Our Vision:

.....is for the response of the Criminal Justice System to women and girls to be proportionate, fair and just.

Our Mission:

.....is to bring about change in the treatment of women and girls who offend and those at risk of offending.

We do this by advancing knowledge through facilitating practitioner-led research to inform practice and influence policy. We serve as a bridge between the worlds of practice, research and policy and create an environment that offers new opportunities for engagement, interactions and exchange. We promote the importance of small-scale qualitative research as a mechanism to give voice to the women and girls affected by the criminal justice system.

For Practitioners - Griffins:

• harnesses the experience and knowledge of practitioners working on the front-line;
• enables them to identify, explore and draw attention to specific issues relating to women and girls in contact with criminal justice;
• provides the opportunity and the capacity to undertake robust and rigorous research whilst remaining in the workplace;
• through the use of qualitative research techniques, ensures the reality of the lived experience of women and girls is captured and heard;
• supports individual growth by encouraging new ways of thinking and developing new skills, broadening experience and understanding and increasing self-confidence;

• links them with fellow practitioners, academics and policy makers, providing the opportunity to influence and promote change, locally and nationally.

For Academics - Griffins:

• enables engagement with front-line practitioners in a two-way exchange that forges links between theory and practice;
• stimulates thinking and fosters a deeper understanding of specific issues relating to women and girls in contact with criminal justice;
• provides opportunities to identify areas of concern and gaps in current thinking for possible future research;
• offers the opportunity to share their knowledge and to engage with policy makers.

For Policy Makers - Griffins

• provides practitioner-led research, based on direct engagement with women and girls, to help inform appropriate policy decisions;
• indicates where there are gaps in understanding that would benefit from further research to inform policy development;
• highlights the often complex and inter-related needs of women and girls caught up with the criminal justice system, that requires an integrated policy response;
• encourages regular reviews of the relevance, effectiveness and impact of current policy, based on the reality of the lives of women and girls;
• provides a space to engage directly with academics and practitioners.