Regional Reducing Re-offending Action Plan
North West October 2005
24 October 2005
Regional Reducing Re-offending Action Plan
North West
Contents Contents
1
Foreword
2
Introduction
3
Principles
4
Aims
4
Partnerships and Commitments
5
Stages of Resettlement and Rehabilitation
5
Information about offenders in the North West
6
Key developments and practices
6
Action Pathways
7
Action 2. Employment, Learning and Skills
12
Action 3. Physical and Mental Health
15
Action 4. Drugs and Alcohol
19
Action 5. Finance
22
Action 6. Children, Families and Community Support
25
Action 7. Attitudes, thinking and behaviour
27
Action 8. Victims of Crime: Individuals and the Community
30
Framework for Reducing Re-offending
33
Glossary of Terms
36
National Offender Management Service, Prison and Probation Service Contacts
39
Prison Establishments in the North West
39
Internet links
40
1
Regional Reducing Re-offending Action Plan
North West
Foreword The publication of the North West Reducing Re-offending Action Plan is a significant milestone in developing partnerships which achieve the rehabilitation and resettlement of offenders, and reduce re-offending across the region. It will provide a foundation for the development of the National Offender Management Service in the region, and contribute to the falling crime rates in the North West. It will benefit local communities by making them safer and aid regeneration in the region. There is a need to focus on the key factors which we know have an impact on reducing reoffending, and provide better outcomes for offenders and the community. These include access to housing, learning and skills leading towards employment, drug and alcohol treatment, and social support including provisions for children and families. It is vital that all organisations work together to provide a co-ordinated and integrated response both to those offenders serving custodial sentences, and those serving sentences in the community. Under the 8 pathways the plan sets out over 100 actions for government departments, statutory agencies and the voluntary and community sector. The North West plan has an additional pathway to those in the National Plan, that of Victims of Crime. This acknowledges the impact of crime on individuals and the community and the need for them to be protected; the importance of offenders “paying back� to the community by reparation; and the vital role of volunteers and mentors in the re- integration of offenders. The implementation of the Reducing Re-offending Action Plan by agencies working collaboratively will make a real difference to offenders and communities. It will support the effective rehabilitation of offenders, reduce re-offending and improve the quality of life for communities across the North West of England.
Liz Hill, Regional Offender Manager, North West
2
Regional Reducing Re-offending Action Plan
Introduction This Action Plan sets out the regional response to the Home Office National Reducing Reoffending Action Plan that was published in 2004. In defining the North West’s approach, the action plan builds on strong and proactive partnership working that has been established through the region’s work on the resettlement of prisoners and management of offenders in the community. The National Action Plan is the national response to the Social Exclusion Unit’s report on the resettlement of ex-prisoners (2002) and provides a policy framework and supporting actions for regional plans such as this. Since the publication of the Social Exclusion Unit’s report on the resettlement of ex-prisoners in 2002, a great deal has changed in this field of work. At a national level, the Street Crime Initiative and the introduction of the MultiAgency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) have required agencies and organisations to work closely together at a local level to solve problems created by specific kinds of offending. These initiatives have been seen to bring about improved working practices, information sharing and creative problemsolving and have been largely successful in managing dangerous offenders and reducing levels of crime. Most significantly, the enactment of the Criminal Justice Act (2003) and the formation of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) will result in all offenders being supervised in the community after serving prison sentences. Sentences will be directly linked to interventions that specifically target aspects of risk and levels of intervention will be specified to direct resources and reduce reoffending. These are major changes in the way the Criminal Justice system operates and provide a foundation for other service providers, community stakeholders, families and individuals to influence the lives of offenders and reduce their involvement on further crimes.
North West
stakeholders, 1 April 2004). Again the need for co-ordinated approaches between key agencies is identified as crucial in delivering results with Local Criminal Justice Boards providing frameworks for Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRP’s) to identify local priority offending and offenders. The lead agencies in devising and leading the three PPO themes (Police, Probation Service, Prison Service and Youth Justice Board) have co-operated with CDRP’S to create an integrated response to the problems of managing this small proportion of offenders and to prevent others from developing similar lifestyles. This Action Plan is designed to provide an overarching framework and a set of regional actions that support and facilitate local delivery. Whilst it originates from the responsibilities of the National Offender Management Service and its delivery agencies, it is designed to enable partners to give commitments to deliver aspects of the plan and to take responsibility for influencing methods of delivery. Specifically, the role of Local Government in directing and commissioning local services will be vital in ensuring that the Action Plan is able to be delivered and is successful in driving down levels of re-offending. As pointed out by the Local Government Association’s ‘Going Straight’ report; ‘reducing re-offending cannot be left to the CJS alone – it is a matter of social policy in which local authorities and their partners have a direct interest.’ (p.14) The Action Plan recognises the complexity of management and communication arrangements for work with offenders as regional, area and local organisations and partnerships have direct interests in the reduction of levels of crime, the administration of criminal justice and the facilitating of social inclusion. The Action Plan sets out those factors that are likely to affect reoffending and provides all agencies and providers with a summary of current services, and a coordinated plan at a regional level. Lead partners are identified to facilitate delivery against specific actions. The aims specified here can only be delivered by local agencies and partnerships.
Also recently, the Government’s Priority and Prolific Offender Initiative (PPO) focuses on the ‘relatively small number of people [who] cause a disproportionate amount of crime, disorder and mayhem in our communities, damaging people’s confidence and increasing feelings of unease and the fear of crime.’ (letter to PPO
3
Regional Reducing Re-offending Action Plan
Principles The Action Plan has been developed in partnerships based on shared practice principles and policies. The key principles underlying the plan are published in order to make explicit the themes that drive specific actions, and to provide a management guide for decision-making on specific future actions and revisions of the Action Plan. It is anticipated that the actions listed in the document are dynamic and should be responsive to changes in provision, successful implementation and shared good practice, and other factors such as resource decisions and new policies. The principles listed here are anticipated to be fundamental to the delivery of reduced reoffending. 1. A commitment to basing practice on
North West •
The Action Plan will also recognise the diversity of needs and of cultural, personal, spiritual and social contexts. It will support action to address the needs of women, black and minority ethnic prisoners, and children.
4. Continual improvement •
The Action Plan will identify long-term aims and improvement objectives and quality standards will be applied.
5. Behaviour Change •
Offenders will be required to change their behaviour. Changes are expected to be observable, sustained and self-supporting.
6. Value for money • The Action Plan emphasises the need to demonstrate efficient use of resources, improved efficiency and co-ordination, and over-all effectiveness in returning defined outcomes.
evidence • By direct reference to existing research evidence on outcomes and effectiveness, by evaluating new initiatives using sound methodology and independent scrutiny or by using approaches endorsed by accreditation. • Evidence of reducing risk and meeting needs that are related to crime will be prioritised.
2. Protecting the public • Ensuring that prisoners are held in appropriate accommodation for the level of risk they pose. Offenders will be appropriately managed in the community, addressing the level of risk they pose. • Ensuring that risk is assessed appropriately and relevant information communicated in order to manage it.
•
Ensuring that risks are managed in all cases in accordance with statutory, multi-agency arrangements and that appropriate enforcement action is taken when required.
3. Improving opportunities to address a wide range of needs • The Action Plan will form a commitment to ensure services are integrated and co-ordinated at a regional level, recognising that co-ordination is equally needed at other levels (national, criminal justice area and local).
Aims To reduce re-offending, and through this to reduce the risk of harm to victims, communities and vulnerable groups, and to contribute to an overall reduction in the level of crime committed. To deliver a co-ordinated and integrated response to the resettlement and rehabilitation of offenders By pursuing these aims, to contribute to the building of safer communities and the regeneration of the region. This Action Plan will contribute to the over-all aims of the Criminal Justice System to prevent reoffending and protect the public. Specifically, it will enable Prison and Probation Services to achieve the shared target of reducing reoffending by 5% (Home Office Aim 4). Effective delivery of rehabilitation will reduce the fear of crime within our communities. The Action Plan relies upon the contribution of all agencies and organisations involved in the management of offenders and providing them with services to achieve effective outcomes. This includes voluntary and community sector organisations that are vital in ensuring offenders
4
Regional Reducing Re-offending Action Plan are reintegrated into communities and private sector providers of various services. As housing, employment, learning and health improvements have all been central elements of community regeneration at a national level, the rehabilitation of offenders is put forward as an essential component at a regional level. Offenders represent a considerable challenge to communities and a shared understanding and approach will be required to modify offending behaviour and reduce levels of crime. Reduced re-offending will only be achieved by aligning the efforts of key agencies and achieving co-ordination between national, regional, area and local policies and practices. This strategy aims to facilitate this linkage by documenting the commitments of services in the North West and defining progress through communication and consultation with partners and stakeholders. New initiatives that share aims of reducing reoffending, tackling drug abuse and prolific offending will be integrated with this strategy.
Partnerships and Commitments The Regional Action Plan sets out the actions that will facilitate the local delivery of reduced re-offending. The plan requires the co-operation and active ownership of a wide range of partners and stakeholders, and as such, requires a high degree of commitment at the outset.
Stages of Resettlement and Rehabilitation The Action Plan recognises that the opportunities to influence the behaviour of an offender and to solve problems in their lives that will affect offending exist before during and after the time spent serving the sentence. Each of the regional action pathways is designed to explain the services available before, during and after sentence and to further subdivide these times to link with stages of sentences.
