UK-based international development agency Christian Aid has announced the appointment of Anne Owers, currently Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons, as their new chairperson, taking up the role later this year.

A new charity is being launched in London tomorrow to pioneer an award-winning community response to sex offending, in the UK. Circles UK aims to support the development and effectiveness of Circles of Support and Accountability.

For the third year running Her Majesty's Inspector of Prisons, Anne Owers, a former human rights campaigner, has hit the headlines with a hard-hitting report on Britain's dire prison situation, calling for action not political posturing.

A new scheme to deal with first time young offenders who have committed a minor offence will be piloted early next year. The scheme aims to stop them going to court unnecessarily, while at the same time ensuring that they make amends for their offence via an apology to the victim.

Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams has told a newspaper he thinks the British government should raise the age of criminal responsibility, acknowledging that very young people involved in crime still need to be recognised as children.

UK churches are gearing up to mark 'prisons week' as the prison population hits a record high. The week kicks off on 18 November 2007, when churches across Britain are being asked to mark Prisoners' Sunday - a day of reflection and prayer.

On the sixth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorists attacks, Desmond M. Tutu, Anglican Archbishop emeritus of Cape Town, South Africa delivered a message of forgiveness to those gathered at the Chapel of the Good Shepherd on the campus of General Theological Seminary (GTS) in New York City.

A pilot project in which new "youth juries" will decide what will happen to young offenders is being launched in Lancashire.

The Howard League for Penal Reform has today (Monday) published a book that examines the anti-social behaviour order (ASBO) and suggest it is failing to prevent further crime and anti-social behaviour among offenders.

Church of England bishops in the House of Lords have joined other penal reformers in highlighting the conditions of Britain’s child prisons in a debate following the coroner’s report into the death of a 15-year-old boy.