacted by the criminal justice system if we are not involving people with similar experiences in senior decision-making? As organisations in the criminal justice sector, we must reconsider how we support lived experience leadership. We must challenge ourselves first, as employers, to establish inclusive workplaces and champion change across the sector and system.

We must change not only hearts and minds, but also policies and practices. People with lived experience bring an intrinsic, unparalleled passion to criminal justice; a passion that makes working in the sector more than a job – it becomes a vocation. Employers must open doors not only to career opportunities, but also access to vital wellbeing support for safe and sustainable leadership.

Elevating Lived Experience Voices, Advocacy, Training and Expertise

The Criminal Justice Alliance (CJA) is piloting ELEVATE CJS, one of the first programmes of its kind. ELEVATE CJS, an acronym for ‘Elevating Lived Experience Voices, Advocacy, Training and Expertise in the Criminal Justice System’, is the culmination of five years of expert peer-to-peer research, including the CJA’s Change From Within report and an investigation of good practice internationally.

The ELEVATE CJS programme is a comprehensive twelve-month leadership programme that promotes the redistribution of power to people with lived experience of the criminal justice system. The programme aims to dismantle the barriers of stigma and tokenism, which prevent emerging leaders who are working in the sector from progressing to positions of power and influence. Through personal and professional development training, the programme will equip individuals with the skills, knowledge, and networks to advance systemic change, challenging the criminal justice sector to reimagine who can be a leader.

When the emerging leaders have completed the ELEVATE CJS programme I would like them to feel empowered, I would like them to feel ready, and I would like them to feel valuable. The end of the programme is only the beginning of their leadership journey towards creating systemic change.