North West
For all offenders, the time before sentence, whether on remand in custody or on bail in the community will be important for agencies to assess the individual and to collate information that will be used to make decisions about interventions that are available. In the new structure of NOMS, this information will enable an Offender Manager to formulate a Sentence Plan that builds on risk assessment information (OASys for adults, ASSET for juvenile offenders) and prescribes relevant interventions quickly after sentence. The new sentences of the Criminal Justice Act (2003) ensure that community sentences will be defined according to a ‘menu’ of options available to the courts and will include consideration of elements that will contribute to reducing reoffending. In serving community sentences, offenders will be required to make amends for their actions and to engage in work that will reduce future offending. In terms of prison sentences, the implementation of ‘Custody Plus’ and the removal of short prison sentences without post-release supervision will mean that all offenders sentenced to time in prison will have licence conditions after release and will receive supervision. This will enable interventions that have begun in the prison to continue and be completed in the community. This high degree of continuity is designed to break the traditional disjunction experienced in release from prison and will become a feature of new services for offenders. For example, educational opportunities that an offender can access in prison will be linked directly to those available in the community through the implementation of the Offenders Learning Journey by the Learning and Skills Council. At the end of the period of the sentence imposed by the court, there has been a further recognisable division as ‘mainstream’ services are accessed. This action plan asks agencies providing services for all socially excluded groups to recognise the need to provide continuity if risks of re-offending are not to re-emerge. The role of Local Government in demonstrating leadership and considering the risks for ex-offenders is paramount in delivering this aspect of the plan.
5
Regional Reducing Re-offending Action Plan
Information about offenders in the North West This section of the Action Plan will set out key facts about offenders in the North West and some of the aspects of risk that are emerging from the data available from the Offender Assessment System (OASys).
Prison Population
North West
•
Over 26,000 offenders commenced community sentences supervised by the probation service during 2004.
•
Nearly 12,000 offenders were subject to supervision on post-release licence at the end of 2004; over 7,000 new licences had started during that year.
•
Over 2,500 offenders were identified as having accommodation needs relevant to their offending during 2004.
•
Over 4,000 offenders were identified as having education, training and employment needs during 2004
•
There are 11,000 prisoners in the sixteen North West prisons at any one time
•
•
Approximately 33% of women and 14% of male prisoners in the North West prisons are from outside the region.
Over 2,000 offenders were identified as having drug problems linked to their offending and over 3000 offenders as having alcohol problems; about 2500 had both.
•
Over 4,000 offenders were identified as having shortfalls in their thinking skills linked to their offending during the year.
•
The average age of all prisoners is 31 years with most being aged between 22 and 30 years. The youngest male prisoner is 15 years old and the youngest female is 18 years. The oldest male is 81 and the oldest female prisoner is 62.
•
The majority of prisoners (90%) describe themselves as White-British, with around 6% describing themselves as Black and 4% of prisoners from Asian backgrounds.
•
The most common offences are violent offending, approximately one fifth of men and one sixth of women prisoners have this offence type. Drugs offences and theft offences account for approximately 15% each of all offences.
•
North West prisons release 14,000 prisoners on average each year. Most of these prisoners serve short sentences; o o
Almost 20% of all prisoners in the area are serving sentences of under 2 months. Each month approximately 10% of the sentenced prisoners in the area are released and within nine months 50% of the current population will have been released.
Offenders supervised by the Probation Service in the North West:
Key developments and practices Since the publication of the Prisoner Resettlement Strategy for the North West in 2003, a vast array of partnership arrangements have emerged to drive forward new initiatives and improve outcomes. •
At a regional level, the Prison and Probation Services have implemented the new Offender Assessment system and will soon be able to share reports through the I.T. networks.
•
Building on this achievement, the North West is now implementing new case management arrangements for young adult offenders in custody and all offenders in the community as a pathfinder programme for the National Offender Management Service.
•
The North West is one of three regions testing new arrangements for Learning and Skills provision for offenders starting in August 2005.
•
The implementation of the Jigsaw project in the North West is widely regarded as a forerunner of the PPO scheme now operating
6
Regional Reducing Re-offending Action Plan nationally. Jigsaw has ensured that prolific young offenders are identified and targeted for relevant interventions as a direct approach to reducing their risk of reoffending. •
The ‘Step On’ project for men sentenced to short prison terms in Manchester and Liverpool has provided vital lessons in working with this vulnerable group. The approach of providing advocacy alongside skill development and a ‘handover’ approach at the point of release from prison has proved an effective approach to reintegrating offenders in the community.
•
The High Intensity Training Programme for young adult offenders at HMYOI Thorn Cross has been in operation for some seven years, but recent research has demonstrated its effectiveness in reducing re-offending. There is a great deal to be learned from this programme, which features intensive work on learning and skill development, social skills training and a graduated release programme.
•
Across the North West, Local Criminal Justice Boards and Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships have built upon the successful communications and coordination arrangements for the Street Crime Initiative and developed proactive PPO schemes.
•
•
At a local level, the engagement of local authorities and police forces with the resettlement agenda have enabled local schemes to develop that bring together local services to focus on offenders and their needs. In Manchester, Salford and Liverpool, as well as a wider partnership approach across Cheshire, there are examples of local strategies that are delivering directly on this agenda. Drugs play a major part in driving crime in the region. The development of services by DATs and the provision of services in prisons and the community are directly focussed on this key issue. By taking forward pilot work for the Drugs Intervention Programme (D.I.P.) the North West is in a strong position to learn from improved case management and direct access to integrated services.
North West
•
Co-operation and co-ordination between Government offices has ensured that the momentum has continued in the region. The Government Office of the Region has continued to sponsor key work and recent engagement with the North West Development Agency ensures that crime and its reduction is recognised in strategic development work across the region.
•
In the community, the Drugs Treatment and Testing Order (DTTO) have been seen to have a marked impact on re-offending amongst drugs using offenders. (DRRs)
•
Finally, programmes and interventions that tackle re-offending issues have grown at all levels. The Prison Service successfully bid for ESF Objective 3 funds to expand the PS Plus programme and is now working with the Probation Service and partners to extend into the community. In Liverpool, support from ESF Objective 1 funds resettlement work for Merseyside offenders through the ‘Friendly Face’ project. The ESF EQUAL fund is supporting the further development of research work that is now addressing the specific resettlement needs of Black and minority ethnic offenders, women and highrisk offenders.
Action Pathways The eight action pathways are: Accommodation
Employment, Learning and Skills
Physical and Mental Health
Drugs and alcohol
Finance
Children, families and social support
Attitudes, thinking and behaviour
Victims of crime and the community
The first seven of these pathways are taken from the National Action Plan template, with the eighth (Victims of crime and the community) added from the North West Prisoner Resettlement Strategy. This pathway recognises the importance of considering the victim’s perspective in developing solutions to reduce re-offending and to enable offenders to repair and restore relationships with the community. This aspect of the Action Plan is designed to be integrated with the National
7
Regional Reducing Re-offending Action Plan
North West
Offender Management Service’s ‘Communities and Civil Renewal Strategy’. Each pathway is documented using a template with the following components: • •
• •
•
•
• • •
A statement of the aim of the pathway in contributing to the reduction of re-offending A description of the services and interventions that are applicable at the stages of sentence, with a differentiation between prison and community sentences. This describes existing provision and policies. Existing business drivers and targets. Diversity – a statement reflecting the diversity of needs being exhibited by offenders and the factors that will be considered to improve social inclusion. Regional Actions – specifying lead agencies and target dates for completion. Lead agencies are unlikely to be the sole deliverers of services but take a leadership role and represent others where necessary. Regional actions are highlighted in the text by appearing in tables with turquoise backgrounds. Monitoring, research and evaluation – in order to improve learning from practice, consideration of research issues and commissioning arrangements. References to other pathways where actions will facilitate delivery in both or coordination may be required. Key agencies and partnerships involved and, where relevant. A partnership map for the pathway, listing key partners and describing their relationship.
8
Regional Reducing Re-offending Action Plan
North West
Action 1. Accommodation Ensuring that offenders are housed in suitable accommodation on release from prison or whilst serving community sentences. Enabling offenders to take responsibility for playing their part in keeping their homes. Homelessness or being housed in unsuitable accommodation represents a primary risk for ex-offenders.
Stages of process and provision Before sentence Prison and Probation Services ensure that risks are assessed and recorded before sentence. Housing providers will be notified where the offender is remanded in custody. Prison sentence Community sentence Into custody Prison induction programmes ensure that tenancies are Provision of NPS approved premises in line either closed or maintained as appropriate. with targeting strategy for this provision; regional referral and ‘bolt-hole’ arrangements Advice and guidance on housing benefits, tenancies and rent arrears is available to all new arrivals. Access to supported provision through local Supporting People arrangements including Voluntary and Community Sector organisations During time in custody Advice and guidance including referral. Accommodation support is provided by National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders (NACRO) in twelve of the North West’s prisons through the PS Plus programme. Peer led housing advice schemes are available in some prisons
Access to mainstream housing provision through Registered Social Landlords and the private sector. Access to community-based housing advice services
Signposting to service providers and agencies, including support from Connexions Personal Advisors in Young Offender Institutions and the community. Emergency arrangements on release where necessary. Notification of necessary risk management information to housing providers. On licence in the community Use of National Probation Service (NPS) Approved premises After licence expires or supervision ends Maintaining tenancies Access to advice and guidance
Performance targets and outcomes • •
HM Prison Service Business Planning targets: At least 77% of prisoners on release into accommodation National Probation Service: Proportion of offenders in settled accommodation at end of supervision compared to commencement
Diversity Detailed research work is needed to enable agencies to understand the housing needs of specific groups of offenders including women, black and minority ethnic people and disabled individuals.
9
Regional Reducing Re-offending Action Plan
North West
Further dialogue is needed to ensure that the expectations of providers and clients are recognised and accommodated. A minority of offenders will be managed under special arrangements for public protection purposes. These arrangements will be shared with housing providers.
Regional actions Actions 1. Engage with existing structures working on regional accommodation, housing and ‘Supporting People’ forums, and establish a strategic approach to housing offenders and ex-offenders. 2. Facilitate a regional workshop for all relevant partners including Government Office for the North West, the Housing Corporation, Local Authority representatives, Registered Social Landlords, and Regional Housing Boards. The key objective is to agree a strategic approach to partnership working at the regional level. 3. Publish an explanatory document with regard to managing risk in the Prison and Probation Services for all key stakeholders and partners.
