£3M to reduce reoffending rates
30 January 2008
Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill today announced a £3m investment in the Turnaround Project as part of the Scottish Government's drive to reduce reoffending levels.
The service targets young male offenders aged between 16 and 30, who are failing in other community based alternatives or who have had multiple remand or short term sentences. The overall objective is to achieve a significant impact on re-offending rates for offenders in this age group and particularly those with serious drug and alcohol addictions.
The service will be based in the North Strathclyde and South West Criminal Justice Authority areas and will include a 12-bed short-term residential unit and 4 community-based day support programmes operating across the two CJA areas.
Speaking during a visit to Irvine to officially launch the first of four community-based day support projects, Mr MacAskill said:
"I believe this project can help provide a radical approach to tackling one of the biggest problems in our society - how to offer often damaged and damaging young men a path out of crime.
"This innovative service will pilot new ways of delivering services to a difficult to reach group and has been carefully designed to ensure men with drug and alcohol addictions can be dealt with more effectively. If we can begin to tackle the root causes of reoffending then we stand a better chance of cutting crime.
"I would like to acknowledge the substantial financial commitment being made from a number of charitable funding sources to support the project over the coming three years.
"One of the Government's main priorites is funding new ways of responding to entrenched problems of substance misuse. Showing those who have opted out of life that there is a more rewarding alternative to a life of crime will not be easy, but a crucial aspect of changing criminal behaviour is improving their training and employment prospects, building a bit of self-esteem, and getting them fit for life and work.
"This is something we are determined to address in our action plan to revitalise community penalties but are already progressing through our support for initiatives such as the Turnaround Project
"We need to target the root causes of repeat offending and low level crime which blights communities up and down the country. A more high-profile police presence and cracking down on the availability of cheap drink to teenagers will begin to address this. But giving young men who have lost their way another chance is also crucial if we are to develop a real culture of responsibility in this country - and cut crime.
"It's clear that young men who continue along the path of addiction and offending are likely to end up in custody if they fail to receive some sort of support. Often these are frequent and fairly short periods of custody - what I want to do is slow the revolving door, help turn people's lives around and give them and the communities in which they live a fresh start.
"In November I announced an action plan to revitalise community penalties - no one isunder the illusion that they are the perfect solution. However, I am committed to a system whereby punishment should include reparation whenever possible, providing some form of positive payback to the community they have damaged.
"We will make revamped Community Service orders available in all levels of criminal court in Scotland, ensuring payback can be imposed in every case where it would be appropriate. And for the first time community service will include an element of activity other than unpaid work such as debt awareness training and support to help move an offender into employment.
"Short prison sentences often fail to demonstrate to the offender that there is a more rewarding alternative to a life of crime. As well as benefiting the local community, effective community penalties can help an offender address underlying problems, improve employment prospects and build a sense of routine and self-esteem. This can lead to a future which is free from offending - and that is what we all want.
"I want our penal policy to include a range of appropriate punishments - prison for serious and dangerous criminals as well as tough community penalties for less serious offenders. By making the range of community penalties available to the courts as robust as possible we can help ensure they are used with confidence in all appropriate cases."
Christine Scullion, Assessment Manager for the Robertson Trust, representatives of the independent funders on the project's Steering Group, said:
"A third of the funding for this innovative project is being provided by independent trusts and The Big Lottery. Scottish Trusts investing in the project include the Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland; the Gannochy Trust and The Robertson Trust.
"It has been a long road with lots of hard work along the way and I am delighted that this project is now up and running and welcoming its first clients. I'd like to take this opportunity to praise Turning Point Scotland for developing the partnership with Apex Scotland and The Venture Trust. All of the independent funders are confident that this project will be able to make a real difference to the futures of these young men."
Netta Maciver, Chief Executive of Turning Point Scotland, said:
"Turning Point Scotland is delighted that the past two years of planning and fundraising will now move forward to produce real service delivery. Our experience of working with women, through the 218 service tells us that we can turn lives around. This service will reach closer into communities, working with the young men who cause them problems, in ways that reduce these problems, reduces their offending, their violence, their alcohol and drug use and ultimately connects them back to the community they belong to."
NOTES FOR NEWS EDITORS
1. The project is designed to target young male offenders aged between 16 and 30, who are failing in other community based alternatives or who have had multiple remand orshort term sentences. The overall objective is to achieve a significant impact on reoffending rates for offenders in this age group and particularly those with serious addictions issues (both drugs and alcohol). With referrals coming from the courts, criminal justice social work and the Scottish Prison Service, Turnaround will offer assessment, support planning, one to one and group interventions to service users within their own communities.
2. The service will be based in the North Strathclyde and South West CJA areas and will include a 12 bed short-term residential unit and 4 community-based day supportprogrammes operating across the two CJA areas. The model for this project draws very heavily on the successful 218 project in Glasgow for women offenders operated by Turning Point Scotland on behalf of the local authority.
3. Turning Point Scotland are the project sponsors but supported by its voluntary sector partners of Apex Scotland and Venture Trust, thus adding employment and outward bound opportunities. Turning Point Scotland have carried out widespread consultations with a range of agencies and organisations across the two CJA areas and all have been very supportive of the initiative.
4. The programme in Irvine is the first of the day support programmes to be up and running and started earlier this month. Suitable accommodation is yet to be identified for the residential unit.
5. A third of the funding for this project is being provided by independent Trusts and The Big Lottery. Independent trusts providing funding include: the Henry Smith Charity; Monument Trust; Dulverton Trust; Esmee Fairbaurn Foundation; Tudor Trust and the KPMG Foundation. Scottish Trusts investing are the Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland; Gannochy Trust and The Robertson Trust.