Dr Cuthbert has been Chief Executive of Prisoner Aid through Community Effort (PACE) since 1999. Dr Cuthbert has developed an extensive programme of pre- and post-release services for life sentence and long-term sentence prisoners and has introduced a range of accommodation services for men leaving prison. She has undertaken research into the experience of life sentence prisoners in Ireland.
She has extensive experience of working with people with complex needs and high risk offences and established a suite of community based services for people with convictions for harmful sexual behaviour including the Safer Lives treatment programme, Foothold floating support service and Circles of Support and Accountability.