02/03/2015 07:50:00
The Safer Living Foundation has won the Robin Corbett Award for Prisoner Rehabilitation 2015. This innovative charity based at HMP Whatton works with sex offenders in prison and on release into the community to help reduce the risk of reoffending and prevent people becoming victims of sexual harm.
The second prize was awarded to Changing Paths Charitable Trust based at HMP Rochester. This small and ambitious charity provides work training and support and has placed nearly 400 offenders from all over the south east and London in to employment in the construction, retail and catering industries.
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03/02/2015 23:53:00
Disproportionate restrictions on the temporary release of prisoners are undermining opportunities for effective resettlement and rehabilitation and leading to growing frustration and resentment behind bars, a new report by the Prison Reform Trust reveals.
For many people in prison, particularly those who are serving long sentences, the chance to experience ROTL and open prison conditions are a pivotal part of the process of rehabilitation. They allow people to take responsibility through work and volunteering, establish contact with families and sort out housing needs; factors which contribute to their safe management and supervision in the community on release.
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17/02/2015 11:46:00
Last week’s ruling by the European Court of Human Rights on prisoners’ voting reinforces previous judgments of the Court that the UK’s blanket ban on sentenced prisoners voting is unlawful.
But with three months to go before the UK general election, it’s clear that the government would rather flout human rights law, ignore the advice of prison governors, bishops to, and inspectors of, prisons and take up Parliamentary time and taxpayers’ money in order to stop sentenced prisoners from acting responsibly by voting in democratic elections.
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29/01/2015 00:01:00
Fewer than one in 10 women released from a prison sentence of under 12 months managed to secure a ‘positive employment outcome’ within a year of release. This is three times worse than the equivalent figure for men, a new briefing published by the Prison Reform Trust reveals.
Welcome moves announced today (Thursday 29 January) by the Justice Minister Simon Hughes to prioritise women’s community provision and improve employment opportunities for women offenders need to be accelerated if women’s offending is to be effectively tackled.
Nearly half (45%) of women leaving prison are reconvicted within one year of release. Employment is vital to reducing risk of reoffending, but women offenders often face additional barriers to gaining work, including a lack of childcare support, lack of qualifications, low pay and the stigma of imprisonment.
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