Lead agency
Regional Offender Manager /HM Prison Service and National Probation Service HM Prison Service and National Probation Service
Regional Offender Manager / HM Prison
Timescale 2005/06
2005
2005/06
Service and National Probation Service
Key issues for consideration in developing this pathway: 1.
Need to develop a common understanding of risk between agencies and how it relates to people and communities
2.
Build a strategic process during custody that addresses accommodation need at the earliest opportunity that will inform the next stages and coordinate in-reach work into prisons
3.
Examples of good practice should be incorporated into the regional plan.
4.
Develop accommodation-mentoring projects for those leaving custody.
5.
Identify further cost effective ways of providing accommodation for ex-offenders.
6.
Explore and develop funding streams for accommodation initiatives
7.
Develop accommodation Service Level Agreements between Registered Social Landlords, Local Authorities and NOMS agencies.
8.
Establish information sharing agreements as necessary.
9.
Establish a strategy for research and evaluation, including commissioning and resources.
10.
Further develop and implement peer-led housing advice schemes with appropriate support.
10
Regional Reducing Re-offending Action Plan
North West
Monitoring, Research and Evaluation Research is required to ascertain the effectiveness of services and to identify good practice in housing exoffenders appropriately. Sustainability and risk management are key aspects of this question.
Reference to other actions • • • •
Action 5. Finance Action 6. Children, Family and Social Support Action 8. Victims of Crime: Individuals and the Community Maintain statistics on offender accommodation needs via OASyS regional data
Key agencies and partnerships • • • •
Housing Corporation Registered Social Landlords and private housing providers Local Authorities Advice, Information and Guidance organisations and services
Action 1. Partnership Map Regional
Housing Corporation Government Office of the Region Regional Housing Board Voluntary and Community Sector/ NACRO National Probation Service HM Prison Service incl. the PS Plus programme Youth Justice Board MAPPA Regional Coordinating Group Connexions Legal Services Commission
Criminal Justice Area
National Probation Service Approved Premises MAPPA Strategic Management Boards
Local
Supporting People Local Authorities Registered Social Landlords Private sector landlords Voluntary and Community Sector/ NACRO Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships Prison establishments Youth Offending Teams MAPPA Panels and local delivery arrangements
11
Regional Reducing Re-offending Action Plan
North West
Action 2. Employment, Learning and Skills Enabling offenders to enter or continue employment, training and education and to establish legitimate earning capacity and self-support. Enabling offenders to develop skills, learning and accreditation to apply to everyday living and to provide evidence to assist entry into suitable employment. Sustained reduction of reduced re-offending will require self-sufficiency through employment.
Stages of process and provision Before sentence Probation Services will ensure that risks are assessed and recorded before sentence where a presentence report (PSR) is compiled. Employers and training providers will be notified where the offender is remanded in custody. Prison sentence Community sentence Into custody Prison induction programmes ensure that literacy, Skills for Life screening and assessment as numeracy, language and dyslexia screening is required for all offenders completed and recorded on Individual Learning Plans (ILPs) and OASys/ Sentence Management Initiatives to improve retention of learners who documentation. lack motivation on Skills for Life courses in some areas e.g. Lancashire Volunteer An Individual Learning Plan (ILP) is established, agreed Mentoring Scheme, Cumbria Support Officer and implemented. Scheme. During time in custody Information, advice and guidance (IAG) The ILP is negotiated and agreed with the learner and available to offenders in the community. implemented through the training, learning and skills provision in line with Sentence Management targets Some Probation Areas are exploring the (where applicable). development of employer linking strategies utilising the NIACRO (Northern Ireland Progress is documented and the Progress File is established in line with the Offender’s Learning Journey Association for the Care & Resettlement of Offenders) model. specification. Information, advice and guidance and employment advice is offered with opportunities to apply for vacancies prior to release. Reduce barriers to employment through interventions including PS Plus 2. Support and guidance for young people provided by Connexions.
Referral of offenders into Job Centre Plus guidance and placement services. Consistent provision under specific activity requirement of community orders.
Release on temporary licence, where appropriate to facilitate learning and employment in the community in preparation for release. On licence in the community ILP transferred and continued Portfolio of achievement maintained by the offender After licence expires Mainstream training and education provision Sustained employment
Performance targets and outcomes • • •
HM Prison Service Business Planning targets: At least 40% prisoners on release into employment, training or education. Classroom efficiency target for offenders attending Learning and Skills and the management of interruptions. National Probation Service: targets for basic skills commencements and awards. Indicative targets for offenders into employment. Learning and Skills Council: Targets for attainment outcomes (from August 2005)
12
Regional Reducing Re-offending Action Plan
North West
Diversity As well as providing opportunities to enter and stay in employment, training and education, every effort should be made to address the issues of ‘hard to reach’ groups. Opportunities should be offered with due attention to relevant facts and not on the basis of irrelevant information. The ESF EQUAL ‘IMPACT’ project is researching the specific needs of women, black and minority ethnic offenders, and men convicted of sexual offences. High risk and persistent offenders’ case management will be informed by public protection and priority offender schemes’ arrangements.
Regional actions Actions 1. Procure and implement coordinated learning and skills provision in prisons and community (‘Offender Learning and Skills Service’; OLASS) in line with the ‘Offender’s Learning Journey’ document. Progress agreed prototypes and wider implementation. 2. Evaluate progress of the regional OLASS prototypes in order to inform the development of the service 3. Review regional NPS/Job Centre Plus framework. 4. Implement ‘Individual Learning Plan’ and ‘Portfolio of Achievement’ for all offenders in learning. To include information sharing and data protection measures. 5. Regional employer engagement strategy to include:• Regular conferences and information sharing events • Standard information on risk management provided to employers • Establish equality of opportunity through employers charter • Publish case studies of successful employment links 6. Develop and maintain a database of sectors with employee shortages in the region for publication to HM Prison Service Heads of Resettlement, and Heads of Learning and Skills and National Probation Service ETE lead managers. 7. Enable prisoners to attend relevant interventions through population management, sentence management arrangements and regime development 8. Develop and publish guidelines and support for employment mentoring projects. Assess the feasibility of publishing shared standards for mentoring. 9. Develop flexible training packages for offenders including job taster sessions 10. Ensure links between employment opportunities and training in prisons and the community, and regional skills shortages, including close liaison with Sector Skills Councils 11. Evaluate progress and effectiveness of the ESF PS Plus programme and share learning. Continue to integrate PS Plus programme with other ETE delivery. 12. Establish effective actions that support young people through points of transition; transfer to adult services and at end of sentence or period in custody. To include mentoring in training/ education contexts.
Lead agency Learning and Skills Council and lead providers
Timescale Commenced new service: August 2005
LSC
2005/06
National Probation Service Learning and Skills Council and Connexions
2005
Regional Offender Manager
2005
January 2006
HM Prison Service National Probation Service Job Centre Plus Chambers of Commerce/ Learning and Skills Council
2005/06
National Offender Management Service delivery agencies Voluntary and Community Sector lead New Deal pilots
2005/06
National Probation Service (ETE Regional Coordinating Group) HM Prison Service/ PS Plus
2005/06
Youth Justice Board
2005/06
2005/06 2005/06
2005/06
13
Regional Reducing Re-offending Action Plan
North West
Research and Evaluation The implementation of the Offender Learning and Skills Service (OLASS) includes evaluation and learning workstreams. These will be published in line with the OLASS project plan. The North West is one of three Development Regions for this project along with the North East and the South West. Learning from all three will help to inform national implementation in 2006. The IMPACT partnership project, funded by the European Social Fund, ‘EQUAL’ is researching, developing and testing practice with regard to prisoner resettlement. It’s projects include the employment needs of ‘hard to reach’ offender sub-groups including women, black and minority ethnic offenders and people convicted of sexual offences. The IMPACT project is also providing research outcomes in relation to work with employers and other stakeholders. Among the contributions of this project, is extensive consultation with offenders, gathering information about their views of the effects of interventions and help programmes. Further research is required to establish improved transition from youth services to adult provision.
Reference to other actions • Action 5. Finance Key agencies and partnerships Job Centre Plus
Connexions
Employers
Trades Unions
Learning and Skills Council
Chambers of Commerce
North West Development Agency
Voluntary and Community Sector providers
Other training providers
Offenders ‘Learning and Skills Service (OLASS) providers, partners and subcontractors
Advice, Information and Guidance organisations and services HM Prison Service
Sector Skills Councils National Probation Service
(Including IMPACT/ PS Plus projects) The Criminal Justice Research Centre. (University of Manchester) Youth Justice Board The Princes Trust
Youth Offending Teams Liverpool Hope University College Legal Services Commission (and delivery partners)
14
Regional Reducing Re-offending Action Plan
North West
Action 3. Physical and Mental Health Ensuring that primary health needs are met, mental health issues are fully assessed and taken into account in managing risk and addressing needs. Encouraging and enabling offenders to establish healthy lifestyles that contribute to employment, learning, leisure activity and social behaviour.
Stages of process and provision Before sentence The Probation Service will ensure that risks are assessed and recorded before sentence taking account of existing information available from all sources; this includes referral to specialist mental health assessments via court based schemes as appropriate. Information relevant to offender management recorded and included in case record. Prison sentence Community sentence Into custody Health assessment on reception and prison induction programmes, specific areas of risk assessed and identified: • Suicide prevention/ self-harm management • Mental health issues including mental illness and personality disorder • Detoxification/ maintenance regimes for specific drugs • Immunisation vaccination During time in custody Further assessment and screening on transfer between prisons Advice and guidance including referral and contribution to self-harm management.
