The Listening Ground explores public views on accountability

The Common Ground Justice Project hosted the first in a new series of Listening Ground events in Nottingham this month, in partnership with The Forgiveness Project.

The Listening Ground brings together people from across the community for deep conversations on crime and justice, creating space for people to share the stories and experiences behind their views.

The first session focused on accountability – an area that has emerged as one of the clearest points of common ground in our initial research, with strong support across the public.

As one participant described:

“Accountability is that acknowledgement of wrongs that occurred, and attempts to put that right.”

Alongside this, the discussion highlighted the practical challenges of accountability. Participants emphasised that it depends on the conditions around a person, including strong relationships, a sense of responsibility, and meaningful opportunities to make amends.

These insights will inform the next phase of our work, as we continue to explore what accountability means in practice and what enables it to happen.

This was the first of a series of Listening Ground sessions taking place across the UK over the coming months.

▶ Share our post on Instagram
▶ Learn more about The Forgiveness Project: https://www.theforgivenessproject.com/

Live scribing by John Cooper @johncooper_