Crime reduction programme
The resettlement of short-term prisoners: an evaluation of seven Pathfinder programmes
This document is published for archival/historical purposes. It will not be updated.
The majority of adults released from prison each year are short-term prisoners, serving on average a 12-month sentence. Once released, there is no subjection to any statutory supervision dealing with issues associated with resettlement. This report by the Research, Development and Statistics (RDA) is an evaluation of seven pilot programmes aimed to reduce reoffending through resettlement work, provided in custody and for up to three months post-release on a voluntary basis.
Title: The resettlement of short-term prisoners: an evaluation of seven Pathfinder programmes
Author: Home Office RDS
Series: Findings 200
Number of pages: 4
Date published: September 2003
Pathfinders
Six resettlement 'Pathfinders' were established in 1999, with a seventh added in 2001. Of the original six Pathfinders:
three were led by the probation services
three were led by experienced voluntary organisations working with offenders in custody and the community
three of the seven used a short programme, Focus on Resettlement (FOR), based on motivational and cognitive behavioural principles.
Pathfinder emphasis was placed upon importance of providing a co-ordinated approach, either directly or in partnership with the voluntary sector, to practical resettlement problems such as:
lack of accommodation
low educational attainment
unemployment and substance abuse.
Details of the seven projects can be found in the full report.
Aims
The evaluation examined both Pathfinder effectiveness toward:
cost-efficiency in addressing resettlement needs of short-sentence prisoners
ability to motivate participants to pursue targets for personal change
participation in voluntary resettlement arrangements for short-term prisoners.
The Pathfinder: problems and services delivered
Offender recruitment of the Pathfinder programmes was on a voluntary basis. Project staff were asked to say which problem had the highest priority for each prisoner, which most frequently related to accommodation, drugs and alcohol.
The main services delivered inside prison included:
one-to-one advice and support
' welfare' work on prisoners' behalf (ie contacting employers or housing agencies)
referrals to other agencies
in the probation-led Pathfinders related programmes (mainly FOR).
Participants' views and experiences
Over 70% of the prisoners interviewed stated that they had gained benefits from the project. Among the relatively small group (110) contacted by the evaluators post-release, there was a small increase in the number in employment, but there had been a small 'net loss' of permanent accommodation.
Organisation and delivery of resettlement work
Pathfinder barriers to effective delivery of resettlement services included:
lack of commitment to the resettlement initiative from some partner prisons
a shortage of suitably trained staff and a high staff turn over
time consuming assessment procedures
major deficiencies in services available to prisoners and ex-prisoners, especially through organisations outside the criminal justice system.
Lessons for future resettlement work
Information gathered from case management records and interviews with project staff and offenders enabled the evaluation team to make a number of recommendations for improving the delivery of future resettlement work. These included the need for:
strong, professional management and leadership
genuine prison / probation / voluntary sector partnership in delivering resettlement services
better prison facilities
improved partnership working with the JobCentre Plus
local authorities and relevant voluntary / private sector agencies
access to a wider range of suitable housing, including drug rehabilitation centres.
Conclusions
The Pathfinders demonstrated the potential to change offender attitudes and behaviour, whilst maintaining contact at a much higher level than previously demonstrated by voluntary after-care services. Key factors needed combine systematic risk/need assessment with appropriate targeting of services, good case management, effective partnership with relevant service providers and some attention to prisoners' thinking and motivation (as offered, for example, by the FOR programme). At this stage it is not possible to measure the effectiveness to reduce reoffending - a two-year reconviction study of ex-prisoners from the Pathfinder programmes will be undertaken in 2004
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Last update: Wednesday, August 27, 2008