Ensure that all offenders have information and assistance in Registering with a General Practitioner and accessing primary health services Ensure that information is available about the range of community health services and healthy lifestyles/health improvement programmes Referral to specialist services as appropriate Ensure that mental health issues are fully assessed and taken into account in risk management Ensure that offenders who have suffered abuse are referred to appropriate services
Advice offered includes health promotion and positive mental health approaches. Access to primary health services and opportunity for registration with G.P. prior to release. Chronic disease management processes in place Immunisation vaccination programme Discharge and resettlement planning On licence in the community G.P. registration Compliance agreement established from in-reach mental health work Referral to specialist provision After licence expires Access to health services Risk management in the community
Performance targets and outcomes None specified
15
Regional Reducing Re-offending Action Plan
North West
Diversity Access to mental health services will be prioritised where there is risk of self-harm or suicide, or risk of harm to others. Specific aspects of provision for women, young people, disabled, elderly, black and minority ethnic people and gay and lesbian people are considered in health care planning provision and resource planning. This will include ensuring compliance with legal requirements including Disability Discrimination Act.
Regional actions Actions 1. Develop guidance for Healthcare staff in prisons to promote holistic rehabilitation including those with priority housing needs in line with the Reducing Reoffending Action Plan pathways. 2. Ensure strategic engagement so that the mental health needs of offenders are addressed in Regional Health and Mental Health Strategies in order to identify responsibilities, and ensure commissioning of appropriate health services, in line with the National Service Framework for Mental Health. 3. Promote the understanding of offender management and offenders’ health needs with relevant partners in relation to health policy and service delivery. 4. Review and develop prescribing policies particularly with regard to the management of substance abuse problems in line with drugs interventions in prisons and the National Action Plan, and to ensure that released prisoners are prescribed sufficient medication to last until first appointment with a community service.
Lead agency
Timescale
Strategic Health Authority
2005/06
Primary Care Trusts [PCTs] National Institute for Mental Health in England (NIMHE) Care Services Improvement Partnership (CSIP) Regional Prison Health Team
2005 - 2008
Regional Offender Manager / HM Prison Service and National Probation Service
2005/06
Primary Care Trusts National Treatment Agency Regional Prison Health Team Home Office Drugs Intervention Programme Regional Drugs Team
2005/06
5. To implement a researched regional pilot project to work with dangerous offenders who have a severe personality disorder.
National Probation Service. Merseycare NHS Trust. CJ Agencies. Strategic Health Authority Primary Care Trusts HM Prison Service Regional Prison Health Team National Probation Service
Subject to funding. 2005 – 2008
7. Further develop understanding and identification of the health care needs of women. Develop appropriate services in criminal justice settings and in the community, and respond to the NHS Women’s Mental Health Strategy and National Service Framework for the health care of women in custody recommendations. 8. Ensure that PCT Delivery Strategies refer to the health objectives within the reducing Re-offending Action Plan.
Strategic Health Authority Primary Care Trusts Mental Health Trusts HM Prison Service Regional Prison Health Team National Probation Service
2005 - 2008
Primary Care Trusts
2005 - 2008
9. Seek agreement from PCTs and put systems in place to pre-register with a GP prior to release and for those with no fixed accommodation and offenders in the community to provide details of
HM Prison Service National Probation Service Regional Offender Manager
2005/06
6. Develop a regional protocol building on effective existing local protocols to ensure there are processes for sharing and timely transfer of offender’s health care information, particularly focussing on the interfaces with prison health services, and the offender management model.
2005/06
16
Regional Reducing Re-offending Action Plan
North West
NHS drop-in centres and how to register with a GP. 10. Further develop understanding and identification of health care needs of black and minority ethnic offenders, and respond to these by development of appropriate services including NIMHE Delivering Race Equality in Mental Care Initiative.
Primary Care Trusts Regional Prison Health Team HM Prison Service National Probation Service
2005 - 2008
Priority will also be give to the following key health issues which requiring further clarification and promotion of best practice • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
•
Referral systems to community services and provision of mental health reports at PSR stage and development of mental health treatment requirements CJ Act 2003 where appropriate Effective management of cases following bail/remand decisions- Guidelines being developed by Regional Prison Health Team Develop use of OASys health sections so that proper assessments and needs can be shared. Engage with Getting off Invalidity Benefit – Health Employability Programme Engage with NHS Health trainers – focus ion disadvantaged groups Develop potential employment opportunities for ex-offenders within the NHS Review and extend provision to ensure all Magistrates courts, police stations, prisons and probation offices have access to a Court Diversion/ Criminal Justice Liaison Scheme Improve arrangements for the transfer of prisoners with severe mental health problems Consider return to local prison prior to release for offenders with severe mental health needs or long term physical conditions Promotion of the use of a shared care card or patient held record to aid continuity of care including relevant 24 hour help line information Promotion of Care Programme Approach Development of health promotion for offenders in the community Improve arrangements for GP services to offenders in Approved Premises (Probation Hostels) Development of integrated and creative treatment approaches for Dual Diagnosis, or co-morbid mental disorder and substance misuse offenders – DoH /NIHME Mental Health Pathway for Prisons, and Working with Dual Diagnosis Ensure systems in place to prioritise and target services linked with the risk of serious or very serious harm presented by the individual offender, and the need to protect the public - Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA), and the identification of the individual offender as a Prolific and other Priority Offender (PPO). Develop a holistic approach to substance misuse cessation including smoking there are overlaps between alcohol/drugs/tobacco.
Research and Evaluation Understanding of the impact of health issues on re-offending, specifically, mental health, health promotion and substance misuse issues.
Reference to other actions • •
•
Action 1. Accommodation Action 4. Drugs and alcohol Action 7. Attitudes, thinking and behaviour
17
Regional Reducing Re-offending Action Plan
North West
Key agencies and partnerships National Health Service Strategic Health Authorities Mental Health Services
Primary Care Trusts National Institute for Mental Health in England (NIMHE)
Regional Secure Units
Ashworth Maximum Security Hospital
Health Task Force
Care Services Improvement Partnership (CSIP)
Dep Regional Director of Public Health Other organisations and partnerships Advice, Information and Guidance organisations and services
Samaritans
National Probation Service
HM Prison Service
Youth Justice Board
Youth Offending Teams
Local Authorities
Social Services
18
Regional Reducing Re-offending Action Plan
North West
Action 4. Drugs and Alcohol The over-arching aim is to enable offenders to change their behaviour with regard to drugs and alcohol through a range of interventions and programmes, ensuring continuity and using common assessment tools in line with the models of care framework. Many organisations and partnerships are already striving to deliver outcomes in this field. The regional plan highlights the need for a coordinated approach and improved leadership.
Stages of process and provision Before sentence Probation Services, in conjunction with relevant partner agencies ensure that needs and risks are assessed and recorded before sentence using shared information, and common assessment to ensure access to appropriate treatment including during remand in custody. Information relevant to offender management recorded and included in case record. Prison sentence Community sentence Into custody Substance use health assessment on reception and Ensure referrals made to specialist services prison induction programmes, identifying specific areas of as appropriate working in line with models of risk and need taking into account existing information care available. Ensure that drug/alcohol issues are fully During time in custody assessed and taken into account in sentence Reduce availability of drugs and alcohol in prison by planning, sequencing and risk management. implementing the Prison Service Supply Reduction Strategy Ensure access to offending related programmes, interventions and support Provision of ongoing assessment, support and advice as services; full use of Drug Rehabilitation needed. Provision of a range of treatment and access Requirements in appropriate cases. opportunities to interventions for substance using offenders including stabilisation, maintenance and Ensure the offender is required to engage with detoxification and relevant programmes. Ensure diversity interventions/treatment and is challenged to of needs of women and BME offenders is met in service maintain motivation to maximise impact provision. Ensure that sentence plan, treatment plan and risk management plan are integrated and address release arrangements. Ensure joint planning between prison in reach/outreach services and Counselling, assessment, referral, advice, through care services (CARATs) to provide effective regimes and harm minimisation Provide a ‘through the gate’ treatment service to maximise support and access Promote the use of effective support systems by use of mentoring and peer schemes On licence in the community Licence conditions to address risks and offending related needs Offender manager to ensure appropriate enforcement of conditions Joint planning for end of licence to ensure continued access to treatment and other specialist services After licence expires Continued access to a range of community resources
19
Regional Reducing Re-offending Action Plan
North West
Performance targets and outcomes HM Prison Service Business Planning targets: o Reception Assessments, o Clinical management of detoxification or maintenance o Drug testing (mandatory, voluntary and risk assessments), o Programmes completions and therapeutic community attendance/ completions National Probation Service: o Completion of Drug Treatment and Testing Orders o Commencement of Drug Rehabilitation Requirements o Prompt contact with treatment provider. o CJIT information sharing target
Diversity Drug and alcohol misuse has been the focus of a range of organisations with competing expectations and theoretical and ethical perspectives. Health and criminal justice perspectives do not always coincide and the diversity of need and risk posed by offenders committing offences related to substance misuse has further confounded the issues. This Regional Action Plan aims to facilitate the delivery of services that will result in a reduction in re-offending. As such, services will be encouraged to motivate offenders to tackle substance abuse through appropriate and effective interventions and to comply with treatment requirements. Access to services should be determined by appropriate factors and managed in the context of a complete sentence plan. Substance abuse related offending is by definition diverse and includes a wide range of individuals. Services need to be flexible to accommodate cultural and practical differences and to persist in achieving reduced re-offending.
