Abuse, neglect and injustice run through UK prisons. Yet the relentless wave of legal aid cuts, including those introduced by LASPO 2012, has made it increasingly difficult for prisoners to access justice. Prisoners no longer qualify for legal aid in a vast range of matters, leaving their rights vulnerable to breach without consequence. In response, Kesar and Co Solicitors founded Intervene Project in 2013 to help close this gap.
Intervene Project is a registered legal charity that provides free legal advice and representation to eligible prisoners in England and Wales. The organisation believes that everyone, including prisoners, deserves access to justice and the protection of their human rights. The team includes 1 full‑time Manager, 10 volunteer caseworkers, and 10 volunteer researchers. Despite its modest size, the charity contributes more than 4,000 hours of pro bono work per year. Even so, demand far exceeds capacity, highlighting the Government's serious underestimation of the need for pro bono work. The Government‑set target for pro bono work at large City firms is currently only 35 hours per year.
Demand for Intervene Project's services has increased sharply. The caseload has more than doubled in the past 6 months. The charity currently assists more than 200 clients, with 80 more awaiting referral, and this number grows each week. Many clients are referred directly from Kesar and Co, but word of the service has spread throughout prison establishments, leading to a rise in direct requests. This reflects the widespread abuse occurring within the prison system and the severely restricted access to justice faced by incarcerated individuals.
Clients frequently report horrific abuses. Recent examples include staff negligently burning a client with boiling water; a client being barred from contacting his spouse for months without explanation; a client being deprived of cell heating for an entire winter; and a client being denied urgent dental treatment and pain relief for several months. Intervene Project provides advice and assistance across a wide range of issues, including property, clinical negligence, prison transfers, adjudications, physical, verbal and sexual abuse, discrimination, employment, education, healthcare, mental healthcare, nutrition, dental care, data protection, personal identity, rehabilitation, negligent living conditions, human rights and obstructions to communication. The charity has issued civil claims, provided county court representation, assisted with judicial reviews and secured settlements exceeding £20,000.
How can you get involved?
Students and aspiring lawyers interested in legal aid work are ideally placed to join Intervene Project's dedicated team. Most volunteers are law students, recruited quickly by solicitors' firms and chambers, and benefit from barristers' experience. Recruitment for volunteer caseworkers and researchers is ongoing. Through its affiliation with Kesar and Co, Intervene Project provides volunteers with premises, guidance and exposure to practising legal aid solicitors and barristers. This experience helps volunteers develop the skills needed to thrive in legal aid sectors, despite the challenging climate.
Caseworker roles
Caseworkers support clients at every stage of the legal process, from initial advice to courtroom representation. Responsibilities include taking client calls; drafting correspondence to prison staff, the Ministry of Justice, MPs, Governors, and medical providers; drafting and submitting Letters Before Action; issuing claims; and providing courtroom advocacy when necessary. Most caseworkers volunteer 1 day per week, and the role is not remote.
Researcher roles
Researchers work on improving how the legal aid budget is spent. Intervene Project launched a research project in 2021 in collaboration with The University of Law, aiming to produce a published report. The charity also hopes to expand research into the impact of IPPs and Covid‑19 on the prison population. Most researchers volunteer 3 hours per week, and the role is remote.
Funding and collaboration
Intervene Project welcomes collaboration with charities, organisations, researchers and lawyers who share its values. Its large client base and internal research team place it in a strong position to support wider work on prison reform.
However, the charity urgently requires increased financial support. Following a steep rise in caseload, resources are stretched thin. Funders often avoid prisoner‑focused work, making it hard to find donors. The charity currently exists thanks to Kesar and Co's determination, a small pool of donors, and its volunteers. Because of limited funds, Intervene Project cannot extend its services to migrants, whose access to justice has also been severely restricted, as immigration casework accreditation costs are too high.
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