Extension to National Chair of the Independent Monitoring Boards term
The Secretary of State has announced a one year extension to Dame Anne Owers DBE’s tenure as National Chair of the Independent Monitoring Boards.
The Secretary of State has announced an extension to Dame Anne Owers’ tenure as National Chair of the Independent Monitoring Boards from 1 June 2021 until 31 May 2022.
This appointment is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and the extension has been made in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.
Independent Monitoring Boards (IMBs) provide statutory, independent oversight, monitoring the treatment and care of prisoners and detainees. They operate in prisons, young offender institutions, immigration removal centres, some short-term holding facilities and on flights for those being removed from the UK.
Biography
Dame Anne Owers was appointed as the first National Chair of the Independent Monitoring Boards (IMBs) in November 2017 following an open competition.
Dame Anne was the Chair of the Independent Police Complaints Commission (now the Independent Office for Police Conduct) from 2012 to 2017. She was Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons between 2001 and 2010 and chaired a review of prisons in Northern Ireland from 2010 to 2011.
Prior to that she was the Director of Justice, the UK human rights and law reform organisation (1992-2001) and General Secretary of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (1986-1992).
She currently chairs Koestler Arts, the prison arts charity. She was also a member of the advisory group to the Lammy review of race and criminal justice.
Dame Anne has declared no political activity.