Regional actions Actions 1. Establish regional guidelines on Restriction of Bail regulations 2. Ensure a structure in place to share good practice and evaluation across the North West and between agencies and organisations 3. Develop protocols in region for sharing of information at points of transition in the Criminal Justice system and between service providers. 4. Develop and deliver the regional response to the national alcohol strategy. 5. Develop population management that maximises access to appropriate resources and interventions in line with wider offender management arrangements 6. Increase provision of short duration and PASRO programmes and ensure appropriate referrals, and information sharing 7. Improve management and information sharing arrangements between services through the Drugs Intervention Programme, promoting effective use of drug rehabilitation requirements at sentence stage. 8. Ensure integration of Prospects and specific accommodation schemes link with DAT and DIP developments. 9. Monitor and address the take up of Drug Rehabilitation Requirement (DRR) by BME offenders 10. Development of Alcohol Treatment Requirements (ATRs) and the roles and relationships of various agencies in provision. 11. Encourage Criminal Justice System (CJS) agencies across the region to submit data to National Drugs Treatment Monitoring System
Lead agency Regional Drugs Team Regional Drugs Team
Timescale 2005 2005/06
Regional Drugs Team
2005/06
Regional Drugs Team
2005/06
NOMS
2005/06
HM Prison Service
2005/06
Regional Drugs Team/ Drugs Intervention Programme/National Probation Service National Probation Service
2005/06
Regional Drugs Team/ Drugs Intervention Programme/ National Probation Service. National Probation Service Regional Drugs Team Dep Regional Director of Public Health
2005/6
2005/06
2005/06 2005/06
20
Regional Reducing Re-offending Action Plan
North West
Research and Evaluation Research is required to ensure high quality services are delivered. Specifically the effectiveness of services in reducing supplies of drugs in prisons, addressing drug using behaviour and reducing drugs related offending. Further research is required to assess the level of need for services for alcohol users and the effectiveness and availability of existing provision. Work is needed to identify the validity of service users’ views about effectiveness of services compared to other outcome measures such as re-offending, reconviction and drug testing results. Of particular value is the identification of factors that increase motivation to engage with treatment services
Reference to other actions • • •
Action 3. Health Action 5. Finance Action 6. Children, Families and Social Support
Key agencies and partnerships •
NOMS
•
HM Prison Service
•
National Probation Service
•
Youth Justice Board
•
National Treatment Agency, Department of Health
•
Drug (and Alcohol) Action Teams
•
Drugs Intervention Programme (CJI Teams)
•
Regional Drugs Team
•
Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships
•
Police Forces
•
National Health Service
•
Treatment providers
•
Voluntary and Community Sector
•
Local Authorities
•
NW Regional Public Health Observatory at Liverpool John Moores University
21
Regional Reducing Re-offending Action Plan
North West
Action 5. Finance To ensure that imprisonment and contact with the criminal justice system does not compound difficulties with debt and benefits. To ensure that offenders are given opportunity to manage financial problems, can obtain sufficient lawfully obtained money and have the skills to manage within their budget.
Stages of process and provision Before sentence The Probation Service will ensure that risks are assessed and recorded before sentence. Court based services provide advice and assessment Prison sentence Community sentence Into custody When financial issues are significant to offending Prison reception and induction process includes assessment of benefits, housing and employment. To retain employment and tenancies wherever possible and close where necessary. Job Centre Plus staff manage changes to benefits payments on entering prison, including ensuring that families do not suffer hardship as a result of an individual going to prison. Induction will inform prisoner of sources of advice for family. During time in custody Skills training is available to offenders with identified needs in basic skills, financial management, choosing credit, financial services, negotiation skills and problem solving. Closure of benefits/tenancies if necessary. Access to basic bank accounts and credit unions to establish accounts and access to services including advice.
in the OASys assessment, the supervision plan will carry objectives to address them in relation to: Access to debt counselling services Maximising Benefits and income Money management Access to bank accounts. Financial advice should only be offered by agencies competent to advise so each area will develop links with relevant partner organisations such as Job Centre Plus, Citizen’s Advice Bureau (CAB), local authority debt services, and the consumer credit Counselling service and agree provision and access to services. At a regional level, in conjunction with GONW, to support the provision of mainstream funding to organisations providing debt services, in order to ensure continuity of provision.
On licence in the community Release plans refer to finance objectives and actions Discharge grants are given to all prisoners After licence expires Access to services and advice Police intelligence links with regard to illegal debt handing
Performance targets and outcomes •
None specified
22
Regional Reducing Re-offending Action Plan
North West
Diversity More work is needed to establish the specific finance related needs of : • Women offenders and family provision • Black and minority ethnic offenders • Young people • High risk and/or high profile offenders Further work is also needed to ensure that there is equality of opportunity such as with regard to disability and access to employment
Regional actions Actions
Lead agency
Timescale
1. Engage with existing agencies and organisations to develop an advice network for all agencies working with offenders.
HM Prison Service, National Probation Service and NOMS
2005/06
2. Develop and implement a specific web-resource for agencies working with offenders.
Regional Offender Manager Legal Services Commission
2005/06
3. Further develop ‘good practice’ such as Citizens Advice sessions in HMP Preston, courses and training operating in HMP Risley and other educational approaches.
HM Prison Service Legal Services Commission Citizens Advice Bureau
2005/06
4. Develop debt suspension advice and guidance at early stage of sentence.
National Probation Service
2005/06
5. Review benefits advice in prisons and in community sentences.
Legal Services Commission
2005/06
6. Develop intelligence model with National Crime Intelligence Service (NCIS) and police forces with regard to illegal debt handling
Police
2005/06
7. Develop agreements with financial institutions, credit unions to assist in management of money at end of sentence.
National Probation Service
2005/06
Research and Evaluation Work is needed to establish the level and types of finance issues that offenders have to manage, and the effectiveness of help services and interventions that are currently available.
Reference to other actions • •
•
Action 1. Accommodation Action 2. Employment, learning and skills Action 6. Family and social support
Debt is not an isolated issue; holistic advice is therefore required with active links to other relevant pathways.
23
Regional Reducing Re-offending Action Plan
North West
Key agencies and partnerships Citizens Advice Bureau and other advice agencies Housing providers (see Action 1.) NACRO Legal Services Commission Job Centre Plus North West police forces Credit Unions National Debt Helpline, Consumer Credit Counselling Service Local Authorities
24
Regional Reducing Re-offending Action Plan
North West
Action 6. Children, Families and Community Support Enabling offenders to maintain and develop relationships with family and community to provide support, encouragement, guidance and commitment to re-integration and rehabilitation. The aim is also to enable and encourage offenders to be effective parents.
Stages of process and provision Before sentence Currently there is little or no provision available for families before sentencing. The Probation Service will assess risks identified within PSR preparation, and refer if required. Prison sentence Into custody Prisoners given information on visits procedures. Information on visiting the prison is made available to all visitors. During time in custody Voluntary Sector Family Support Groups work with Prison staff to offer support to visitors arriving at the prison. Families included in Sentence Management review procedures where practical. Family visit issues are considered in allocation decisions. Family and parenting courses available within regime provision. Initiatives established to maintain family ties. On licence in the community Support from Voluntary Sector available for families of offenders.
Community sentence Currently there are no specific services available to the families of offenders who are managed in the community other than those provided by Voluntary and Community Sector organisations, or those provided under other policy initiatives (e.g. Sure Start, service for young people leaving care). Collaboration with Youth Offending Teams and Childrens Services in relation to young adults. Family Advice and Representation Contributing to child protection under local Safeguarding Children arrangements. Provision of domestic violence programmes for offenders including role of women safety officers.
After licence expires
Performance targets and outcomes •
HM Prison Service has national standards for visiting establishments.
Diversity Consideration of diversity is a primary concern in this aspect of the action plan. Offenders’ families are varied with respect to the support they can provide the individual. The impact of the offences committed, the sentence received and the behaviour of the offender, all affect the family of the offender. Many offenders are parents and carers themselves and their offences and sentences affect and influence their own parenting behaviour. In some cases, the family are the victims of the offender’s behaviour and special consideration will be needed with regard to their well-being. Families also operate in cultural contexts and this needs to be considered in relation to the services and facilities that will enable family members to engage with the Criminal Justice system. Specific consideration will be given to the needs of disabled family members visiting prisoners and special needs that may arise for information sharing.
25
Regional Reducing Re-offending Action Plan
North West
Regional actions Actions 1. Engage with Local Authorities, Social Services and SureStart programmes to develop services for offenders’ families in line with the national ‘Every Child Matters’ strategy. 2. Engage with police and court services to review information provision and advice for families pre-sentence. 3. Engage with consultation on ‘Every Child Matters’ and the links with reducing re-offending initiatives. 4. The Prison Service will review the scope of Visitors Centres to further develop services for offenders’ families. 5. HM Prison Service will develop the Regional Visitor Centres Forum to facilitate links between prisons and Voluntary Sector Family Support Groups, to identify and share good practice and to develop Visitor Centre facilities. 6. Establish Family Liaison Worker posts in all prisons where possible. 7. Collect information about those visiting NW prisons to build up profile of visitors and their needs. 8. Develop information material for families that explains CJ processes and provides detailed information about resettlement and rehabilitation services, and the role of the family.
Lead agency NOMS, HM Prison Service, National Probation Service and the Youth Justice Board
Timescale 2005/06
NOMS, HM Prison Service, National Probation Service and the Youth Justice Board NOMS, HM Prison Service, National Probation Service and the Youth Justice Board HM Prison Service
2005/06
HM Prison Service
2005/06
HM Prison Service, Youth Justice Board and Voluntary and Community Sector organisations HM Prison Service
2005/06
Regional Offender Manager, HM Prison Service, National Probation Service
2005/06
2005/06 2005/06
2005/06
Research and Evaluation Although links with family are known to be protective in reducing re-offending, the specific needs of offenders are not well researched. Similarly, there is little current information about the value of existing services for families of offenders. Other research questions surround the issues of parents serving sentences and the impact on their children. What aspects of parenting can be supported during the sentence?
Reference to other actions • • •
Action 5 Finance Action 6 Drugs and Alcohol Action 2 Employment, Learning and Skills
Key agencies and partnerships Voluntary and Community Sector
HM Prison Service
National Probation Service
Youth Justice Board
Local Authorities
Directors of Children and Learning
Legal Services Commission (and delivery partners)
Social Services
26
Regional Reducing Re-offending Action Plan
North West
Action 7. Attitudes, thinking and behaviour The development and application of effective problem-solving abilities, pro-social strategies for managing difficult emotions and situations and in dealing with peers. May include specialist therapeutic input where needed, e.g. with sex offenders. The aim is to change behaviour.
