The Friends, Families and Travellers (FFT) report Trapped in the Turnstile, originally published in March 2025, has now been out for a year.
The report offers a first-hand insight into young Romany, Roma and Traveller people’s experiences of the criminal justice system. A summary version can be found here.
What impact has it had, and what progress has been made since its release?
Supported by the Barrow Cadbury Trust, Trapped in the Turnstile was received very positively, with almost 100 people joining the launch webinar. This included people working with His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) and from charities supporting Gypsy and Traveller people across the criminal justice system.
Last year, our website received steady engagement with the report materials, with almost 1000 views of the full report and accompanying launch assets.
One of the first positive outcomes following the report’s publication was a meeting at the Ministry of Justice, with Lord Timpson, the Minister of State for Prisons, Parole and Probation.
The meeting was called by Baroness Janet Whitaker, who is the Co-chair of the APPG for Gypsies, Travellers and Roma. Having read the report, Baroness Whitaker wanted to bring the issues raised to the attention of Lord Timpson. Together with representatives from the Roma community, and other advocacy organisations, we met Lord Timpson to discuss ways in which HMPPS could support and enable our work.
On the report, Lord Timpson said:
“A very important report, though a depressing read, and I know we need to do more for these communities.”
One of the recommendations in Trapped was to ensure that HMPPS included regular evaluation and monitoring as part of their Gypsy, Roma and Traveller strategy. Following a meeting with the new Race and Disparities Lead for Gypsy, Roma, Traveller communities at HMPPS, we were invited to join the Third Sector Advisory Group. The group meets regularly and we are currently sense checking the development of the revamped ‘Beyond Acronyms’ report into a training.
There are ongoing, positive signs about improving how Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people are referred to within the prison system.
Conversations are currently in the very early stages, however, there are suggestions to remove the use of the ‘GRT’ acronym, with each community named separately instead, as the term GRT is considered to be unhelpful and generalises each community’s separate heritages and histories.
Training and Support
As a result of our growing list of prison Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion contacts, we have been able to keep in touch with staff and mail out resources, information for Gypsy, Roma, Traveller History Month, relevant webinar training sessions and other support. We have also linked one prison in with one of our project partner organisations, meaning that a support worker now visits the prison to work with individuals and their families, and help facilitate Gypsy/Traveller Forum meetings.
The report has also been used in several presentations and training sessions to organisations such as Clinks, Clinks Cymru Race Action Network, the Magistrate’s Association, MOPAC (Mayor of London office for Policing and Crime), HMPPS RISE staff network, HMPPS Courts and Tribunals National Network and PACT (Prison Advice and Care Trust).
As a result of our links with prisons gained from this work, we are now able to better engage with individuals who reach out to our Advice and Advocacy Service for support.
Feedback during training sessions has been overwhelming, and this particular piece of feedback from a probation worker provides a succinct summary of the impact of the work done by FFT’s Training team:
“Just to say thanks for the training session this morning. It has been massively thought provoking for me. I had no idea of the history and degree of discrimination experienced by Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities and the session has given me a huge amount to mull on.
It was particularly helpful to hear the experiences of professionals with lived experience. It’s not often I attend a training session that fundamentally causes me to question so many unconscious biases. So, thanks again.”
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About Friends, Families and Travellers (FFT)
Friends, Families and Travellers is a leading national charity that works to end racism and discrimination against Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people and to protect the right to pursue a nomadic way of life.
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Additional Resources
‘Trapped in the Turnstile: Understanding the Impacts of the Criminal Justice System on Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Young Adults and their Families’. Friends, Families and Travellers. March 2025. View: Full report | Executive Summary
