Written evidence from Catch22 (PB 44)
Catch22 is a local charity with a national
reach. We work with young people who find themselves in difficult
situations. We believe every young
person deserves the chance to get on in life - no matter what.
Whatever the reason for their situation, we help them out. We
work with their families and their communities wherever and whenever
young people need us most. As young people become more positive,
productive and independent, the whole community benefits. We work
with over 37,000 young people in 120 projects across the UK.
Catch22 has a longstanding history of working on
criminal justice issues - in both our previous charities Rainer
and Crime Concern. In 1876 Frederick Rainer established the London
Police Court Mission which later became the national Probation
Service in 1938.
Catch22 is a founding member of the Transition to
Adulthood (T2A) Alliance and has produced three policy reports
on behalf of the Alliance, Universities of Crime, A
New Start and the Young Adult Manifesto. For further
information about the T2A Alliance please visit www.t2a.org.uk
INTRODUCTION
Catch22 welcomes this inquiry by the Justice Select
Committee into the role of probation services. We particularly
welcome the remit of the inquiry into to the role of the probation
service in handling different groups of offenders appropriately,
particularly young adults. This response will focus on: commissioning
of probation services, the role of the voluntary sector; the introduction
of restorative justice and the needs of young adults.
As a member of the Transition to Adulthood Alliance
(T2A), Catch22 endorses the views put forward in the T2A submission.
COMMISSIONING OF
PROBATION SERVICES
Catch22 would like to see greater opportunities for
the voluntary sector in the delivery of probation services and
other work with offenders. We recommend the following changes
to commissioning practice:
— Involve
the voluntary sector, and others with expertise in what is effective,
from the start in the development of policy and practice,
— Commission
across traditional age boundaries - in particular pulling together
support and ensuring a smooth transition from the youth offending
service to adult probation services,
— Implement
Payment by Results in a way that is carefully designed and takes
account of supply chain challenges, for example ensuring the voluntary
sector can start working with people whilst they are in prison
and can receive referrals from statutory agencies,
— Open
up the market and level the playing field for voluntary sector
providers, and
— Commission
services in a way that ensures more holistic support for offenders
across various services eg ensuring criminal justice agencies
work with housing services, health and mental health services,
job centre plus and other agencies that can help reduce reoffending.
This is argued in our Catch22 Ready or Not campaign attached as
supplementary evidence.
Primarily Catch22 would like to see a diverse
provider market for probation services with a range of organisation
sizes. This is most effective as it has the capacity to both manage
high levels of contracts as well as deliver niche services at
a local level.
Many of the benefits from diversity and contestability
arise not simply from large-scale transfers from one sector to
another but from opening up the possibility for the best provider,
from across the different sectors, to deliver a service.
There is some evidence that quasi-markets have had a positive
impact across public service areas from education through drug
and alcohol treatment and into criminal justice. It is often not
just the services that are transferred to other providers that
improve. The impact of competitive forces and the threat of transfer
can spur improvements within existing service providers[28].
However, the voluntary sector's relative lack of
access to finance represents a significant barrier to market entry.
Voluntary organizations historically lack amassed resources and
traditionally have found it difficult to access capital from mainstream
financial services (much more geared towards catering to the private
sector). The Social Investment Bank, to which the government is
committed, should help to overcome some of these barriers. Furthermore
we recommend that the piloting of Social Impact Bonds in Peterborough
be rolled out further to test this innovative approach to funding.
Catch22 welcomes plans to introduce payment by results
into rehabilitation work with offenders. However, Catch22 believes
the establishment of such schemes must to done in conjunction
with the voluntary sector and others providing the services in
order to focus on the right outcomes.
What role should the private and voluntary sector
play?
Catch22 believe the voluntary sector can run probation
trusts and would like to see these put out for competitive tender.
Traditionally charities have been given small pieces of work with
offenders on the outskirts of statutory provision. This does not
give the opportunity for charities to make a real difference that
is offered by running offender management services and designing
services in a way that supports offenders.
The voluntary sector has a unique value in helping
to identify individual and community needs and in finding innovative
solutions. At the time of economic crisis, it is even more important
that government works in conjunction with voluntary sector providers
to ensure they are able to continue this vital role working with
offenders and ex-offenders.
Voluntary sector providers are able to provide flexible
services to those often missed by statutory service providers.
Many people who have disengaged or do not respond well to other
services are willing to engage with voluntary providers. This
may be a reflection of distrust of statutory agencies, particularly
amongst those who have previously been in trouble with the law
who often feel more comfortable approaching a voluntary agency.
In addition, the passion of staff and volunteers,
and the fact that many voluntary sector projects are started in
response to a particular need means that there is often greater
capacity for innovation within third sector organisations. Individuals
or community groups working directly with service users can identify
needs which are currently unmet by existing services, and have
knowledge and experience of the types of solutions which often
prove most effective. The voluntary sector can also enhance participation
of ex-offenders and their families, and help provide volunteering
opportunities for ex-offenders across the criminal justice system.[29]
The voluntary sector is able to offer a more joined-up
approach to meeting the needs of offenders and their communities
across a broad range of issues. We know from our own work that
integrated approaches across issue-areas are more effective. One
of the key goals when trying to help vulnerable groups is in joining
up existing services and providing integrated packages of care
tailored to the needs of the individual. This is particularly
important when working with ex-offenders who need to access mainstream
support services in the community—outside the criminal justice
agencies.
Finally, there is scope for innovative ways of working
with the private sector. Catch22 is part of an Alliance with Serco
and Turning Point which we believe will result in better resettlement
services for young people in prison and lower reoffending rates
as young people move on into productive lives.
