A report examined the resettlement needs and experiences of black, Asian, and minority-ethnic prisoners and ex-prisoners.
Source: Jessica Jacobson, Coretta Phillips and Kimmett Edgar, 'Double Trouble'? Black, Asian and minority ethnic offenders' experiences of resettlement, Prison Reform Trust/Clinks
Links: Report
Date: 2010-Dec
A report examined the systems and processes in place to address the financial exclusion of prisoners; the extent to which pre-release inputs affected financial inclusion following release; the relationship between the prison and Jobcentre-based services within the prisons; and the obstacles and barriers involved. Financial issues, compounded by low levels of awareness and a reluctance to seek advice, constituted a significant problem for the vast majority of prisoners and ex-prisoners.
Source: Linda Meadows, Simon Feasey and Hayden Bird (with others),Investigating the Prisoner Finance Gap Across Four Prisons in the North East, Research Report 715, Department for Work and Pensions
Links: Report | Summary | DWP press release
Date: 2010-Dec
The government published a Green Paper on plans for a 'radical reform' of the criminal justice system to punish criminals more effectively and reduce reoffending. Proposals included:
• Making offenders submit to the discipline of regular working hours in prison, more demanding tasks in the community, and greater use of curfew requirements.
• Increasing reparation to victims through greater use of restorative justice.
• Diverting more offenders with mental health or drug problems into treatment programmes.
• Introducing payment-by-results so that independent providers would be rewarded for reducing reoffending.
• Simplifying the sentencing framework by giving judges greater discretionary powers and restricting the use of indeterminate sentences.
• Giving local people a more central role in the criminal justice system.
Source: Breaking the Cycle: Effective punishment, rehabilitation and sentencing of offenders, Cm 7972, Ministry of Justice/TSO
Links: Green Paper | Hansard | Evidence report | Impact assessment | Equality impact assessment | MOJ press release | Conservative Party press release | Addaction press release | Bar Council press release | CBI press release | Childrens Society press release | Church of England press release | CMH press release | DrugScope press release | JUSTICE press release | PRT press release | Rethink press release | Turning Point press release | YJB press release | Morning Star report | Law Gazette report | Community Care report | Guardian report | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2010-Dec
A briefing paper said that the government's promise of a 'rehabilitation revolution' depended on prisons and probation services building better links with local employers and placing offenders into real jobs. It set out five elements of effective practice in securing employment for offenders.
Source: Beyond the Gate: Securing employment for offenders with mental health problems, Centre for Mental Health
Links: Paper | CMH press release
Date: 2010-Nov
A report said that the exclusion of former offenders from access to financial services such as bank accounts, insurance, and affordable credit was undermining their attempts at rehabilitation.
Source: Chris Bath and Kimmett Edgar, Time is Money: Financial responsibility after prison, UNLOCK/Prison Reform Trust
Links: Report | UNLOCK press release
Date: 2010-Oct
A report examined the role of the third sector in work with offenders. Although the involvement of the third sector in the criminal justice system was promoted in national policy, considerable gaps had been identified. These included the quality and availability of regional commissioning, implementation strategies, and the long-term plans for the respecification of the criminal justice system. The increasing emphasis on competitive policy might put a strain on future inter-sector partnerships.
Source: Rosie Meek, Dina Gojkovic and Alice Mills, The Role of the Third Sector in Work with Offenders: The perceptions of criminal justice and third sector stakeholders, Working Paper 34, Third Sector Research Centre
Date: 2010-May
A new book examined the role of rehabilitation within an effective response to crime.
Source: Philip Priestley and Maurice Vanstone (eds.), Offenders or Citizens? Readings in rehabilitation, Willan Publishing
Links: Summary
Date: 2010-May
A new book examined ways in which society could offer effective rehabilitation opportunities to those who offended. It presented a selection of readings on the subject by theorists and practitioners from a variety of realms such as philosophy, psychology, sociology and anthropology, social work, and law.
Source: Philip Priestley and Maurice Vanstone (eds.), Offenders or Citizens? Readings in rehabilitation, Willan Publishing
Links: Summary
Date: 2010-Mar
An audit report said that more could be done to rehabilitate prisoners serving short sentences, and to reduce their risk of reoffending. The National Offender Management Service had little information on the quality, cost, or effectiveness of its rehabilitation activities.
Source: Managing Offenders on Short Custodial Sentences, HC 431 (Session 2009-10), National Audit Office/TSO
Links: Report | NAO press release | Guardian report | BBC report | New Start report | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2010-Mar
The government announced a pilot scheme (starting in summer 2010) under which short-term prisoners would receive intensive interventions, from third sector providers, aimed at cutting reoffending. Funding would come from the 'social impact bond', under which the government would pay investors a return linked to performance. If reoffending were not reduced by at least 7.5 per cent the investors would receive no recompense.
Source: Press release 18 March 2010, Ministry of Justice
Links: MOJ press release | Guardian report | Charity Times report | News report
Date: 2010-Mar
A new book examined creative alternative approaches to reducing reoffending and social exclusion. It said that it might be unhelpful to think of probation service users as 'offenders', and socially excluded people as 'problems' to be managed and treated. Examples of alternative approaches included: working separately with women, black and minority-ethnic groups, with local community-focused projects, and with nature and conservation programmes.
Source: Jo Brayford, Francis Cowe and John Deering (eds.), What Else Works? Creative work with offenders, Willan Publishing
Links: Summary
Date: 2010-Feb
A report called for a new approach to monitoring and tackling inequality in skills training provision – focusing on black and minority-ethnic learners, offenders, and people with disabilities.
Source: Doing Things Differently: Step changes in skills & inclusion, National Skills Forum
Links: Report | NSF press release | New Start report | Guardian report | Children & Young People Now report | People Management report
Date: 2010-Feb