New Chair appointed to lead scrutiny of the work to tackle criminal justice inequity

Last week, members of the Tackling Disproportionality Independent Scrutiny Board, in place to scrutinise the programme to tackle racial inequity across the Avon and Somerset criminal justice system, appointed Peninah Achieng-Kindberg as their new leader.

Peninah said, “I feel very humbled and honoured on my appointment for the Chair role, it will be challenging to follow Desmond Brown’s footsteps, who has been a great inspiration to us all in supporting the criminal justice system on its transformational journey to reform or explain.

“I have no doubt that it remains a challenging task to make progress on the Lammy recommendations and holding all the agencies to account will bring its own challenges and opportunities. However, I have absolute and total confidence in the expertise and experience of all the Board members, working collaboratively to drive the changes that we can and want to see, under my leadership.

“My vision for the Board is to develop and sustain a landscape where the voices of people of African descent take a centre stage and we realise a sense of self-determination beyond the current confines, and across continents.”

Peninah is an experienced financial professional with over 28 years’ experience working in various roles in public sector organisations and as an international financial consultant. Peninnah has been involved with the Board since its inception at the end of 2023.

As a social justice campaigner and a driver of change across a range of fields, Peninah’s passion for community activism and empowerment spans more than two decades. Peninah currently supports various public sector organisations in various Board capacities and has been nominated and recognised for their work within the local community and beyond.

Peninah takes over from Desmond Brown, a dedicated race equality campaigner and Independent Chair of the original review. Desmond played a crucial role in producing the landmark Identifying Disproportionality Report in 2022 and has since been instrumental in steering the ongoing work to scrutinise and advance the work, as Chair of the Independent Scrutiny Board.

Outgoing Chair Desmond Brown said,

“I am very excited by the next chapter in the journey of the Tackling Disproportionality report and that of the Board. In 2019, I was appointed Independent Chair of the Avon and Somerset Lammy group and commissioned by the Local Criminal Justice Board to produce a local deep dive into the statistics, policies and processes of criminal justice agencies, in relation to racial disproportionality. The local review used a data focused investigation to identify disproportionality to take the approach of explain or reform of processes impacting race disparity across the Avon and Somerset Criminal Justice Board partners.

“The process wasn’t always straight forward, and at times throughout, I didn’t think we would have anything to report, as data around disproportionality was sketchy and inconsistent. But in March 2022 my report was published, with the steering committee set up in March the following year to address the 83 recommendations, co-chaired by Chief Constable Sarah Crew and the then Bristol City Council Deputy Mayor Asher Craig.

“In Autumn 2023, an amazing Independent Scrutiny Board was appointed, and I agreed to be its interim chair for a year while the new Board found its feet. I am happy to report that the Board is thriving and in good shape and now is the right time for me to hand the baton on to our new and very capable Chair Peninah. I am confident Peninah can elevate the work done to date to the next level. I will remain a Board member and look forward to working under the new leadership, advancing an anti-racist criminal justice system.”

Co-chair of the Tackling Disproportionality Steering Committee and Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset Police Sarah Crew said,

“I am delighted to welcome Peninah as the new Chair of the Board. Her expertise and insights will be invaluable in driving this important work forward.

“I also want to celebrate the exceptional contribution Desmond has made in bringing us to this point. Desmond has been a vital figure in addressing disproportionality and advancing efforts to create a fairer and more equitable criminal justice system across Avon and Somerset. His professional, constructive challenge to all the criminal justice agencies, and his determination to implement meaningful change have been transformative.

“Desmond consistently emphasises the impact institutional racism has on individuals; I greatly value his insight and perspective. I am pleased that Desmond will continue his vital work, championing fairness and equity in continuing as a member of the Board, but also as Chair of the OPCC Independent Scrutiny of Police Powers Panel.

“In Avon and Somerset Police we have made substantial progress in implementing the recommendations in the original Identifying Disproportionality Report, particularly around the use of our stop and search powers. Under the Race Matters programme, we are driving through change to reduce disproportionality in our policies and practices, as well as delivering an ambitious training programme that aims to improve the culture in our organisation, so more people from diverse backgrounds consider a career in the police. Our anti-racist strategy, co-created with communities, is the anchor to this work.

“We recognise that there is much to do to on the journey to becoming an anti-racist and anti-discriminatory service in which all our communities have confidence. Transparency and accountability are critical if we are to succeed in this ambition and we are delighted to have secured the expertise and participation of such accomplished scrutineers.”

Find out more about the programme to Tackling Disproportionality in the Criminal Justice System Tackling Disproportionality | OPCC for Avon and Somerset