Innovative charity working to prevent sex offending wins prisoner rehabilitation award

The awards will be presented to the winners by Lady Corbett at a meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Penal Affairs Group in the Houses of Parliament on Wednesday 4 March 2015.

This annual award for outstanding rehabilitative work with prisoners by a small charity or community group, working in partnership with prison staff, was set up in the memory of Lord Corbett, the respected for chairman of the Home Affairs Committee in Westminster. For ten years, until his death in February 2012, Robin Corbett also chaired the All Party Parliamentary Penal Affairs Group, to which the Prison Reform Trust provides the secretariat.

The emphasis of the award, kindly supported by the Worshipful Company of Weavers, is on work that fosters personal responsibility and which calls on people in prison, and ex-offenders, to take responsibility to help themselves and to help others.

The first prize winner, the Safer Living Foundation, is a unique collaboration between HMP Whatton, National Probation Trust (East Midlands), Nottingham Police, Nottingham Trent University, Age UK and Circles UK.

The Foundation works with adult men with an intellectual disability, those who are elderly and those who have little or no social support. These groups often have complex needs but find it hard to access services in the community and are at particular risk of reoffending on release.

Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA) is one of the charity’s initiatives and is a proven model for working with sex offenders which has delivered an impressive 85% reduction in sexual offending.

Each ‘circle of support’ comprises four to six volunteers drawn from the local community under professional supervision. The circle provides guidance and support to a single offender whilst holding them accountable for their behaviour.

Uniquely at HMP Whatton, the circle begins six months before a prisoner is released, thus helping to bridge the gap between custody and release. Systematic arrangements for sustained monitoring and support are established in the prison and continue on to approved premises and beyond. The circle works in close collaboration with the police and probation services and contributes to the safe management and supervision of offenders in the community.

The second prize winner, Changing Paths Charitable Trust, was set up at HMP/YOI Rochester in 2009 with funding from Wates Giving funded by the Wates Family Enterprise Trust and has now placed nearly 400 offenders from across the south east and London into purposeful employment in construction, retail and catering. They have supported over 500 people get their CSCS cards and over 250 beneficiaries have carried out 5,000 work experience days.

‘Liberty Stone Works’ is a Division of CPCT that specialises in producing stone carved garden features, house signs, memorial stones, plaques and sculptures from natural stone. The main workshop is in HMP Rochester with another workshop located outside the prison walls, which authorised prisoners are able to work in on release on temporary licence (ROTL). As well as passion for stonemasonry, Liberty Stone Works offers ex-offenders a path to becoming skilled craftsmen, gaining valuable qualifications that can lead to sustainable employment and the opportunity to learn a life time skill.

Changing Paths employ their own staff, with the assistance of trained offenders, to provide catering for the prisoners’ visitors centre. Building on their prison catering experience ‘Liberty Catering’ has been developed as a Division of CPCT that specialises in providing catering services within corporate settings including the Head Offices of Thames Water in Paddington. The charity has successfully placed former offenders with catering companies in London and established links with large employers such as Prêt a manger to help them gain work in the food industry.

Commenting, Lynn Saunders, Governor of HMP Whatton, said:

“The Safer Living Foundation is an innovative charity which works to reduce reoffending and prevent people becoming victims of sexual harm. It is difficult and challenging work, but at the same time immensely rewarding. I am delighted that the important work of the charity and the dedication and commitment of our volunteers and staff has been recognised by this award.”

Andy Hudson, Governor, HMP & YOI Rochester, said:

“Changing Paths is a small charity with a big vision to provide bespoke employment that fits the skill gaps in the south east. I have seen for myself the positive change it can make, with many offenders who have engaged in the stone masonry and construction training achieving vocational qualifications and some finding sustainable work for the first time. The award is a tribute to them and the hard work and commitment of our staff team”

Chair of the Judges, Lady Corbett, said:

“In a strong year of nominations, the judges were unanimous in their decision to award the Safer Living Foundation and Changing Paths first and second prize. Both charities are outstanding examples of what can be achieved by a small and dedicated team to enable people in prison to take responsibility and lead a law abiding life.”

Juliet Lyon, Director of the Prison Reform Trust, said:

“In a bleak prison landscape it’s good to see people doing time rather than wasting time. Gaining skills and confidence and putting a sentence to good use has got to be a better way to reduce reoffending than long hours spent behind bars.”