The INO Mag news agency that reports on the Criminal Justice System was started in 2008 and has grown through the hard work of its first two volunteer ex-offender editors. Andy moved onto pastures new and for the last eight months Mark Clark has steadily grown the agency into a recognised resource.

Our printed newsletter now covers all Leicestershire and Rutland Probation establishments, Leicester City Libraries and Leicestershire County Libraries. The magazine can also be viewed at www.issuu.com/communitymediahub which has allowed a whole new audience to find out about this resource.

We are currently revamping the INO Mag website so the new look will offer more opportunity to update the information and by adding relevant CJS links, become a portal for all sectors.

We are looking for articles from ex-offenders or their families about positive experiences they have had in breaking the cycle, or experiences of the Criminal Justice System.

The relationship with Leicester City Libraries is unique. Offenders/Ex-offenders are given the opportunity to take on the role of Citizen Reporters and are assisted to give a voice to their community of faith, interest or geography.

An exciting opportunity in the year ahead is the change of library management in HMP Welford Road from County Libraries to Leicester City Libraries. This will hopefully enable INO Mag to be an integral part of the services offered to prison offenders. This will lead to offenders leaving prison with experience of community media skills, then they may move into volunteering opportunities with the City Libraries including radio programme production.

INO Mag comes in two formats; A full version for CJS staff and a bite size version for offenders and ex-offenders, offering them contact details where they can find further information. This will allow the editorial team to double the readership of the magazine within prisons and probation.

Finally, through groundbreaking work by Mark, the magazine will hopefully be sponsored in Derbyshire by the Derby College and nationally by SOVA. The next 12 months for INO Mag look set to be very exciting. Let’s hope this positive story of ex-offenders doing something for their communities is a model to be replicated.

Contact the editorial team on editor@inomag.org