Our purpose
The Alliance of Sport in Criminal Justice (AoS) is an international charity which oversees a growing network of organisations using sport to drive social change. It is based in the UK and Southeast Asia, working alongside global partners to support the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
AoS is trusted by policy-makers and practitioners to help strengthen systems at the intersection of sport and criminal justice. We work in collaboration with multi-agency networks to improve health and wellbeing, and create safer, fairer communities. We share what works, improve how things are done, and create better outcomes for vulnerable individuals and communities facing complex challenges.
AREAS OF INTERVENTION
Our work spans three principal areas:
Primary aims to prevent crime by addressing the root causes and altering the conditions that make crime possible. It is a broad approach targeting the general population, led by thousands of locally-based organisations and individuals trusted by their own communities. It includes community development programmes, improving educational opportunities, and addressing social inequalities that contribute to crime.
Secondary focuses on early identification and intervention with individuals who are at risk of becoming offenders. This might involve mentoring programmes for young people, targeted support for individuals with substance abuse problems, or interventions for those with a history of mental health issues.
Tertiary focuses on reducing reoffending by individuals within the Criminal Justice System. This includes rehabilitation programmes, parole supervision, and interventions aimed at addressing the needs of offenders to prevent them from re-offending. It also includes ‘Through the Gate’ services aimed at reintegrating prison-leavers into society so they can become valued citizens for the rest of their lives.
THE POWER OF SPORT
As Nelson Mandela famously stated at the inaugural Laureus World Sports Awards in 2000, “sport has the power to change the world”. However it is crucially important to recognise that sport in itself does not necessarily offer a panacea for the challenges facing the modern world, from conflict to climate change.
Elite and mainstream sport can indeed inspire and motivate positive behaviours at population-wide level – but it is the more targeted areas of Sport Plus (where sport is adapted to achieve developmental outcomes) and Plus Sport (in which sport is used to attract participants into initiatives) where AoS’ work is focused. Read more at sportanddev.org.
These approaches, often collectively termed ‘sport for development and peace’ (SDP) or ‘sport for change’, have been applied to achieve a range of developmental outcomes, including conflict resolution, social integration and crime reduction – thus directly supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and in particular SDG 16 ‘Peace, justice and strong institutions’.
Furthermore, since this targeted work principally takes place in communities and locations where public costs are significantly increased (in terms of crime, unemployment, poverty and healthcare), then the Social Return on Investment (SROI) can be far greater compared to national estimates around the value of sport to society.
GET INVOLVED
AoS prides itself on its collective momentum. We are a ‘coalition of the willing’ where ordinary citizens lead by example and achieve extraordinary things, all in the name of building a fairer, healthier and more equitable world.
We invite you to connect with us – whether you are looking to invest in impactful initiatives, affect policy change, or are a professional in the physical activity and sport, welfare and justice sectors seeking collaboration and support. If you’re a government department, public body, or international agency in need of evidence-based approaches and strategic partnerships, or a company aiming to enhance brand visibility while aligning with CSR and ESG goals, we’re here to work with you.
It starts with a conversation: join our network, explore our services, or get involved with our initiatives. Together, we are building innovative, evidence-informed solutions for a safer, fairer and healthier society. Whatever your goals, reach out to discover how we can achieve greater impact together.
Contact info@allianceofsport.org