Divert schemes
Integrated Offender Management (IOM) sees partner agencies working together to ensure that offenders who cause the most damage and harm are identified, managed and rehabilitated.
There are many diversionary schemes in place across the force, all of which have one aim – to reduce re-offending by identifying what makes an offender break the law. By finding out what this ‘trigger’ is, we can identify which scheme is best for the individual.
There are a number of different diversionary pathways.
Drugs and alcohol
- two-thirds of prisoners use illegal drugs in the year before imprisonment
- alcohol is linked to 30 per cent of sexual offences, 33 per cent of burglaries and 50 per cent of all violent crimes
Education, training and employment
- being employed can reduce the risk of re-offending by one-third
- there is a link between offending, poor literacy, language and numeracy skills and low achievement
- petty criminals, particularly teenagers, are diverted away from offending by being offered alternatives to police cautions or court hearings
- many are helped to complete self-improvement courses – like the Prince’s Trust programme - and given continued support via partner agencies and charities
Accommodation and support
- one-third of prisoners do not have a settled place to live prior to custody
- accommodation can reduce re-offending by more than a fifth
Thinking, attitudes and behaviour
- offenders are more likely to have negative social attitudes and poor self-control
- successfully addressing their attitudes, thinking and behaviour may reduce re-offending by up to 14 per cent
Finance, benefits and debt
- around 48 per cent of prisoners have a history of debt, which gets worse for a third of them during custody
- 81 per cent of offenders claim benefit on release from prison
Children and families
- strong relationships with families can play a major role in helping offenders to change
Mental and physical health
- offenders are more likely to suffer from mental and physical health problems and also have high rates of alcohol misuse
- 31 per cent of adult prisoners were found to have emotional wellbeing issues linked to their offending behaviour