The Safe Durham Partnership has produced an Reducing Re-offending Strategy 2011-14. You can download a copy below.
Reducing Re-offending Strategy 2011-14.pdf (28 pages, 253kb)
'Sent to Prison' is a guide for families and friends of someone who has been remanded in custody or sentenced to prison or a young offenders institution. You can download a copy of the leaflet from below.
Sent to Prison.pdf (4 pages, 864kb)
Reducing Re-offending Thematic Group
Nationally, it is estimated that approximately 10% of the active offender population are responsible for half of all crime and that a very small proportion of offenders (0.5%) are responsible for one in ten offences. By focusing on reducing the re-offending rate of existing offenders we will see fewer victims of crime and safer communities.
Priorities
Our long term priorities are to:
- Reduce the rate of re-offending of adults and young people across County Durham
- Reduce first time entrants into the youth justice system
Achievements
The Partnership’s commitment to reducing the number of children and young people entering the criminal justice system has been recognised through the success of the Pre-Reprimand Disposal Scheme.
Young people who enter the criminal justice system for low-level offences risk limiting their future employment chances. The pre-reprimand disposal scheme gives young people a second chance to avoid a criminal record.
The scheme has resulted in a 71% reduction in first time entrants to the youth justice system. It has also achieved a 50% reduction in re-offending after a PRD compared to after a Police reprimand, and has received national recognition.
The Partnership’s Integrated Offender Management (IOM) program – known as the Castle Project – has been developed and implemented across the whole of County Durham.
The program provides all agencies engaged in local criminal justice with a single coherent structure for the management of repeat offenders.
The program has resulted in a number of offenders desisting their offending behaviour, freeing themselves of drug addiction and adopting positive lifestyles. This has been achieved by:
- Tackling the social exclusion of offenders and their families
- Improving access to accommodation
- Aligning the work of local criminal justice agencies and their partners more effectively
- Simplifying and strengthening governance of offender management
The program has contributed to significant reductions in crime and re-offending.