User Voice was founded in 2009 by Mark Johnson, an ex-offender and former drug abuser ….

…who has gone onto becoming a best-selling author and respected social commentator

Mark’s story embodies the transformative change which User Voice strives to achieve. Mark’s direct contact with the criminal justice system, and later as an employer of ex-offenders and consultant for government and other charities, left him convinced of the urgent need to create a model of service user engagement that is fair for all involved. His principal aim was to foster dialogue between service providers and service users that is mutually beneficial, aiding rehabilitation and recovery and results in better and more cost-effective services.

User Voice was established in 2009 and received its charitable status in 2010.

Our role is to improve rehabilitation… through collaboration.

At User Voice we know that the criminal justice system needs to be improved. We are optimistic that change is possible and we know that we have the experience and insight to contribute to making it better.

Rehabilitation is possible, and people with convictions can turn their lives into an active force for good in society. Rehabilitation is the goal of all our work, a process which goes deeper than reducing offending, although that is an outcome.

At User Voice we build the structures that enable productive collaboration between service users and service providers. We are able to do this because our work is led and delivered by ex-offenders. This gives us the special ability to gain the trust of, access to, and insight from people within the criminal justice system.

User Voice is a charity led and delivered by ex-offenders. We believe that only offenders can stop re-offending. This short video gives an overview of what we have achieved since our inception in 2009.