Reducing Reoffending
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Warwickshire Probation Trust strives to reduce reoffending by working with offenders to change their behaviour and addressing the issues that may lead them to reoffend. This work is delivered under seven pathways :-
Education, Training and Employment
Attitudes, Thinking and Behaviour
Reducing reoffending cannot be the responsibility of one agency alone. Warwickshire Probation Trust has local partnerships in place with key agencies, including the learning and skills council , Jobcentre Plus, Drug Action Teams, Primary Care Trusts, Youth Offending Teams, etc.
National Reducing Reoffending Action Plan (PDF)
PATHWAY 1 : Accommodation
Having somewhere to live and appropriate support helps offenders live more stable lives and to access support. The number of offenders leaving prison without anywhere to live has been cut by a third since April 2004.
PATHWAY 2 : Education, Training and Employment
Offenders often do not have the basic skills necessary to find and keep a job. The number of basic skills qualifications gained by offenders has increased more than ten-fold in two years. More than 10% of adults who gain basic skills qualifications are doing so from prison.
Nationally there has been a 40% increase in the number of offenders leaving prison with a job to go to.
PATHWAY 3 : Health
People within the criminal justice system often have problems gaining access to health and social care.
Prmary Care Trusts have taken on responsibility for healthcare in the majority of prisons. 300 specialist places for people suffering from dangerous and severe personality disorder have been established.
PATHWAY 4 : Drugs and Alcohol
Substance misuse is strongly associated with offending, with one survey showing around two thirds of arrestees testing positive for drugs.
The introduction of the Drug Interventions Programme is ensuring that there is early intervention, continuity of care for offenders under sentence, and support after sentence.
PATHWAY 5 : Finance, Benefit and Debt
Ex-offenders can face particular financial problems, including access to benefits. Our aim is to ensure that there is an early assessment of financial problems so that offenders have access to financial and advice services that will help them to acquire the skills to manage their own finances.
PATHWAY 6 : Children and Families
Offenders’ families can be affected by the offender’s behaviour and punishment, but can also be a source of support and stability.
Our aim is to strengthen family ties, support children and families and reduce reoffending, by providing support such as parenting skills training, improving families’ ability to keep in contact with and visit prisoners, provide information on mainstream services and to develop local community family support and advice services.
PATHWAY 7 : Attitudes, Thinking and Behaviour
Nationally, Probation Trusts run 40 different independently accredited cognitive skills programmes for offenders. These include general offending behaviour programmes and more specialist interventions including programmes for sexual and violent offenders, and substance abuse treatment programmes.