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  • Who we are

Who we are

Pact is a pioneering national charity that supports prisoners, people with convictions, and their children and families. We provide caring and life changing services at every stage of the criminal justice process: in court, in prison, on release, and in the community.

Pact’s vision is of a society in which justice is understood as a process of restoration and healing, in which prisons are used sparingly and as places of learning and rehabilitation, and in which the innate dignity and worth of every human being is valued.  We work for the common good of Society, taking a public health-based approach. We work at the intersection of criminal justice, child and family welfare, mental health, wellbeing provision and health & social care. 

Our volunteers and staff can be found in courts, prisons, probation services, and in communities across England & Wales.  We are a diverse, inclusive, modern, and collaborative charity.  We build effective partnerships and sustainable solutions based on our well-established understanding of the systems in which we work, and on our historic values and ethos developed through our 120+ years of service delivery.

Supporters

We are supported by the Catholic community across England and Wales. Our President is His Eminence Cardinal Vincent Nichols. We are also grateful for the support of Mr Michael Palin, Professor Nick Hardwick and Frank Cottrell-Boyce, as well as several thousand friends, donors and supporters.

We all want to live in a safer society. Everyone wants to see crime rates drop and to feel safer on our streets and in our homes. Supporting people to make a fresh start builds stronger families and it also builds stronger communities. 

Could you support our work with a one-off or regular donation?

DONATE NOW

Quality Standards

ISO 27001

ISO 27001 is the national quality standard for information security management, (formally known as ISO/IEC 27001:2005). It is a specification for an information security management system (ISMS). An ISMS is a framework of policies and procedures that includes all legal, physical and technical controls involved in an organisation’s information risk management processes. ISO 27001 was developed to provide a model for establishing, implementing, operating, monitoring, reviewing, maintaining and improving an information security management system. It requires a robust set of assessments and audit processes. 

SFJ Awards Approved Awards Centre

SFJ Awards (a subsidiary of Skills for Justice) is approved by the Qualification Regulators to provide qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for professionals working in the Justice and Community Safety Sector, the Legal Sector, Local Government and the Military. Pact has undergone a robust assessment process and is an Approved Awards Centre. Several of our programmes are accredited by the SFJ Awards within the Accrediting Learning Professionally framework.

Probation Institute Endorsed Learning Provider

We're delighted that Pact has been endorsed as a learning provider by the Probation Institute. The Probation Institute Learning Provider Endorsement Scheme is a voluntary scheme offered to Training and Learning Providers, Colleges and Universities, to ensure the standard of learning and qualifications supporting members of the Probation Institute. Pact has fulfilled all criteria for endorsement, demonstrating that we have a professional approach to quality assurance, administration, design, delivery, and assessment of learning. We are proud to be a Partner of the Probation Institute.

Best Not-For-Profit Organisation to Work For

Pact was proud to be ranked as one of The Sunday Times Best Not-For-Profit Organisations to Work For in 2019. Pact has achieved this prestigious accreditation recognising very good levels of workplace engagement.

Published: 1st September, 2016

Updated: 16th February, 2022

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Latest

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    Do you know the latest ID requirements for prison visits?

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Pact is a registered charity - number: 219278. Company registration number: 356443.