Recognising The Remarkable
Since 2002 the Longford Prize has each year celebrated the achievements of individuals, groups and organisations working in the field of prison reform. It is awarded by the Longford Trust from nominations made by the public, and recognises qualities of humanity, courage, persistence and originality. Nominations can be for organisations working in prison reform; individuals who have made a particular contribution in the past 12 months; or individuals who have made a sustained impact over a number of years, or even decades. It is worth £5,000 and those honoured receive their awards (pictured above and designed by former Longford Scholar, Ben Levings) at the annual Longford Lecture. Past winners include outstanding organisations such as Unlock, Women in Prison, Koestler Arts, PACT and the Forgiveness Project, as well as remarkable individuals – Brendan Ross of St Giles Trust, Jezz Wright founder of WayOutTV, Eric McGraw who started Inside Time and Barbara Tudor, early pioneer of restorative justice.
Prize Winner 2025
… was Liberty Choir. “Music makes a difference in lives and never more so than in prison, where Liberty Choir transforms lives.” Full citation.
Judging Panel
Our judging panel is chaired by our Deputy Chair, Tim Kerr (pictured right). The panel includes Jacob Dunne, Roxanne Foster and CJ Burge all of whom bring profound insights into the working of the criminal justice system, alongside Longford Trust director Peter Stanford and a “guest judge”, a well-known name with expertise invited to join each year.
- An annual award to outstanding individuals and groups
- Prize money of £5,000
- Judged by a distinguished panel
- Presented on stage at the Longford Lecture