Implementing for desistance

Content

Case summary
Inspector’s comments
Take-away learning

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The implementation and delivery of services should support the service user’s desistance effectively. Practitioners should:

  • ensure that the delivered services are those most likely to reduce reoffending and support desistance, with sufficient attention given to sequencing and the available timescales
  • wherever possible, ensure that the delivered services build on the service user’s strengths and enhance protective factors
  • coordinate the involvement of other organisations in delivering services effectively
  • where appropriate, engage key individuals in the service user’s life to support their desistance
  • ensure that the level and nature of contact are sufficient to reduce reoffending and support desistance
  • engage local services to support and sustain desistance during the sentence and beyond.

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Case summary

Wayne is a 25-year-old British Muslim male sentenced to two years in custody for theft and possession of Class B drugs. He was on licence at the time of the offences and consequently recalled. He was assessed as medium risk of harm to the public and staff due to previous convictions for violence, and aggression towards staff.

Wayne converted to Islam at the age of 18. Before his release, he was allocated to a faith and cohesion worker, who referred him to a local faith based community organisation, that supports those newly converted to Islam. Support was provided throughout his licence and post-sentence supervision period by two local faith based community organisations to secure him accommodation and support him to attend a local Mosque.

Wayne has a history of drug misuse (mamba). Before the current sentence, this had affected his ability to maintain a tenancy and consistently engage with supervision. In light of this, the responsible officer made sure that housing and substance misuse interventions were prioritised in the delivery of the most recent sentence plan.

Despite three county moves, the responsible officer and their line manager decided not to transfer Wayne’s case immediately. The two local faith based community organisations provided consistent support throughout the first 12 weeks. This supported the responsible officer in making referrals to housing services and to education, training and employment providers, once Wayne had achieved a level of stability within the community.

Interventions to support desistance were well coordinated; Wayne was seen weekly throughout the first 12 weeks of his licence, and home visits were carried out by both the responsible officer and a local faith based community organisation. He was supported to maintain a tenancy and abstain from drug use. Offence-focused work was also started once Wayne was stable in accommodation.

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Inspector’s comments

The responsible officer in this case used their past knowledge and experience of the service user to help determine the approach to take this time. Although Wayne did have a history of aggressive and abusive behaviour, reports from prison had been more positive since he converted to Islam, and Wayne’s faith was recognised as a significant protective factor from further offending. As a consequence, the responsible officer made the necessary referrals to the appropriate faith-based organisations who could support Wayne on release.

The responsible officer ensured that an appropriate level of contact was maintained throughout the licence period and appointments were coordinated well. Wayne was seen on a weekly basis, either by the responsible officer or a local faith based community organisation. All agencies provided feedback, and nDelius was kept up to date with the work completed.

Finding suitable accommodation and abstaining from substance misuse were identified as priorities and necessary interventions, before other offence-focused work could take place. These were delivered immediately on release, given the impact that both factors had had on previous supervision. As a consequence, the responsible officer and the local faith based community organisation worked tirelessly to support Wayne with these issues throughout the sentence. It was great to see that, by the six-month point, Wayne was in stable accommodation, had remained drug free and was attending college full time. The progress he had made was profound.

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Take-aways – applying the learning  

  1. The criminal justice agencies, in this case the prison and probation staff, had identified the conversion to Islam as a strength and saw the wider faith community as a pivotal agent of support. Do you think about enlisting the support of faith or community organisations to help the service user turn their life around? How will this impact on your future practice?
  2. In your practice, how do you break down and implement the order to support desistance? For example, supporting access to education/training/work or community-based services
  3. In this case, the service user’s conversion to a new faith was his ‘turning point’ and provided an opportunity to seek sources of support in the community. How do you capitalise on turning points, for example gaining strong support from cultural and ethnic communities?

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This case summary is intended for training/learning purposes and includes a fictional name.