Stages of process and provision Before sentence • OASys Risk and Needs assessment completed at report stage to inform programmes selection for all offenders • OASys profile informs programmes provision in establishments and community • Motivate offenders to engage with activities and programmes throughout sentence • Links with DIP – short duration drugs programmes on remand in custody • Programmes provision in community if subject to current appropriate Order and remand on bail Prison sentence Community sentence Into custody • Deploy programmes provision within Areas and, where appropriate, across • Exchange of relevant programmes information Area boundaries • Maintenance of offender motivation • Provide relapse prevention and other • Young offenders access to Connexions ‘Positive booster programmes, as appropriate Activities for Young People programme’ (PAYP) [particularly for high risk offenders] During time in custody • Deploy programmes provision within establishment • Meet the needs of minority ethnic and other disadvantaged minority offenders, and, for Sex Offender Treatment Programme including cross boundary provision, where (SOTP), across the NW estate appropriate • Apply regional strategy for maximising offender • Develop partnership and other relevant access community links to support the delivery of • Develop “through the gate” options – including programmes e.g. Domestic Violence ROTL and increase opportunities for access to provision motivational programmes • Offender Manager to reinforce learning • ‘Validated’ programmes available for short term from programmes attended in custody prisoners • Apply regional strategy for maximising • Ensure high risk offenders have completed [or offender access been offered] relevant programmes as part of risk • Develop “through the gate” options– management process and apply appropriate including Release on Temporary Licence sequencing arrangements (ROTL) • Meet the needs of minority ethnic and other • Apply and further develop programmes disadvantaged minority offenders management and QA systems to achieve • Maintain contact with Offender Manager to consistency in custody and community maximise seamlessness • Give attention to recruitment, • Apply and further develop programmes development and retention of programme management and QA systems to achieve tutors and managers and apply consistency in custody and community consistently across NOMS • Give attention to recruitment, development and retention of programme tutors and managers and apply consistently across NOMS On licence in the community • Exchange of relevant programmes information • Maintenance of offender motivation After licence expires • Main provision relevant to current orders only – see “Supervision on release” above • Consider referral to wider DIP provision and to DRR courses for those offenders not subject to licence
27
Regional Reducing Re-offending Action Plan
North West
Performance targets and outcomes • • •
HM Prison Service Business Planning targets: 931 Offending Behaviour Programmes completions (public sector prisons) National Probation Service: Completion of accredited offender behaviour programmes: 2325 in NW for 2005/6 Connexions (Positive Activities for Young People (PAYP) delivery.
Diversity Ensuring access to programmes is based on Offender Management decisions and is not affected by irrelevant factors. Build on the current ROTL pilots in HMP Styal to improve provision for Women offenders “through the gate”.
Regional actions Regional Action Develop population management model and regularly update regional planning to meet needs of regional offender profile as determined through OASys Develop and deploy “through the gate” and booster options Further develop and apply offender access strategy Maximise access to programmes for minority ethnic, women and other disadvantaged offenders Maintain quarterly meetings of NW Effectiveness group jointly attended by Probation and Prison colleagues Share profile of Regional Prison and Area programmes portfolio Develop consistency of delivery arrangements across prison and probation e.g. staff training Review cross-agency deployment of staff Improve profiling quality by developing joint prison/probation audits of OASys processes Share and use relevant regional Effectiveness [WW] research including diversity guidance on responsibility for offending behaviour programme. Violence prevention work to link with alcohol/ violence initiatives and the specialist NW Domestic Violence Courts.
Lead agency NOMS/ HM Prison Service
Timescale 2005/06
NOMS/ Prison and Probation Services Prison and Probation Services Prison and Probation Services Prison and Probation Services
2005/06
NOMS/ Prison and Probation Services NOMS/ Prison and Probation Services Prison and Probation Services Prison and Probation Services
2005/06
NOMS/ Prison and Probation Service
2005/06
NOMS/ National Probation Service
2005 - 2008
2005/06 2005/06 2005/06
2005/06 2005/06 2005/06
Research and Evaluation Accredited offending behaviour programmes are being evaluated nationally with regard to their impact on re-offending. Further work is needed on the effectiveness of other approved or ‘validated’ interventions. To date there is limited information available with regard to access to offending behaviour programmes.
28
Regional Reducing Re-offending Action Plan
North West
More research is needed to direct services for victims of domestic violence and interventions for perpetrators. Such questions include the likelihood of domestic violence increasing following release from prison.
Reference to other actions • •
• •
Action 2. Literacy and skills required to complete cognitive-behavioural programmes Action 2. Relationship between life skills and offending behaviour programmes and drugs interventions. ASRO (Addressing Substance Related Offending) and its prison equivalent are group-work programmes that are incorporated in Strategic Pathway 6. Offender management and sequencing/ referral and selection issues Action 2. Prison Education Departments offer Open College Network accredited Life and Social Skills courses.
Key agencies and partnerships • •
HM Prison Service, National Probation Service and Youth Justice Board Primarily in-house provision. Some supporting provision from local partners and linked initiatives including Connexions’ PAYP.
29
Regional Reducing Re-offending Action Plan
North West
Action 8. Victims of Crime: Individuals and the Community •
Ensuring that individuals and communities are properly protected from offenders that pose a high risk of causing harm and that these arrangements are appropriately promoted.
•
Ensuring victims of crime are aware of the sentences served by offenders and are able to express their views in all relevant processes. To ensure that services for victims are informed by programmes and practices that apply to offenders.
•
Ensuring that where possible, offenders have the opportunity to demonstrate reparation through work that benefits the community, and that this is promoted. Ensuring that community focus is an integral part of offender management and to increase the confidence of communities in this work
•
Ensuing that volunteers and mentors are appropriately selected, trained and deployed to further encourage the offender’s integration with the community.
Stages of process and provision Before sentence Prison and Probation Services will ensure that risks are assessed and recorded before sentence. Ensuring victim focus in PSRs. Contribute to LCJB victim and witness developments. Prison sentence Community sentence Into custody • Initiate risk management procedures in accordance with • Initiate risk management MAPPA where there is identified risk of harm procedures in accordance with MAPPA where there is identified • Consistently recognise impact on victims in pre-sentence risk risk of harm management reporting and consistently record offenders’ attitude to victims • Contact with victims in cases involving serious sexual or other violent offence in accordance with During time in custody National Standards and victim • NPS Contact with victims in cases involving serious sexual or charter other violent offence in accordance with NPS National • Develop reparative projects within Standards and victim charter the scope of unpaid work, including • Include victim issues in risk decision making processes where contributing to community applicable (ROTL, HDC etc) regeneration via Safer and Strong • Reliably inform victims of decisions with regard to release, Communities. abscond, ROTL or HDC where applicable • Establish and maintain links with • Develop reparative projects including contributions of prisons mentoring and peer advice workshops to community projects, including Inside/Out Trust schemes and programmes initiatives • Ensure that issues linked to risk of • Develop working out schemes for appropriately assessed harm and re-offending are prisoners to contribute to the improvement/ regeneration of addressed and integrated into communities sentence plan and risk • Establish links with mentoring and peer advice schemes and management plan. programmes • Victim perspective to be addressed • Encourage greater dialogue between prisons managers and in offending behaviour programmes local communities to improve awareness of resettlement work and unpaid work. and increase public confidence On licence in the community • Initiate risk management procedures in accordance with MAPPA where there is identified risk of harm • Victims perspective to be retained in post-release supervision arrangements • Victims to be informed in event of recall to prison • Continue reparative projects within the scope of unpaid work. • Establish links with mentoring and peer advice schemes and programmes After licence expires Establish and continue links with mentoring and peer advice schemes and programmes
30
Regional Reducing Re-offending Action Plan
North West
Performance targets and outcomes •
National Probation Service: 85% of victims in cases involving serious sexual or violence where offender is sentenced to 12 months imprisonment or more to be contacted within 8 weeks
Diversity Reparative and restorative approaches should engage with all aspects of the community and be monitored in order to ensure that this is achieved. Projects designed to benefit the community should be planned according to locally defined priorities. Access to reparative projects should be based on relevant factors, such as risks and needs. Consideration should be given to the specific needs of women victims and cultural and religious factors in accessing victims’ services.
Regional actions Actions
Lead agency
Timescale
1. Establish a regional response to the national NOMS Community and Civil Renewal Strategy Consultation
HM Prison Service and National Probation Service
2005/06
2. Facilitate a regional workshop for partners and stakeholders to establish a strategic regional approach to the delivery of the NOMS Communities and Civil Renewal Strategy. The key objective is to agree a strategic approach to partnership working at the regional level.
HM Prison Service and National Probation Service
2005/06
3. Report on the feasibility of introducing monitoring and improvement of information to victims following absconds/ROTL failures
HM Prison Service
2005/06
4. Assess feasibility of extending victim information service where mentally disordered offenders are held in secure hospital provision under the provisions of the Mental Health Act
National Probation Service
2005/06
5. Further development of reparative projects from prisons and links to community projects
Youth Offending Teams
2005/06
HM Prison Service National Probation Service
6. Pilot the Circles of Support and Accountability approach to the management of high risk offenders
National Probation Service/ NOMS
2005/06
7. Promote better awareness of offender management and the RRAP amongst local communities and victims of crimes.
Victim and Witness Support Services
2005/06
8. Ensure that Offender Managers link with Domestic Violence Coordinators (in the CDRP) in DV cases.
Regional Offender Manager /National Probation Service
NOMS/ HM Prison Service and National Probation Service 2005/06
Key issues for consideration in developing this pathway:
31
Regional Reducing Re-offending Action Plan
North West
1. The pathway represents a varied set of aims and objectives that will potentially require their own monitoring and steering arrangements. Can this be achieved by a partnership approach? 2. How might the NOMS agencies take responsibility for raising public awareness and contributing to public confidence? 3. To what degree should volunteering and mentoring be promoted and/ or managed by the NOMS agencies? What is the role of the Voluntary and Community Sector? 4. Examples of good practice should be incorporated into the regional plan.
