Draft:Junior Smart

Junior Smart OBE (6th September 1975) is a social activist, social entrepreneur and youth and community leader known for his significant contributions to youth development, gang intervention, and community empowerment. He was honoured with the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his outstanding service to society in 2020.

Junior Smart is not only a Youth Leader but a qualified trainer and recognised violence intervention specialist. Despite dropping out of education at the age of 14 he achieved a First Class degree in Youth Work and Distinction in his MA in Criminology, Youth Crime and Justice. Whilst undertaking his PhD at Middlesex University into the connection between gangs and families he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Greenwich University in Education.

Background
in 2001 Junior was sentenced to 12 years in prison for serious drug-related offences. It was while in custody, seeing the cycle of re-offending and helplessness of other inmates, he vowed to prevent what happened to him from happening to others. This led him to first becoming trained by the Samaritans as a Listener at HMP Highdown, a scheme where trained inmates provide support to others going through crisis in prison to then establishing the Toe by Toe reading scheme at HMP Swaleside From there he went to mentor and support other offenders including those at HMPYOI Rochester. On his release in 2006, with the support of the St Giles Trust, Junior founded the award-winning SOS Project. What started in 2006 as a small pilot project in Southwark grew to become the largest ex-offender led project in the country; helping thousands of young people make a safe and sustained exit from serious violence and criminal exploitation through county lines.

In 2008, Junior Smart developed the SOS+ project which delivers preventative and early intervention work to children and young people in schools, alternative learning establishments and communities; as well as providing training for parents and professionals. The approach uses trained individuals with lived experience of the criminal justice system to equip children and young people to think critically, assess risk and make better life choices, making them more resilient to the risks of becoming involved in gangs, exploitation and violence.

Activism and Campaigning Interests
Smart's interests includes being a supporter for Prison Reform and Rehabilitation, sitting on numerous panels and repeatedly speaking out about the issues of custody, incarceration and its shortcomings and calling for change.

He is an advocate of social justice pushing for systemic reform and education so that marginalised communities can step into leadership and decision-making positions, so that they no longer “co-produce but produce the services” and for power to be meaningfully shifted.

Junior Smart is a supporter of youth work and has spoken on a number of occasions about the money which has been taken out of youth support services across the UK.

Junior's work continues to centre on youth empowerment, violence desistance and owing to his expertise is a regular correspondent for both the news and media on the subject matter of County Lines, young people, Criminal Exploitation, vulnerabilities and peer to peer violence. He regularly designs new projects, feeds into research and public policy and is a recognised consultant and trainer advising bodies on best practice.

Recognition and Awards
Junior Smart has earned numerous awards and accolades including:
 * 2008: Elected as an Ashoka Fellow
 * 2014: Evening Standard: London's most influential people 2014 - Campaigners
 * 2015: Evening Standard: London's most influential people 2015 - Campaigners
 * 2017: Rare Rising Star Award: Winner
 * 2018: University of Greenwich: Honorary Doctorate
 * 2019: Evening Standard: The Progress 1000: London's most influential people 2019 – Activists: Equality
 * 2022: Social Enterprise UK: Honorary Fellowship

Legacy
Junior Smart's work continues to inspire individuals and organizations worldwide. His dedication to addressing the complex issues surrounding youth violence and gang involvement has left a lasting impact on communities and policymakers alike.

On the 29th June 2023 he provided oral evidence to the UK Parliament on the subject of how drugs factor into criminal exploitation and advocating the need for better investment in services and how those vulnerable people involved are treated.

On the 4th July 2023 he was called to provide oral to the Education Committee regarding Child exploitation and county lines.

Junior's work and leadership has meant that projects and individuals he develops have gone on to win awards. The SOS Project working with young people involved in gangs Youth Violence won the Advice, Support and Advocacy category of the Charity Awards of 2014. In November 2014, Mona Morrison of SOS project, St Giles received the Highly Commended Longford Prize, in recognition of successful projects with youth gangs. CJ Burge from the SOS team was runner up Criminal Justice Champion at the Howard League's awards.