About
The People’s Review of Prevent give a voice to the people most impacted by the Prevent Duty. This review is organised and supported by a wider range of people and organisations. Here we provide more detail on some of the questions you may have:
Why is a People’s Review necessary?
Historically there has always been an expansion of Prevent following the government’s ‘reviews’ of the programme. This happened in both 2011 and 2015.
The Government has a bad track record with reviews. The recent Race Review and the Islamophobia Review both ended up with controversial conclusions.
Many people impacted by the Prevent policy do not trust the Government and will not engage in the process.
This year, after the appointment of William Shawcross to lead the Prevent review, over 500 organisations and individuals decided to boycott it (read more here).
This platform serves to listen to, collate and document these voices, to ensure that a broader range of targeted individuals and groups are heard, without being tainted by accusations of having participated in another rubber-stamping exercise.
Our call for evidence (here) also extends to those who have not shared their views before, or have been afraid or in two minds about doing so.
Through this, ‘The People’s Review of Prevent’ aims to assess, present and address the true impact of Prevent.
Who can submit to The People’s Review of Prevent?
For the first time, The People’s Review of Prevent will call for evidence from a wide spectrum of organisations and individuals who have been impacted by Prevent, including but not limited to those who have boycotted the Shawcross review.
No matter how small your group, and even if you feel you are the only person in your community to have encountered Prevent, we want to hear from you.
We are also interested in individuals and groups who have not yet come forward to speak about their experiences.
Any review of a programme such as Prevent that does not include these experiences of the many innocent people who have been negatively impacted by it, and which does not account for the far-reaching impact of it on individuals and organisations who are indirectly affected, cannot be considered complete.
This includes those who have been affected by the guidance documents borne out of the Prevent in their workplaces and communities.
What if I am already submitting to the Shawcross Review?
You are still welcome to submit evidence in the People’s Review of Prevent, however we are particularly interested in evidence from organisations and groups who have experienced the policy first hand.
What is the goal of the People’s Review?
A report will be published based on this evidence as a reference for the public and policy makers.
It is also hoped that the report will provide a record for future generations to identify the institutional impact of Prevent, and to eventually hold to account all those who choose to ignore or perpetuate the harms of Prevent.
What kind of evidence will be used?
If you, or your organisation, school or community have had direct or indirect experience with Prevent which has impacted people, you can submit to us (here).
Evidence will be based on a number of sources:
Primary source data will include the testimonies of people who have had direct experience of Prevent. We will gather and analyse the impact of Prevent on their lives, as well as its impact on their homes, circles of influence and communities.
The submissions of the organisations and individuals who declared their boycott of the Shawcross review. In many cases this will involve material already prepared for submission to the “independent review” first suggested by the government.
Academic researchers will also be asked to provide evidence and calls will be made to various associated networks including the UPEN network.
There is a substantial amount of published research in the area of Prevent which has not been submitted to the Shawcross review, and we will consider citations to provide access to this material too.
Who is overseeing the People’s Review?
The People’s Review is a project run by Prevent Watch, which is an independent community funded organisation that supports individuals and groups negatively impacted by Prevent.
The review is co-chaired by Proessor John Holmwood and Dr Layla Aitlhadj. They are supported by a panel of expert advisors, details are provided below.
Co-Chairs
John Holmwood is Professor Emeritus in the School of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Nottingham.
John co-authored ‘The Trojan Horse Affair’ with Theresa O’Toole, Countering Extremism in British Schools? The Truth about the Birmingham Trojan Horse Affair (Policy Press, 2018) and John was an expert witness for the defence in professional misconduct cases brought against teachers.
Dr Layla Aitlhadj is the Director and Senior Caseworker at Prevent Watch where she supports people adversely impacted by the Prevent Duty.
Prevent Watch has supported nearly 600 cases and Layla has led on the support, litigation and advocacy work.
Layla has published extensively on Prevent and the broader Counter-Terrorism legislation across multiple platforms. She has edited lengthier academic reports and led more in-depth advocacy-based research.
Legal Advisory Panel
Academic Advisory Panel
Community Advisory Panel
The Project Team