A former West Midlands Police Superintendent and now Chair of the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales, Keith Fraser is one of the UK’s most respected and trusted figures in youth justice reform. Keith Fraser didn’t just rise through the ranks—he used every step to pull the system closer to justice. Raised in Birmingham and shaped by the West Midlands, Keith Fraser joined the police as a constable and steadily rose to Superintendent. Along the way, he led major regional work on community safety and youth engagement, never losing sight of the people behind the policies.
For Keith Fraser, policing was never just enforcement—it was about equity, access, and the long, deliberate work of restoring trust. Keith Fraser knows that real prevention doesn’t begin with punishment. It begins with presence. With listening. With belief. In Wolverhampton, he chaired the Youth Offending Management Board and developed a bold, multi-agency intervention that reached over 7,000 children and young people. In partnership with Sport England and The Prince’s Trust, he helped reimagine how institutions interact with young people—not as problems to be managed, but as lives to be invested in.
As author of the 2016–19 Preventing Gang Involvement and Youth Violence strategy, Keith Fraser challenged the reactive approaches that had dominated for too long. His work made the case for early action, youth voice, and systemic reform—not as radical ideas, but as common sense. In 2020, Keith Fraser became the first Black Chair of the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales. His leadership is historic, but never symbolic. From day one, he brought a clear, uncompromising vision: reduce disproportionality, centre lived experience, and build a justice system that serves all young people—especially those most often failed by it. Not for recognition, but because too many young people are still being failed by the very institutions meant to protect them.
When the system looked away, Keith Fraser stepped in—to listen, to challenge, and to rebuild. Keith Fraser advised the National Police Chiefs Council on youth digital engagement and sits on national boards shaping the future of policing, education, and workforce development. He is a patron of Employability UK, a mentor to emerging leaders, and a powerful advocate for systems that uplift rather than punish. His work is wide-reaching—but always personal.
His impact is measured not only in reports or roles, but in futures redirected. In lives turned toward hope instead of harm. In quiet moments of trust, hard-won. In a system that, slowly but surely, becomes more just because someone insisted it could be. From Birmingham to Whitehall, Keith Fraser has been that someone. A reformer, a listener, and a believer in young people—even when the system forgets to be.
