Pia joined the Prison Service in 1999 as a Higher Psychologist at HMP & YOI Holloway. After joining HMP Wandsworth as a Senior Psychologist, she took up the post of Head of Safer Prisons, followed... by Head of Reducing Re-offending at HMP Wormwood Scrubs. She then took up her first Deputy Governor role at HMP Send, and subsequently Downview and Liverpool. In 2013 Pia was appointed to her first Governing role at HMP & YOI Thorn Cross, going on to govern at both Risley and Liverpool. In 2020 she became Acting Deputy Director Probation Reform Programme, then the Workforce Programme, before becoming Director of Women in November 2021. Pia’s vision for the Women’s Directorate was to enable safe, compassionate and individualised care for women. In April 2023 Pia became the CEO of the Prison Reform Trust.
Mark Day is Deputy Director at the Prison Reform Trust. He began his career at PRT in 2010 as the charity’s Head of Policy and Communications. Previously he was deputy director of the centre-lef...t thinktank Progress and also deputy editor of Progress Magazine. Before that he was head of communications at the international thinktank Policy Network. Mark has worked in Parliament as a researcher for a Labour MP and also in the parliamentary office of the lobby group Stonewall. He is a trustee of the charity Unlock and Clerk to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Penal Affairs.
Charlotte Story MInstF (Cert) is the development manager at the Prison Reform Trust. Her main role is relationship managing and fundraising from Trusts, Foundations and individuals and managing the Fr...iends scheme. Prior to this role Charlotte worked on the advice and information service at PRT, responding to queries from and advocating on behalf of prisoners. Charlotte has over 16 years experience of working in the voluntary sector with a focus on criminal justice, with previous roles at Prisoners’ Families and Friends Service, managing volunteers supporting families at courts and running the Witness Service in a magistrates’ court for Victim Support. Charlotte volunteered as an appropriate adult for seven years and currently sits on the executive committee of her local Residents’ Association, volunteers in her local community garden and is the secretary of the parent and teacher association at a local school.
Alex HewsonSenior Policy and Communications Officer
Alex Hewson is Senior Policy and Communications Officer at the Prison Reform Trust. He has previously worked in the Ministry of Justice’s Women’s Policy Team and in Parliament. He has resp...onsibility for producing the Prison Reform Trust’s Bromley Briefings Prison Factfile, and supporting work with the media and policy development.
Before joining PRT in 2018, Emily studied MSc Criminal Justice Policy at LSE. Emily mentored at PLIAS Resettlement Ltd. for a number of years, a charity which supports people to resettle back into c...ommunities after a prison sentence. Emily previously worked on the Transforming Lives, reducing women’s imprisonment programme and is now the policy lead for women at PRT.
Tony Callaghan joined the Prison Reform Trust in 2005 as publishing manager. He took on the IT responsibilities in 2007. Previously he was promotions manager at Index on Censorship a small organisatio...n campaigning against censorship and promoting free expression. Tony holds qualifications in editing and proofreading, design and digital marketing.
Paula was previously Head of Involvement at Revolving Doors Agency 2015–2017, where she provided consultancy to two Big Lottery programmes on service user involvement, as well as supporting the acti...ve involvement of the Lived Experience Team in the national Liaison and Diversion service. As Head of Programmes at User Voice 2010–2015 she led on development of service user involvement in prison and probation, as well as forensic mental health services. She is a steering group member of Agenda, the coalition that seeks to support women and girls at risk and is a passionate advocate for highlighting the inequalities that affect vulnerable people in the criminal justice system and a trustee of the Community Chaplaincy Association.
Her passion for working with excluded members of the community stems from personal experiences as a prisoner 2004-2012. Her personal experiences and associated research – The experience of being a female prisoner Listener, a qualitative study submitted as part of a post graduate diploma in integrative psychotherapy, and The Health Needs of Women Offenders in Resettlement, commissioned by HOB PCT – sharpened her commitment to raising awareness of the issues faced by prisoners and to campaign and proactively deliver services which support both prisoners and ex-offenders to progress personally and strategically past the stigma of imprisonment and multiple exclusion.
Soruche has been working at PRT since September 2018, having previously graduated in MSc Public Policy at University of Bristol. Since joining the engagement team he has been working primarily on the ...Prisoner Policy Network, helping to grow and maintain membership, and helping to conduct consultations across the country on prison policy issues.
Femi is a previous member of our Prisoner Policy Network who has now found himself working for the engagement team at PRT. Having spent a short sentence at HMP Pentonville where he was introduced to t...he network through a prison officer, Femi is now a valued member of staff at PRT. His role primarily consists of providing admin support and coordinating PPN activities, especially in relation to projects in collaboration with the Building Futures team.
Ryan manages the Prison Reform Trust’s Advice and Information team, which is a small service for prisoners to access information on prison rules, prison conditions and life in prison. Prior to joini...ng PRT in 2015 Ryan managed the delivery of resettlement services in prisons for St Giles Trust, including the Housing Information and Advice Service (HIAS) in HMP Wandsworth as well as some services implemented under the Transforming Rehabilitation agenda. Ryan also spent about 5 years working for frontline homeless services in London, offering advice and support for vulnerable people looking for accommodation and employment.
David has spent two decades working with, researching and managing projects for excluded and marginalised groups across a range of sectors, including housing, education, prison and the wider criminal... justice system. Previously a funded researcher at Oxford University and at University College London, he has extensive experience leading on prison-based projects, collecting data on the vulnerabilities facing those in prison and widely disseminating these findings to impact change. He leads the Prison Reform Trust’s Building Futures Programme.
Claudia VinceProgramme Coordinator, Building Futures
Claudia previously worked as Research Officer at HM Inspectorate of Prisons, planning and facilitating research in a variety of custodial settings to aid and inform the independent inspection process.... She was also involved in a number of thematic research projects, including the separation of children in young offender institutions. During her Master’s degree at the University of Cambridge, she conducted an empirical study on the experiences of distress and prolific self-harm amongst male prisoners, and explored the availability of social support—both within and beyond the prison walls.
John Drew CBESenior Associate
John Drew is a senior associate of the Prison Reform Trust and a board member of the Alliance for Youth Justice – a membership body working to improve the youth justice system. John is the independe...nt safeguarding scrutineer at Cookham Wood Young Offender Institution and the Oasis Restore Secure School. He also chairs the Management Boards that oversee youth offending services in Birmingham and Oxfordshire. A social worker by origins, John was Chief Executive of the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales from 2009 to 2013 and prior to that worked for a decade as a Director of Social Services in east London. John was appointed a CBE in 2013 for services to youth justice.
