From Participation to Influence

This Unlock report reflects on a landmark event at the United Nations Crime Congress. The event explored how people with lived experience of the criminal justice system can play a role in shaping policy and reform. How lived experience is a form of expertise.

Key to this is a change in what institutions ask of people with lived experience. The central question changes from “What happened to you?” to “What do you know because of what happened to you, and how can that knowledge improve policy and practice?”

People with lived experience should become influential partners in decision-making.

• Participation Must Include Power – having genuine influence over agendas, policies and decisions
• Lived Experience is a Form of Expertise – offering unique knowledge that complements academic research and professional practice
• Addressing ‘Epistemic Injustice’ – recognising people as credible sources of knowledge
• Diversity Matters – no single person can represent all lived experiences
• Participation Must Be Ethical – organisations should support and compensate contributors

Lasting criminal justice reform requires more than listening to lived experience. It requires sharing power. People directly affected by criminal justice systems should be recognised as experts. They should be researchers, leaders and decision-makers. Their knowledge can improve policy and create more effective, humane justice systems.

Read the full report here