St Giles welcomes the recent publication of the Sentencing Review and its focus on pragmatic, forward-thinking solutions to improve a Justice System which is currently at breaking point.
We are especially encouraged to see the focus on rehabilitative work within the custody system, which is essential for education, training, and preparing individuals for a future where they can make meaningful contributions to society.
The recommendations outlined in Chapter 7 emphasise the urgent need for increased funding to be allocated to the voluntary sector. This funding is crucial for the Probation Service to effectively support individuals in the community, enabling them to break the cycle of reoffending and empowering them to contribute positively to society.
We would echo Clinks’ response to the Call for Evidence highlighting the crucial role of Lived Experience alongside the benefits of the specialist skills and expertise of the voluntary sector. These can be immensely beneficial in establishing trusted relationships with people in the justice system and help them build “confidence, feelings of belonging and hope – all of which support rehabilitation and desistance, thereby reducing reoffending.”
We would like to take this opportunity to urge the government to act on the investment recommendations for the voluntary sector. We also want to highlight the potential for meaningful work within the prison system. These programs can initiate the resettlement and rehabilitation process, while also creating a safer environment for both staff and people serving sentences alike.
St Giles has over 20 years of experience working in prisons delivering its Peer Advisor Programme. It provides vocational training enabling people with Lived Experience to become qualified advice professionals who put their skills to use in prison and after release. It provides meaningful activity whilst boosting the skills and confidence of the people undertaking the training.
The ripple effect of Peer Advisor Programme is significant and contributes to a reduction in re-offending:
- Those training as Peer Advisors are highly accessible to other people in prison and able to reach large numbers of individuals requiring support and guidance, meeting the large demands for such help within prisons.
- The Lived Experience of the Peer Advisors makes them highly credible and relatable, meaning they can establish trusted relationships and provide high quality support to people who need it.
- The presence of Peer Advisors reduces tensions in prisons and provides a positive resource at a time when prison staff are under increasing pressure.
- Peer Advisors can put their highly transferable skills to use outside of prison to boost their employment prospects.
Tracey Burley, Chief Executive of St Giles, said:
Through long-term investment in the voluntary sector and a recognition of the importance of Lived Experience, we can alleviate the pressure on the criminal justice system, provide positive pathways and make safer communities for us all.
St Giles highlights the vital need for support at every stage of a person’s journey from prison to community reintegration.
This includes Through the Gates support during the crucial first few days out of prison when the risk of reoffending is highest if basics such as somewhere to live and a legitimate source of income are not in place. St Giles’s partnership work with London Probation using a Lived Experience approach helped hundreds of prison leavers readjust to life in the community. They were helped by professionally trained former prison leavers who had first-hand knowledge of the challenges they faced and could help them navigate the sometimes rocky road to resettlement. An external evaluation of this work found it delivered £10 in public savings for every £1 invested in the service.
Additionally, community-based projects specifically targeted at people in the justice system are critical to help sustain people’s progress in the longer term and help with issues such as employment and re-establishing family ties. They can also support those at risk or who are serving community sentences. Projects such as St Giles’s Norfolk-based Wonder+ Project which helps vulnerable women access the services and support required to address the root causes of their offending or their risk of offending. A 2021 external evaluation of the project concluded that for every pound spent on Wonder+, between £2.60 and £3.55 were returned in economic and social costs, highlighting its savings to the public purse.