Crime affects all of us.

To a greater or lesser extent, we all find ourselves coming into contact with crime, or the effects of crime, either as individuals, or as members of a community or group. Often the experience can be overwhelming. Faced with newspaper articles and television news stories, seeing the vandalism, or even experiencing crime as victims, it is all too easy to throw our hands up in despair and to think that we, as individuals, simply cannot make a difference.

Yet the truth is that there are many ways for individuals to be involved, and many ways in which we can make a real difference in the fields of crime, justice and community safety. You may feel that you lack the skills or knowledge or time to make an effective contribution. You may feel you want to do something, but have no idea where to start. You may find the world of criminal justice complex, confusing and intimidating. But your contribution is needed.

This site will answer some of your questions, clear away some of the complexities and help you to get involved. It is not an exhaustive list, but it will give you the main ways in which you as an individual or member of a group, such as a Church, Meeting House, Mosque, Synagogue or Temple, might have some input into our system of criminal justice. Don't give up, stick with it and you should find a role that is personally rewarding, challenging and positively beneficial, not just to offenders or victims but to the whole of your community.