Research and Evaluation What is the level of public confidence in public protection work? And what will influence this? Are victims’ services accessed proportionally by different ethnic groups and what can be done to ensure equality of access? Public awareness of reparative work within prisons/probation
Reference to other actions •
Action 6. Children, Families and the Community Support
Action 8. Partnership Map Multi-agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) Police Forces
National Probation Service
HM Prison Service
Contributing agencies Victims of crime Victims Representative Groups
Victim Support
Women’s refuges
National Probation Service Reparative Approaches, volunteers and mentoring
HM Prison Service
National Probation Service
Local Authorities
Voluntary and Community Sector Organisations
The Inside Out Trust
SOVA
NACRO
Mentoring projects, service providers
32
Regional Reducing Re-offending Action Plan
North West
Framework for Reducing Re-offending Following the template set by the national action plan, this section addresses crosscutting developments, not linked to specific Action Pathways.
Criminal Justice Act 2003 Major changes in sentencing for Community Orders, for release arrangements and for the sentencing of dangerous offenders take effect from April 2005. The Act provides for the introduction of `Custody Plus’ (revised arrangements for short custodial sentences linked to statutory supervision in the community) – currently scheduled to be introduced during 2006/07. Action
Lead Agency
Timescale
To ensure new arrangements for Community Orders make full use of requirements for relevant Pathways.
National Probation Service
2005/06
To develop plans for the implementation of Custody Plus arrangements which support effective provision of relevant Pathways.
Regional Offender Manager
2006 - 2007
Offender Management Central to NOMS is the principle of offender management. This ensures offenders are managed in a consistent, constructive and coherent way during their entire sentence. Pre-sentence, this will include assessing offenders and judging risk so that the courts can reliably target sentences. At every stage an offender manager has responsibility for planning the offender’s supervision, whether they are in custody or in the community and for the interventions and services they receive, ensuring there is no breakdown and that none of the advances by an individual are lost. Decisions on breach and the provision of any review information to courts will be the responsibility of the offender manager. Prisons and Probation in the North West are working together on a national pathfinder project to develop and trial future offender management arrangements. Action
Lead Agency
Timescale
To develop, trial, evaluate and implement new offender management arrangements, including sentence plans, which address relevant risks and needs.
National Offender Management Service.
2005 - 2007
National Probation Service Standards (2005) contain a requirement that each sentenced offender should be allocated to one of the four Offender Management approaches as specified under the Tiering Framework in the National Offender Management Model. The NOMS Offender Management Team has worked with key NPS stakeholders to devise a set of national criteria to support the tier allocation process. It is intended that these will provide the starting point for the application of professional judgement, complemented by the tier descriptors included in the National Offender Management Model. Each assessment will carried out against a set of four criteria i.e. Resource Allocation, Risk of Harm, Likelihood of Re-offending and Complexity. Under the framework cases are assessed against four broad approaches: PUNISH, HELP, CHANGE and CONTROL.
33
Regional Reducing Re-offending Action Plan
North West
The National Standards Reference Group will review the guidance on “tiering” arrangements in early December and definitive instructions will be issued for implementation from January 2006. (Source National Probation Service Circular 65/2005) Individual case tiering decisions are essentially based on risk assessments from the OASys system. OASYs is now operating across the North West and will provide a fully connected service for Prison and Probation Services in 2005/06. Works Managers
Local Criminal Justice Boards (LCJB) Building on their current strategic role in relation to the regional Prisoner Resettlement Strategy, Criminal Justice Boards are well placed to take forward the national and regional action plans – by leading action at Criminal Justice Area level under relevant Pathways and by linking to structures which co-ordinate the work of CDRPs across Criminal Justice Areas. Action
Lead Agency
Timescale
[Area CJ Boards are invited to consider what action they commit to in support of the national and regional action plans]
Area Criminal Justice Boards
2005 - 2006
Prolific and Other Priority Offenders (PPO) Initiative and Local Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships Building on their current engagement with the regional Prisoner Resettlement Strategy and linking with their role in taking forward the `Resettle and Rehabilitate’ strand of the PPO initiative, local partnerships have a key strategic position in relation to many of the plan pathways. It is anticipated that partnerships will integrate this work within their local structures and strategies Action
Lead Agency
Timescale
CDRPs are invited to consider what action they commit to in support of the national and regional action plans]
Local CDRPs
2005 - 2006
Multi-Agency Regional Strategy Taking into account the guidance given in the national action plan and experience in taking forward the Prisoner Resettlement Strategy, this Action Plan will require supporting arrangements in relation to governance structure, effective partnership liaison, sharing of offender profile information, monitoring of the action plan and diversity issues. Action
Lead Agency
Timescale
To establish a governance structure to facilitate partnership liaison, oversight, monitoring and review of the regional Action Plan.
Regional Offender Manager /NOMS
2005/06
To collate and disseminate data on offender profile relevant to the plan’s pathways.
ROM/ National Probation Service /HM Prison Service
2005/06
To undertake a diversity impact assessment on the d ft l dt k i t t it l i
Regional Offender M /NOMS
2005
34
Regional Reducing Re-offending Action Plan
North West
draft plan and take into account its conclusions.
Manager /NOMS
To agree and publish a communications strategy, including publications of revised editions of the regional action plan.
Regional Offender Manager /NOMS
2005/06
To note work required on transition issues between youth offending and adult offender provision relevant to the Action Plan (pilot work in specific YOI).
National Probation Service /HM Prison Service/ Youth Justice Board
2005/06
35
Regional Reducing Re-offending Action Plan
North West
Glossary of Terms Addressing Substance Related Offending programme (ASRO) An accredited group-work intervention for offenders with substance misuse problems. A prison version of the programme also operates (P-ASRO) ASSET - The Youth Justice Board assessment tool that identifies the risks and needs of juvenile offenders (up to 18 years), CARATs - Counselling, Assessment, Referral, Advice and Through-care services in prisons for drug users. All prisoners in custody can access this intervention. Correctional Services Accreditation Panel (CSAP) - Independent panel established to scrutinise offending behaviour programmes and provide advice for programme development. Covers prison and community group-work programmes. Accredited programme completions count towards a key performance target for both Prison and Probation Services. Crime and Disorder Partnerships (CDRPs) – The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 as amended by the Police Reform Act 2002 sets out statutory requirements for responsible authorities (local authorities and police) , to work with probation and health and other local agencies and organisations, to develop and implement strategies to tackle crime and disorder. There is encouragement for CDRPs to merge with DATs who tackle the misuse of drugs, to work together to improve local coordination. Criminal Justice System (CJS) – The CJS is one of the major public service systems in the country. CJS agencies including, the Police, Crown Prosecution Service, Courts Services, the Prison Service, and the National Probation Service work together to deliver the criminal justice process. These departments and agencies are working together to reform and improve the criminal justice system in order to; prevent and detect more crime; give victims and witnesses more support; punish and rehabilitate more offenders. Drugs Action Team (DAT) - Drug Action Teams (DATs) bring together representatives of all the local agencies involved in tackling the misuse of drugs, including the health authority, local authority, police, probation, social services, education and youth services, and the voluntary sector. DATs work with Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs) to help the police and communities tackle local drug problems and associated crime. Some Drug Treatment and Testing Order (DTTO)/ Drug Rehabilitation Requirement (DRR) - The DTTO is a very structured and intensive court order for people who have a history of offending related to their substance misuse. It involves treatment and testing as well as addressing other factors that will reduce the risk of re-offending and aid rehabilitation. The DTTO was replaced by the more flexible and individually tailored Community Order DRR in April 2005 under the implementation of the Criminal Justice 2003. A DRR requires an offender to consent to drug testing and treatment to reduce or eliminate drug misuse. It can be free standing or combined with a Supervision and other requirements depending on the seriousness of offending. Drug Intervention Programme (DIP) - The Government's Drug Intervention Programme is a range of services designed to track and target drug-using offenders at every point of the criminal justice system. The Programme which is delivered by Criminal Justice Intervention Teams (CJIT), uses every opportunity to get misusing offenders out of crime and into treatment. Drugs Prevention Advisory Service (DPAS) - Within the Home Office, DPAS has responsibility for promoting effective community based drugs prevention. Enhanced Thinking Skills (ETS) Programme A CSAP accredited thinking skills group-work programme. Available in most North West prisons. Head Start - An ESF funded employment partnership project that ran in three NW prisons until July 2002. Home Detention Curfew (HDC) - Eligible prisoners must be assessed for HDC and, if found suitable, placed on HDC on their eligibility date or as soon as possible thereafter. Information on the HDC process, including their eligibility date, must be communicated to prisoners eligible to apply.
36
Regional Reducing Re-offending Action Plan
North West
Almost all prisoners serving sentences of three months or more or less than four years and who are aged 18 or over are eligible to be considered for placement on HDC. Selected prisoners are able to serve up to the last 60 days of their sentence in the community provided they: pass a risk assessment, have suitable accommodation and agree to abide by a curfew enforced by electronic monitoring. (Sex offenders covered by Part I of the Sex Offenders Act 1997, who are required to register on release, are not eligible for HDC). The Prison Service is also responsible for varying licence conditions and recall procedures. IMPACT (‘Innovation Means Prisons and Communities Together’) - An ESF (EQUAL) funded research and development project assessing reduction of discrimination and social exclusion for offenders re-entering the community. Local Criminal Justice Board (LCJB) – Local Criminal Justice Boards were set up to improve cooperation between criminal justice agencies on the ground to deliver a more effective and efficient service. These boards bring together the chief officers of the CJS agencies to co-ordinate activity and share responsibility for delivering criminal justice in their areas and increasing the confidence of the public in the Criminal Justice System. MAPPA (Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements) – Guidance issued by the Home Secretary under Section 67(6) of the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act (2000) to the responsible authorities. The four functions of MAPPA are: the identification of MAPPA offenders, the sharing of relevant information, the assessment of the risk of serious harm and the management of that risk. Public protection depends on defensible decisions, rigorous risk assessment, the delivery of risk management plans, and the evaluation of performance to match delivery. (Home Office, MAPPA guidance, 2003) National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders (NACRO) – This is a crime reduction charity in the U.K., working with ex-offenders, disadvantaged people, and deprived communities. National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) – A non-departmental public body. The primary functions of the organisation are to gather, store and analyse information in order to provide criminal intelligence and to provide that intelligence to police forces in Great Britain and Northern Ireland National Institute for Mental Healthcare in England (NIMHE) - NIMHE is responsible for supporting the implementation of positive change in mental health and mental health services and leads on the Care Services Improvement Partnership (CSIP) and Health Criminal Justice Programme. The aim of the organisation is to improve the quality of life of people of all ages who experience mental distress. National Offender Management System (NOMS) – The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) was formed in 2004 to commission offender services in a mixed economy (public, private, voluntary and community sector) and manage the budget. Regional Offender Managers (ROMs) are responsible for reducing re-offending, end-to-end management of offenders and bringing together prisons and probation. National Probation Service (NPS) - The National Probation Service (NPS) is a law enforcement agency that assesses offenders and provides information and reports to the courts, and supervises and enforces a range of community orders and licences in the community. The overall aim is to increase public protection and reduce recidivism through effective management of adult offenders in the community. National Treatment Agency for Substance Abuse (NTA) - As part of the Department of Health, The NTA will promote practice which is evidence-based, appropriately delivered, outcome focused, and integrated into a system of co-ordinated drug treatment and care. To equip DATs and service providers to meet this agenda the NTA will distil and disseminate best practice drawn from research, collaborate with others to initiate research into effectiveness; support the development of quality systems of treatment promoting and building on existing good practice; develop systems of standards and accreditation for services, individuals and programmes of interventions; enhance the competence of managers and staff across the treatment sector; and develop and implement a human resources strategy to attract and retain high quality staff with drug treatment as a career.
