Howard League for Penal Reform

The Howard League for Penal Reform is a London-based registered charity in the United Kingdom. It is the oldest penal reform organisation in the world, named after John Howard. Founded in 1866 as the Howard Association, a merger with the Penal Reform League in 1921 created the Howard League for Penal Reform. The Howard League is independent of the United Kingdom government and is funded by voluntary donations; although it receives funding from the Legal Services Commission, this is a contractual relationship. The Howard League's Chief Executive is Frances Crook, who began as Director in 1986.