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Eminent Old Hawthornian, His Honour John Samuels KC (OH 1954) joined us at our recent Founders' Lunch where it was fascinating to learn more about his career and recently released first book 'Mentor and Monitor: A Role for the Judge'.

John Samuels sat in the Crown Court for some 27 years, and was later a judicial member of the Parole Board for the maximum tenure of 10 years. He is President of Prisoners’ Education Trust, Vice President of AMIMB and Tempus Novo, and a Patron of Prisoners’ Advice Service. John previously chaired the Criminal Justice Alliance, and was a Trustee of the Howard League for Penal Reform.

The inspiration for John's book was the unexpected success shown when he routinely began to review those subject to drug treatment and testing orders; and accidentally discovered how a continuing interest in their desistance journey, shown by an empathetic judicial figure, may play a decisive role in their rehabilitation. This revelation encouraged John's voyage of discovery to the problem-solving approaches of other jurisdictions, and a failed attempt to launch a Greater London Community Court which would have adopted these principles. John's book explores the unexpected journey he undertook as mentor and monitor through his involvement in the world of prisoner education, and charts his participation as charity trustee and campaigner for prison welfare reform.

During lunch, John kindly reflected that his book's central message – mentoring may be a facet of education – owes much to what to what he picked up from his time at The ºìÐÓÊÓƵ.