Mentoring focus to continue as way to tackle reoffending

Further funding for mentoring services as a way to reduce reoffending has been announced by Justice Secretary Michael Matheson.

Four schemes supporting individuals leaving prison and in the community, delivered by third sector organisations across Scotland, will benefit from £3.4m of Government support.

They are:

• Shine – a national service for women leaving prison, on remand, or struggling to complete community sentences;
• New Routes – a national service for young men leaving prison;
• Moving On – which supports young men leaving HMP Polmont;
• Tayside Council on Alcohol (TCA) – which provides support for men and women on community sentences and other court orders.

Each organisation works in partnership with the Scottish Prison Service, social work services, and other third sector services, to help men and women to reintegrate into their communities, and not reoffend.

Visiting TCA offices in Dundee, Mr Matheson said: “One-to-one mentoring has been shown to turn people away from crime by helping them address practical or personal problems, such as relationship issues, accessing housing or healthcare, or finding training or work. Supporting people to overcome these challenges can stop them offending in the future.

“This funding follows the £15.5m we have invested [between 2012 and 2017] through the Reducing Reoffending Change Fund, to create new services that offer mentoring for men and women, either to build a new and better life after their release, or to comply with community sentences.”