A Solution to Reducing the Re-offending Rate

Mr Jim Davis after completing an electronics degree and spending 30 years in the IT industry, heading his own UK and international companies, is now chairman of that, monitors the whole progression of a learner throughout a training framework, in both vocational and work based learning environments and delivers instantaneous information on students’ progress towards qualifications and whatever might follow from that. Of particular interest to the Review is a pilot carried out mainly in the SE, including Springfield Open Prison, that focused attention on tracking pre and post release information about individuals within the prison system. Eye catching was the claim made by the company, and placed on the web that, during the trial, 277 beneficiaries of a rehabilitation scheme were released from prison of which, of the NOMS statistics held, 96 could have been expected to re-offend. In the event just 18 did so. Perspective then dared to extrapolate to claim that, if the scheme be used throughout the Prison Service, £billions could be saved and the problem of prison overcrowding reduced.

The Prison Service is bringing offender education very much in line with mainstream education. Would it make sense to integrate them?
JD Absolutely, the fact that one is called a student and the other an offender is irrelevant, the concept is precisely the same.

What needs to be done to get the project moving?
JD The process starts by building-up a history file on the subject offender, e.g. age, ethnic origin, training, qualifications and so on.Then a time-line of events while the offender has been in the institution is constructed, which is mostly to do with training and medical aspects, all entered and stored in a computer. But the key to the success of the project is the work of the relay and support workers, the Mentors, who typically are ex-offenders who work for groups like the St Giles Trust or NACRO.They start working with the offender about three months prior to release with the aim of getting them ready to face the world outside in good order, for example making sure they have accommodation, medical support, a bank account, a National Insurance Number, job interviews or training lined up. The Mentor joins the offender on the day of release, takes them through the gate and sets them off on the right line. They continue to track them to make sure everything is going OK, if they are still in work or training; still have accommodation, medical attention and so on. Thus the mentors fill the gap between prison and probation. Throughout, the software tracks the process and is able to supply information instantaneously for whatever action is needed to be taken.

Sounds very straightforward but is it as simple as it sounds?
JD In my view many people released from prison were not equipped to exist on the outside and took to re-offending as a means of survival.They were falling in the gap between the care taken of them by the Prison Service and the care available from the Probation Service. In a lot of instances offenders had no bank account, no national insurance number and thus lacked an identity so that, even if they found a job, they couldn’t be paid!

Headline….Criminal Re-offending Rate Slashed…..how has that been done?
JD In simple terms, it’s the whole process that has led to the welcome achievement and we do not claim that it’s because of the software alone.The Tri Region project lasted 12 months and during that period 277 beneficiaries of the scheme left custody; the expected re-offending rate, according to NOMS stats for that period, was 35%. Thus the number expected to re-offend was 96; in the event it was 18, 6.5%.

We all know statistics can be calculated from carefully selected information so I think we ought to test that claim before we go any further. For starters, how were the 277 beneficiaries selected?
JD By a totally open selection from among prisoners approaching release.The only other criterion was that they had to agree to be monitored. Just to emphasise the point, we did not select those with good qualifications, or who came from a good background, or that he was a good guy; all they had to do was opt in. there was no incentive promised.The scheme starts three months prior to release when various rehabilitation courses begin, progress is tracked using the software and a profile is compiled. The inmates are assisted by the Mentors who are mostly ex-offenders who have made the break and ‘come good’ for want of a better expression. They give support in the preparation phase in prison, through and after the release process. I think the need for such a scheme is blindingly obvious.

Did you take it further?
JD I wrote to Jack Straw to ask whether he was aware of the result of the pilot and if so would there be any further action? He replied, thanking us for a good job, a fantastic result, however there was only so much money and it’s to be spent on a different project. But Equally Engaged could be stopping people re-offending and saving money right now, that is today as we speak, that is if they had kept it going. My measured reply is that, while the Prison Service might be developing a far reaching more integrated system why not extend the pilot until the other is ready?
Note: Since this interview, Jack Straw, MP wrote again and set up a meeting with David Hanson, which was very positive and a review of the software was set up.

Have you approached the Scottish Prison Service with Equally Engaged?
JD No, but I would be interested to know why you ask.

They have a much smaller number of prisons and they pride themselves in recognising good ideas and then implementing quickly.

It has been a very interesting chat and thank you for taking time out to speak with the Review.