Turnaround For Young Male Offenders

Plans for a pilot project to target drug misusing young male offenders and those with other underlying problems have been announced by the Scottish Executive.

Offenders in the 16-to-30 age group will be referred to the ‘Turnaround’ project, where other community-based alternatives have proved unsuccessful or if the individual has had multiple remand or short-term prison sentences.

Turning Point Scotland (TPS) and other voluntary agency partners, backed by Executive funding, are developing community-based day programmes, with the intention to begin operating in Dumbarton, Inverclyde, Paisley and Ayrshire, and Dumfries and Galloway by the summer.

Longer term proposals for a 14-bed short-term residential unit, as part of the project, are also being discussed by TPS with key stakeholders, including the new Community Justice Authorities (CJAs) and local authorities, in these areas.

Turnaround will focus strongly on substance misusers, as well as offenders who have experienced homelessness, mental health problems or who lack coping/social skills.

It will offer structured programmes involving one-to-one support, rolling provision of tailored interventions such as anger management, relapse prevention and parenting, as well as employment and outward bound components.

Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson said: “Crime in Scotland is falling and serious violent crime is its lowest level since devolution. But if we are to continue driving down crime as we have in recent years, we must break the cycle of offending and re-offending by those, often young males, who repeatedly flout the law.

“That means taking swift and, importantly, effective action to tackle criminal behaviour and help turn young offenders away from those paths that can lead to a life of crime. We have provided initial funding for the development of the proposal and agreed to funding in principle for a pilot period, after which the project will be subject to a full review.

“The Turnaround programmes will aim to significantly reduce the reoffending rates of the offenders referred to them, to tackle the amount of acquisitive crimes committed to pay for illegal drugs and to reduce the level of drug misuse itself.

“This will be the smart option, not a soft option, to tackle their offending behaviour and help turn them away from a cycle of crime and custody. The programmes will also seek to improve the well-being and the education and employment opportunities of the offenders referred.

“Turnaround can build on existing community-based criminal justice disposals, as well as the new Throughcare Addiction Service. It provides the courts, criminal justice social work and the Scottish Prison Service with additional options to help offenders turn their backs on crime. By tackling the underlying factors that contribute to offending behaviour we can reduce re-offending and continue building safer, stronger communities across Scotland.”

Netta Maciver, Chief Executive of Turning Point Scotland, added: “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 new service provides Turning Point Scotland the opportunity to show that offending and drug misuse can also be reduced for young men.”

Background:

Turnaround will operate community-based day support services in the new Community Justice Authority areas of North Strathclyde and South West Scotland.

The project will be available for referrals from the courts, the Scottish Prison Service and criminal justice social work teams, at the most appropriate time to deal with individuals’ offending behaviour.

Initially each offender on the programme will undertake two one-hour sessions per week, dealing with issues identified in an initial support plan. This will provide structured programmes that move through all relevant issues to the offender’s behaviour, such as substance misuse and its consequences and the impact on victims.

Final arrangements for the project have yet to be concluded, but it is anticipated that the service could deal with up to 400 young male offenders per year.

The Executive has provided pound25,000 for the pilot proposal to be developed and has agreed in principle to co-fund the pilot itself alongside significant funding secured from charitable sector partners including The Big Lottery Fund. Discussions about the amount of funding to be provided are on-going.

Turning Point Scotland provides person-centred support to adults with a range of services. In 2005-06, TPS supported over 10,000 people through its services which are located in both rural and urban Scotland.

Three voluntary sector partners, Turning Point Scotland, Apex and Venture Trust will deliver the service with the Scottish Executive, nine charitable trusts and The Big Lottery Fund providing the required funding.