Longford Prize

Annual award for penal or social reform
the literature prize for historical biography

The Longford Prize is an annual award presented in the United Kingdom to an organization, group, or individuals working in the field of social or penal reform. It was established in 2002 in honour of Lord Longford, a lifelong penal reform campaigner. It is sponsored by both The Independent and The Daily Telegraph, organised in association with the Prison Reform Trust, and is presented at the annual Longford Lecture. The prize is usually awarded to someone who has made a difference by their initiative and resourcefulness in prisoners' lives. The prize is sponsored by the McGrath Charitable Trust.

Candidates are nominated by the testimony of peers and/or persons who have benefited from their work. These submissions are reviewed by a panel of judges, members of the Prison Reform Trust and New Bridge. The panel is chaired by former prison governor and Longford Trust trustee, John Podmore. In 2017, the judges for the Longford Prize were: Lord Ramsbotham (formerly His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons), Chloe Billington, Mary Riddell, Peter Stanford, and a representative of the sponsors, The McGrath Charitable Trust.

YearRecipientNote2002Audrey EdwardsAfter her mentally ill son, Christopher, was murdered in Chelmsford Prison, Edwards campaigned to improve mental health care for offenders.2003Barbara TudorAwarded for her work in restorative justice2004Christopher Morgan and Shannon TrustSet up the Shannon Trust in 1997, which trains prisoners to teach their fellow inmates reading and writing.2005Steven TaylorAwarded to the Director of the Forum on Prisoner Education for promoting the rehabilitation and re integration of prisoners into society.2006FPWP HibiscusFPWP Hibiscus is a small charity, working with female foreign national prisoners. Special mentions went to Chance UK, Roma Hooper, and Lucie Russell, and Smart Justice.2007Prisoners AbroadPrisoners Abroad is a UK charity which supports citizens imprisoned oversea. The judges praised "its courage, persistence and humanity, over almost three decades, sometimes in the face of public and official indifference and even hostility". Special mention was given to The Forgiveness Project, Joe Baden, and the Open Book Project.2008HMP GrendonThe judges were impressed by the prison's track record in cutting reoffending and promoting the principles of rehabilitation. A Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Lucy Gampell, director of Action for Prisoners' Families2009InquestInquest is a charity that provides support on state related deaths. The judges praised it for its "remarkable perseverance, personal commitment and courage in an area too often under investigated by the public authorities".2010Circles UKA Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Peter Kilgarriff.2011The Clink CharityA Lifetime Achievement Award was given to David Brown.2012Prisoners' Advice ServiceA Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Paul Cavadino for his work with NACRO.2013Prison Radio AssociationA Lifetime Achievement Award was made to Reverend Paul Cowley.2014Marina CantecuzinoAwarded to Marina Cantecuzino, founder of The Forgiveness Project, for her "significant contribution to reducing reoffending as well as having a wider impact in creating a more positive commitment in our criminal justice system to restorative justice". A Lifetime Achievement Award was given to New Horizon Youth Centre, a drop in day center, founded by in 1968.2015PACTThe judges wrote "[g]ood research and good practice have both long shown that maintaining strong family ties is one of the key factors in offenders' rehabilitation and avoidance of re offending." Judges also highly commended the Thames Valley Partnership and In2Change, and made a Lifetime Achievement Award to Eric McGraw, of Inside Time.2016Unlock and Shakespeare TrilogyThe Shakespeare Trilogy is an outreach scheme by Clean Break Theatre Company, York Saint John University's Prison Partnership Project and the Donmar Warehouse, developed from over four years of workshops in women's jails. The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Juliet Lyon.2017Safe GroundWorking through dialogue, drama, and debate with serving prisoners, Safe Ground has an outstanding track record of "reaching the angry young men who commit both crimes and are the victims of crimes. "2018Haven DistributionFounded by Lee Humphries, the Haven Distribution has sent tens of thousands of books over two decades to prisoners in jails across the country.2020N/ANo prize awarded.2021Women in Prison2022Brendan Ross (St Giles Trust) and Koestler Trust Our first joint winner Brendan Ross developed and leads the St Giles’ Trust Peer Circles Project that provides employment services for people with multiple and complex needs. "Brendan’s commitment, growing out of his own lived experience, to the hardest to reach individuals in the most difficult situations truly transforms lives." Our second winner, Koestler Arts, this year celebrates the 60th anniversary of its awards which nurture creativity to encourage rehabilitation and so reduce reoffending. Its annual exhibitions of art work by prisoners in galleries around the country make a vital human connection between the prisoners who make the work and the members of the public who admire it.”