Director, Out of Trouble.

Penelope Gibbs is Director of Out of Trouble: the Prison Reform Trust’s programme to reduce the number of children and young people in custody in the UK (www.outoftrouble.org). Out of Trouble campaigns through producing evidence that custody is over used and that the alternatives are more humane and more effective. The Out of Trouble programme is supported by The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund for five years. Penelope was previously Director of the Voluntary Action Media Unit. VAMU was a three year lottery funded project which aimed to improve the relationship between charities and the media. It was managed by the charity TimeBank with the Media Trust and IVR as partners. VAMU produced research on the relationship between the two sectors; set up www.askcharity.org.uk a research resource for journalists; encouraged charity personnel to experience media life though Media Connections 2006 and attempted to engage the interest of media students in charities. Before moving to the voluntary sector Penelope worked in the media. For three years before joining the Prison Reform Trust Penelope sat as a magistrate at Highbury Corner Court.