Further funding announced for offender rehabilitation project

A pilot project to reduce reoffending by prisoners and former prisoners is to receive additional Scottish Government funding following encouraging intial results.

The Low Moss Public Social Partnership, which supports around 750 prisoners and ex-offenders a year, will be given a further £200,000, extending its current term until March 2017.

Jointly designed and delivered by the public and third sectors, the Low Moss project helps short-term prisoners access suitable housing, apply for jobs and increase their qualifications. It works to improve relationships with their families and communities, supporting them in prison and helping them to feel settled and adapt to life once they leave prison.

Prisoners are allocated a keyworker who will create a personal care plan for them, working with them for the duration of their sentence, and up to a year after they leave, to help them access the right services at the right time.

Results from the first year of the pilot in 2013-14 found that of the 201 prisoners released, only 30 had returned to custody by 2014. Half of those helped reported that their living situation and psychological wellbeing had improved through the project, while one man who had not been out of custody for longer than six weeks in 17 years has now spent the last 18 months in the community.

Housing and Welfare Minister Margaret Burgess commented: “Before the [project], some of these prisoners were in and out of prison on a regular basis and were not getting support to find a house, a job or do anything constructive with their time. However this scheme aims to change that and support offenders by getting them the advice they need on issues like housing, and also helping to improve their qualifications and employment prospects.

“It is helping to reduce reoffending and motivating people to take a more positive path in life once they leave prison. The encouraging results from the interim evaluation show the effectiveness of the work and demonstrate there will be a further positive impact on wider communities.”

Turning Point Scotland’s chief executive, Martin Cawley added: “We would like to thank the Scottish Government for their ongoing support, which makes a significant difference to reducing offending and ultimately turn the lives round of the people we support.

“This provides a steady platform to focus on the future sustainability of the service, so that it continues to meet the needs of the people it supports to address the underlying issues which contribute to their offending behaviour.”