Dame Anne Owers, chief inspector of prisons for the past nine years, has been appointed as chair of Clinks, a charity promoting volunteering and community work with offenders in England and Wales.

Dame Anne will take up the position in January next year, replacing acting chair Lucy Gampell. Owers became the first female chief inspector of prisons in 2001, a year after receiving a CBE for her work within the voluntary and public sectors. She was director of law reform group Justice from 1992 to 2001 and prior to this was general secretary of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants.

She is also chair of Christian Aid, a post she has held since 2008.

Clinks' director, Clive Martin, said: “Our trustees and members are delighted that Anne will be bringing her many skills to Clinks and the wider voluntary and community sector working with offenders.”

The appointment comes in the same week that the coalition government has submitted its green paper for criminal justice reform. Over seven million working-age adults has a criminal record and an estimated £11bn per year is spent on crime and reoffending.

"At the moment there is a real opportunity to safely bring down the prison population, improve resettlement outcomes and strengthen community punishments," said Dame Anne (pictured). "A strong voluntary and community sector will be crucial in this, as it provides the foundation that many offenders and their families depend on to rebuild their lives."