Agenda item

11.50am

The PCC provides an update on the work of RESTART Thames Valley, a year-long pilot programme that started in May 2022 and which focuses on supporting people leaving prison, including women and those on short-term sentences. This update is very much a working brief that encompasses an overview of the current key issues and challenges of this programme.

The Panel was provided with a report on the work of RESTART Thames Valley, a year-long pilot programme that started in May 2022 and which focused on supporting people leaving prison, including women and those on short-term sentences.

The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner secured £613,800 from the second round of the Ministry of Justice Local Leadership and Integration Fund (Prison Leavers Project) to work with partners across the region to develop solutions to key challenges faced by people released from prison. The PCC referred to such challenges which included the provision of and access to support, access to accommodation and work opportunities and engagement with numerous service providers.

This pilot ran from May 2022 to end of April 2023, and this has been extended for a further 12 months, jointly funded by the PCC and the Director of Probation, South Central.

The PCC reported that the objective of the scheme was about crime prevention and stopping the cyclical pattern of people who went to prison. 

Members’ Questions

(1)  The PCC was asked what work was being carried out with female re-offenders?

[The PCC replied that in the first project with Bullingdon and Bronzefield Prisons, there was an initial cohort of female prisoners, there were some nuances on the support they needed, but they needed drug abuse support etc. There were contributory factors such as some previous trauma with females around domestic abuse or sexual assault with them as victims. Close work has taken place with Alana House in Reading who primarily provided support for women in that area.]  

(2)  The PCC was asked why there was no operational police representation on the Executive Board. In addition, there were other pilots taking place where one of the other issues for prison leavers was the universal credit process. DWP work coaches and support officers were being placed in prisons to help with this element. Was this part of RESTART or was this a gap in the provision of the service?

[The PCC referred to the work being carried out which had found for example, that 33% of prison release took place on a Friday afternoon, which caused a particular problem for leavers and for organisations.

The membership of the Executive Board consisted of those organisations and partners who were actively involved with the project when it was MOJ funded. Below the Board level, there were interactions with the Police, DWP and around the Integrated Offender Management. The Board was purely for governance and finance.]

(3)  Reference was made to prolific offenders who after rehabilitation, were then brought back into the criminal justice system, which was counterproductive for the individual who had been on the road to recovery. The PCC was asked for his view on this.

[The PCC said this would depend on the offences but that victims should see justice done. There was of course, an issue of what went on inside prisons, which was not within his remit.

There were challenges around the prison system and police involvement in investigating crimes inside.]

RESOLVED – That the report and the information provided by the PCC be noted.

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