Serco, Catch22 and Turning Point
Catch22 relationship with Serco and Turning Point
dates back to 2006, when we formed an alliance with the shared
aim of reducing offending. Partnerships between third sector and
private sector organisations can be extremely effective because
of the breadth and quality of experience and expertise the different
partners bring to the table. In this case, Serco bring their experience
in the custodial sector, change management and organisational
skills. Turning Point their expertise in delivering drug and alcohol
services and Catch22, our experience of dealing with young people
in extremely difficult situations, as well as our community links.
Catch22 believes that effective and coordinated resettlement
is the key to helping young offenders get their lives back on
track. Those at risk of becoming lost in the prison system must
be assessed at an earlier stage and receive planned support.
Joyce Moseley, chief executive of Catch22 says "If
we want to stop young people committing crime in our communities,
we need to provide resettlement services that deliver meaningful
interventions that start sooner, last longer and provide real
opportunities for them to reintegrate with, and make a positive
contribution to, their communities. This must include brokering
relationships with housing and accommodation services, education,
routes to employment and restoring links with family and other
supportive networks, as well as giving something back to the community."
Could probation make more use of restorative justice?
Catch22 fully supports the principles of restorative
justice and supports the expansion of restorative justice schemes
across the criminal justice system where appropriate.
Restorative Justice (RJ) has been shown to be beneficial
for victims and is more successful at reducing reoffending than
traditional criminal justice responses. The Prison Reform Trust's
recent research on restorative justice in Northern Ireland has
shown that diverting young people into restorative solutions reduced
reoffending.[30]
Research carried out by the Youth Justice Board has shown that
79% of victims involved in Restorative Justice felt able to put
the offence behind them and 70% felt that young people understood
better the effects of their offending. Restorative Justice projects
can bring together victims, members of the community and young
offenders to look at ways that young people can be held accountable
for their actions and "repair" the harm they have done.
Research also indicates that RJ can be more cost-effective
intervention than other interventions, and is certainly more cost-effective
than custody.[31]
For example, the T2A Alliance commissioned Matrix Evidence to
conduct cost benefit research into the cost benefit of diverting
young adults from community sentences into pre-court restorative
justice conference schemes. Matrix found that it is likely to
produce a lifetime cost saving to society of almost £7,050
per offender. Over the course of 10 years implementation of such
a scheme would be likely to lead to a total net benefit to society
during this period of over £1 billion.[32]
Catch22 would like to see greater use of RJ within
probation services than is currently available. The benefits of
RJ that are currently being seen within the youth justice system
could be extended to the adult system. However, in order to receive
the benefit, projects must be properly funded and supported. Effective
RJ involves time, genuine engagement with both offenders and victims,
and skilled people who can steer RJ conferences towards solutions
where appropriate.
Does the probation service have the capacity to
cope with a move away from short custodial sentences?
Catch22 has argued we need to move away from short
custodial sentences to more effective community sentences. Community
sentences have lower reoffending rates and provide a range of
positive outcomes in comparison with prison - primarily community
sentences allow people to maintain the factors that support future
desistance including family ties, relationships, a job, home life
and any treatment or counselling programmes delivered in the community.
However, community sentences still need to work better
particularly for offenders with chaotic lifestyles and high levels
of need. Too many young adults do not complete their sentence
and end up in prison through breach for non-compliance.
Community sentence should be accompanied by much
higher levels of assertive "outreach" and support. Much
of the evidence shows that relationships are key for helping young
people move away from crime. Current high caseloads for probation
officers mean that building the necessary relationships to facilitate
behavioural change is in the majority of cases simply not feasible.
This is where additional social capital should be realised by
bringing in volunteers who can support with building relationships
with offenders.
Where the evidence shows that intensive working with
young adults on probation and the impact of relationships on desistance,
the government should fund this appropriately. This will save
the taxpayer money in the long-term through reduced reoffending,
fewer victims and safer communities.
Does the probation service handle different groups
of offenders appropriately, eg women, young adults, black and
minority ethnic people?
There is a significant body of evidence and opinion
that we need to take account of the maturity of offenders into
account in their treatment in the criminal justice system, and
that this should extend up until the mid-20s. While 18 marks the
legal watershed between child and adult, childhood and, particularly,
adolescence are contested concepts that change considerably over
time and between societies.[33]
As a member of the T2A Alliance, Catch22 campaigns
for the recognition of young adults as a distinct group in the
criminal justice system on account of their developing maturity,
distinct needs and social factors that impact upon them. This
age group has specific needs and should be treated as a distinct
group in the criminal justice system[34]
and we therefore fully endorse the principle of working with young
adult offenders in an appropriate and tailored way.
We believe the probation service should give special
consideration to those offenders aged between 18 and 25 years
old. Please see the T2A submission for further evidence on young
adults.
September 2010
28 Le Grand, J (2003) "Motivation, Agency and
Public Policy," Oxford University Press. Back
29
Baroness Neuberger, Volunteering, 2009. Back
30
Prison Reform Trust, 2009. Among young people under 18 in Northern
Ireland, for example, 40% who had gone through the restorative
justice conferencing order committed another crime within a year,
compared to 71% of those who had been put in prison. We welcome
the Justice Minister's recent commitment to maximize restorative
justice opportunities throughout the criminal justice system (22
July 2010). Back
31
Dr Lawrence W Sherman and Dr Heather Strang, restorative Justice:
The Evidence, The Smith Institute, 2007; Primary Justice, LGiU,
2009. Back
32
Matrix Evidence, Economic Analysis of interventions for young
adult offenders, November 2009. Back
33
Muncie, John, Youth and Crime: A Critical Introduction.,
2004. Back
34
The Transition to Adulthood Alliance, A New Start: Young Adults
in the Criminal Justice System, 2009. Back
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