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Charity Profile
Sussex Pathways
Supporting ex-offenders to build successful futures in Sussex. By Georgia Brown 46% of adults are reconvicted within one year of their release from prison. For those serving sentences of less than 12 months, this increases to 58%. When considering why individuals reoffend in Sussex, factors including lack of housing, reduced employment and increased risk of homelessness play a significant role in the reason why people are returning to crime after their release. Furthermore, with a January inspection placing East Sussex’s largest prison, HMP Lewes under “special measures” for prisoner violence, extreme drug abuse and increased self-harm, the unstable reality many offenders in Sussex face, both during and after their sentence, holds an uncertain future. Help to resettle For over a decade, Lewes-based charity Sussex Pathways has worked tirelessly to tackle the negative reality for many people leaving prison. Their volunteers support ex-offenders both before and after release, helping them to make positive life choices, and to resettle into the local community. Sussex Pathways achieve this through the provision of their Volunteer Key Worker services for prison leavers, as well as rehabilitation support within prisons and a restorative justice service that works pre and post-release with perpetrators and victims of crime. Shirl Tanner, CEO at Sussex Pathways explains that it is often harder for offenders to leave prison than it is to enter prison. “Consider this, someone facing prison with a drug or alcohol addiction has the opportunity to get clean during their sentence, gain self respect and mutual respect from their peers and the Officers. Yet, when they leave prison, they have nothing to return to but the lifestyle they once had. They quickly slip into old habits, return to sleeping under the Pier, continue lacking support from others.” A Sussex Pathways Volunteer Key Worker can make the difference to an exoffender’s life by giving them an alternative narrative to focus on. Shirl says having support from a volunteer can determine the difference between an exoffender relapsing on drugs, alcohol and crime as soon as they have been released, or never going back to drugs and homelessness again. Sussex Pathways volunteers work with those in prison for up to six weeks before their release date to ensure they have support in getting accommodation and attending prerelease appointments to steer them in the right direction towards independence. Support in prison Sussex Pathways also run courses in prison, focusing on life skills and mindfulness, giving prisoners the tools to understand how they can take responsibility for their actions. The volunteers help prisoners to recognise what skills they may be lacking and how they can develop these before being released back
