World Prisons

Reform / Organisations

Howard League for Penal Reform

national · founded 1866 · HQ United Kingdom

Verified 21 May 2026 · Data dated 21 May 2026
Fresh · 8d ago

England & Wales charity working for less crime, safer communities, and fewer people in prison.

The world's oldest prison-reform charity (founded 1866), the Howard League runs campaigns on children in custody, women in prison, and short sentences. It publishes monthly prison-population data for England & Wales.

Focus areas

alternativesjuvenile justicewomen prisoners

Reports published by Howard League for Penal Reform

  • Examines why suicide remains the leading cause of death in English and Welsh prisons. Analyses the link between short sentences, remand churn, and self-inflicted deaths, and proposes reforms including expanded mental-health screening and the abolition of short prison sentences.