Research and Evaluation
Why you are motivated to be involved and support the organisation’s mission and objectives?
Justin is in his final year of his PhD focussing on ‘How employers can promote and
support resilience in people with convictions in the workplace’ His previous research
shows that employment is one of the three key things which not only support desistance
from crime but promotes self-esteem, confidence, and self-worth. My aim is to
encourage more employers to see the benefits of recruiting and employing people with convictions. I aim to create a simple and pragmatic guide on how to do this well.
Role at Career Matters
I am a Career Matters Associate on the Independent Evaluation Team Thrive, a member of the Lived Experience Charter Assessment Panel and a member of the Thrive Multi-Agency Action Group.
Headline experience
I taught barbering in London Prisons for seven years. I worked across the male, female,
and youth estates. During this time, I studied part-time completing a BA and a MSc with
a strong focus on what drives some prisoners to turn their lives around and not return to
prison. Employment is one of the key components. I am now studying full-time at the
University of Brighton and using my experience of the CJS to inform my research.
