About

Each year around a hundred thousand 15-17 year olds get caught up in the criminal justice system. Once they come into contact with this system, many are likely to re-offend; to remain part of it and to go on to become part of the adult criminal justice system.

Simple web and mobile tools are great at connecting people in new ways and on their own terms. They can empower people to take more control of their lives by providing new ways of organising, mobilising and communicating.

Young people are early adopters and this technology provides a way of reaching people who previously were hard to access.

Let’s make the most of it.

Jailbrake is a competition to find and support great ideas that could break the cycle of youth offending using simple web and mobile tools. Whether that’s about helping more young people access services and support, or giving them a way of staying safe.

We’re looking for people who have an idea about how to slow down and stop the cycle of youth offending – whether you’re part of a youth offending team, a service user, police officer or a member of a local community – with people who can make their ideas idea a reality.

We want to find the best ideas and turn them into real projects with a helping hand from software developers, designers and funders.

Jailbrake is run by the team behind Social Innovation Camp and powered by NESTA.

NESTA is the UK’s leading independent expert on innovation. Through a blend of practical programmes, investment in early-stage companies and research Nesta tests and demonstrates ingenious ways to tackle some of the country’s biggest social and economic challenges.

Social Innovation Camp runs creative events bringing together talented software developers and designers with social innovators to build effective web-based solutions to real social problems.

You can read more about how the competition works here.