Ex-offender case study - Toby

Toby

Toby was adopted as a baby and has never known his birth mother or father. He recalls experiencing difficulties in controlling his temper from an early age, first being excluded from primary school for violence.

Toby's behaviour worsened in his early years at secondary school, when he began using drugs and drinking problematically. His substance misuse began to interfere with his performance and attendance - he was finally excluded permanently without achieving any qualifications. Before leaving, he was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and his therapist thought that some of these problems may stem from his adoption.

After exclusion from school, Toby led a chaotic lifestyle, including committing burglaries, violence, using weapons and selling drugs. Toby received his first custodial sentence at the age of 15 and was in custody for three months.  However, he states that he was 'worse when he came out than when he went in'.

After his release, he tried to get his life back on track by enrolling in a college course. His girlfriend became pregnant and he became a father at the age of 17, moving in with his girlfriend and living together in a flat. During this time he came under financial pressure and resorted once again to selling drugs. This led to an inevitable downward spiral into crime and violence.

At the age of 18, Toby was finally sentenced to an Indeterminate Sentence for Public Protection (IPP) with a minimum of a two and a half year tariff until his first parole. An IPP sentence means that a firm release date is not granted and the person sentenced has to keep applying for parole until successful. Toby initially struggled with this sentence and was frequently disruptive, fighting and failing drug tests.

Since his transfer to Portland, he has settled into his sentence and successfully won an appeal, having the IPP sentence overturned and is instead sentenced to 4 years, with an extended licence period of 3 years.

He has now almost completed his Peer Advisor course, has been appointed Race Relations Rep and carries out a number of other roles, including working as a listener and giving talks to groups of visiting school children to dissuade them from going down the same route he did. Toby has also been recommended for open conditions on his first parole. 

He hopes to initially work as a painter and decorator on his release, until he is settled and has saved some money.  He then wishes to take up either paid or voluntary work as a youth worker.

Toby regards his experiences on our Peer Advice Course as central to his turnaround.  He says: "It has helped to build on the confidence I had and I have new skills for dealing with people. When I've got myself sorted I want to use my NVQ to help other people that are in similar situations to the ones I found myself in."