37
Regional Reducing Re-offending Action Plan
North West
Offender Assessment System (OASys) - The prison and probation joint assessment tool and risk management system. PS Plus – An ESF funded (Objective 3) national programme, providing services to overcome barriers to employment for prisoners. Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) - Facility and resettlement ROTL must be used, where the prisoner is eligible and has applied, subject to risk assessment. Information on ROTL entitlements and procedures must be communicated to all prisoners eligible to apply. PSI 46/1998 and PSI 53/2000 amended the arrangements for ROTL set out in IG 36/1995. Arrangements now allow Governors/Directors greater flexibility in the use of ROTL. From 1 September 1998 young offenders, and from 1 September 2000 females and adult males in the open estate, can be temporarily released for a wider range of activities. Release on resettlement licence may be regarded as one of the most important goals of a prisoner’s sentence plan. A risk assessment must be passed before every release on resettlement licence. (Quoted from Prison Service Order 2300 ‘Resettlement’) Sex Offender Treatment Programme - Began in 1991 as part of a national strategy for the integrated assessment and treatment of sex offenders. The primary aim of the programme is to increase the offender’s motivation to avoid re-offending. There are several alternative programmes running in prisons and the community, aimed at a variety of offending related treatment needs. Street Crime Initiative (SCI) – Central - Government initiative to reduce instances of street robbery and related offences in fifteen areas of the UK. Three areas in the North West (Manchester, Merseyside and Lancashire) Think First Programme. - An accredited thinking skills group-work programme. Run by the NPS in community settings across the North West.
38
Regional Reducing Re-offending Action Plan
North West
National Offender Management Service, Prison and Probation Service Contacts Liz Hill Regional Offender Manager National Offender Management Service City Tower Piccadilly Plaza Manchester M1 4BE tel: 0161 952 4170 fax: 0161 952 4099 HM Prison Service: North West Area Office Stirling House Ackhurst Business Park Foxhole Road Chorley, Lancashire PR7 1NY 01257 248600 National Probation Service Greater Manchester Area Oakland House Talbot Road, Stretford Manchester, M16 0PQ 0161 872 4802
Merseyside Area Burlington House Crosby Road North Waterloo, Liverpool, L22 0PJ 0151 920 9201
Cheshire Area Beech House, Park West, Sealand Road, Chester, CH1 4RJ 01244 394500
Lancashire Area 99-101 Garstang Road Preston Lancs, PR1 1LD 01772 201209
Cumbria Area Lime House The Green, Wetheral Carlisle, CA4 8EW 01288 560057
Prison Establishments in the North West HMP Altcourse Higher Lane Fazakerley Liverpool L9 7LH HMP/YOI Forest Bank Agecroft Road Pendlebury Manchester M27 8UE HMP Garth HM Prison Garth Ulnes Walton Lane Leyland Preston PR5 3NE HMP Haverigg Haverigg Millom LA18 4NA HMP / YOI Hindley Gibson Street Bickershaw Wigan WN2 5TH HMP Kirkham Freckleton Road Kirkham Preston Lancs PR4 2RN HMP Lancaster The Castle Lancaster LA1 1YL HMYOI Lancaster Farms Far Moor Lane Stone Row Head Off Quernmore Road Lancaster LA1 3QZ HMP Liverpool 68 Hornby Road Liverpool
Adult male local prison A ‘designed, managed, constructed and financed’ prison (DCMF) operated by Global Solutions, and opened in 1997. Altcourse is a large prison dealing with a complex and diverse population dealing with both adult and young offenders (sentenced and unsentenced) Adult male local prison and Young Offender Institution HMP/YOI Forest Bank is a relatively new prison, opened in 2000, and is situated in the Salford area of Manchester. It is a local prison that serves the Manchester magistrates and Crown courts. Category B Adult male training prison A purpose built category B training prison which opened in 1988 housing long term prisoners. Garth has developed a reputation for consistently high performance and standards. Category C Adult male training prison The prison was opened in 1967 on the site of a former RAF airfield, and many of the wartime buildings remain in use as workshops and office accommodation. When all new accommodation is complete the operational capacity will rise to 556. Haverigg prison is the largest employer in the area and contributes heavily to the local economy. Although Haverigg is the only prison in Cumbria it draws most of its prisoners from Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Cheshire. Closed male Young Offender Institution and secure juvenile establishment HMP/YOI Hindley is situated on the outskirts of Wigan and primarily serves the Greater Manchester area. Hindley opened in 1961 as a Borstal. In 1983 it was re-classified as a Youth Custody Centre. It was then re-classified as an adult prison and in 1997 it became a joint prison and Young Offenders Institution. It has been the subject of significant re-roles over the past 3 years, the most recent in April 2002 with the introduction of 192 juvenile places. Category D (Open) male training prison The prison occupies the site of the former Royal Air Force Technical Training Establishment, which was built during the Second World War and was used post war as a major demobilisation centre. The facility was taken over by the Home Office in the early 1960s and has been in use as a prison since 1962. Category C Adult male training prison Lancaster Castle is a Category C Training prison, situated on the site of an ancient castle that is leased from Lancashire County Council. The land is owned by the Duchy of Lancaster. The prison opened in 1955. Closed male young offender institution and secure juvenile establishment A purpose built establishment opened in 1993, Lancaster Farms has been held as a ‘centre of excellence’, well regarded for its work with young offenders and providing a safe, secure environment. Adult male local prison Constructed in 1855 to replace a much older and more cramped establishment in the centre of Liverpool and covers some 22 acres. There are 8 wings all of which are in use having been
39
Regional Reducing Re-offending Action Plan L9 3DF HMP Manchester 1 Southall Street Manchester M60 9AH HMP Preston 2 Ribbleton Lane Preston Lancashire PR1 5AB HMP Risley Warrington Road Risley Warrington Cheshire WA3 6BP HMYOI Thorn Cross Arley Road Appleton Thorn Warrington Cheshire WA4 4RL HMP Wymott Ulnes Walton Leyland Preston PR5 3LW HMP Buckley Hall Buckley Farm Lane Buckley Road Rochdale Greater Manchester OL12 9DP HMP/YOI Styal Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 4HR
North West
refurbished and provided with an integral sanitation system. The prison serves the whole of the Merseyside area. Adult male core local prison An iconic feature in the landscape of inner city Manchester, the refurbished prison mirrors the rebuilt city centre. The prison has been through significant changes since the disturbances of 1990, most recently the Market test process and the signing of the Service Level Agreement; this has led to a major change process. Adult male local prison Preston is substantially a Victorian radial prison. Its wings were constructed between 1840 and 1895 on a site occupied since 1790. The prison closed in 1931, reopened for military use in 1939 and as a civilian prison in 1948. It became a local prison in 1990. Category C Adult male training prison HMP Risley is a training prison situated on the outskirts of Warrington. Risley is the largest training establishment in the country with an operational capacity of 1083 Open male young offender institution and juvenile establishment A purpose built Young Offender Institute opened in 1985 and now providing accommodation for juveniles. It has developed a positive reputation for high standards of delivery and good staff/prisoner relationships. The High Intensity Training Centre has operated here since the mid 1990s. Category C Adult male training prison HMP Wymott is a large industrial training prison situated near Preston. Wymott accommodates a large sex offender population and category C population Category C Adult male training prison Occupying the site of a former RAF training establishment much of the old billet accommodation has been replaced with new accommodation and has improved conditions for prisoners and dormitory accommodation being phased out. Buckley Hall has recently been re-designated as a male Prison having previously held women offenders. Women’s local prison and Young Offender Institution Styal was built as a children’s home in 1898 and was used to house Hungarian refugees in the 1950s. It opened as a women’s prison in 1962. The prison increased in size by 60% in April 1999 when prisoners from Risley were transferred there. Most of its prisoners return to the Manchester and Merseyside areas.
Internet links The National Probation Service
http://www.probation.homeoffice.gov.uk/
Her Majesty’s Prison Service
http://www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/
The Home Office
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/
Government Office North West
http://www.go-nw.gov.uk/
Learning and Skills Council
http://www.lsc.gov.uk/
Job Centre Plus
http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/
The Youth Justice Board
http://www.youth-justice-board.gov.uk/
National Reducing Re-offending Action Plan
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs3/5505reoffending.pdf
National Institute for Mental Health in England (NIMHE)
http://www.nimhe.org.uk/
Victim Support
http://www.victimsupport.org.uk/vs_england_wales/contacts/nats_home.php
40