Probation Works is a new biannual newsletter

Transcription

1 PROBATION WORKS Issue 01 January 2016 SENTENCER NEWSLETTER Welcome from (Acting) Director Cheryl Lamont Probation Works is a new biannual newsletter designed specifically for sentencers to keep them informed of relevant operational developments within the Probation Board for Northern Ireland. Sentencers are key stakeholders for PBNI. We value that relationship and we value your feedback. Like all criminal justice organisations, PBNI is working hard to continue to deliver an effective service against the backdrop of reducing resources. Whilst there have been changes to how we do business our focus remains on delivering an effective and efficient service to our partners, stakeholders and the community across Northern Ireland. Probation in Northern Ireland works. We know that from the various inspections that have taken place, the feedback provided from service users, other stakeholders and indeed from the reconviction data. The most recent reconviction data in shows almost 70% of those released from custody on probation supervision did not reoffend in one year. However we are not complacent. We are continuing to develop our business to ensure we are meeting the needs of the community. In this edition of Probation Works, we ve highlighted some of the new and innovative projects we have developed to help rehabilitate offenders. We also highlight the experiences of people under supervision. In the section real life stories offenders explain the impact the court order and probation supervision has had on their lives. In this issue: Welcome 1 New Projects 4 Community Service 5 Contact details

2 Introduction from Board Chairman Vilma Patterson The Probation Board is an independent, non-departmental public body which works to change lives for safer communities. Our independence and representation from a wide range of community backgrounds enables us to effectively engage and be responsive to the needs of partners, stakeholders and communities. Responding to those needs has led to the development by the Acting Director and her senior team, of a number of innovative and creative new projects and practices which are outlined in this newsletter. Our independent status and community based board has also helped us to extend our reach into local communities and to work collaboratively with a range of voluntary and community organisations. This is now being further enhanced by our role as designated partners in every local Policing and Community Safety Partnerships. PBNI is committed to contributing to faster and fairer justice. We continuously seek to improve our practice and build on our engagement and dialogue with those we work with. Through this ongoing engagement programme and by implementing effective probation practice we believe we can make a major contribution to building confidence and trust in the entire criminal justice system in Northern Ireland. 2

3 Probation What we do PBNI is a statutory organisation that works at every stage of the criminal justice process; at court, in custody and in the community and with victims of crime. Each year we provide almost 10,000 reports to the courts and play a key role in the risk assessment of offenders. Every probation officer in NI is a social worker, professionally qualified and trained in risk assessment and risk management. Evidence shows that having professionally qualified staff is an important reason why probation are so effective in rehabilitating offenders, holding them to account and helping them change their lives for safer communities. The unique skill and value that probation officers bring to the criminal justice system is their ability to engage positively with offenders thereby supporting their desistance from crime. OFFENDER ASSESSMENT A key part of our role is assessing offenders in order to identify their needs; measure change; and ascertain their risk of reoffending. Within PBNI all probation officers are trained in and use a range of established risk assessment tools. This includes using the Assessment, Case Management and Evaluation system (ACE) which enables probation officers to assess the criminogenic needs of offenders, to plan supervision to target appropriate needs, and to use repeat assessments to monitor progress and evaluate how far supervision had been successful. Probation officers also use their professional judgement to assess an individual s risks and needs. PBNI CASELOAD There are approximately 4,400 people on PBNI s caseload. 66% of the caseload is aged % are currently under supervision for sexual offences. 9% were assessed as posing a Risk of Serious Harm. Assault is the most common offence committed. 10% of the caseload is female. COURTS Given the challenging financial situation for all public services, PBNI has recently completed a review of its Business Operating Model. There are a number of recommendations in place which relate to our work with Sentencers and within Courts. Recommendations include: The establishment of a central court liaison team in 2016 will act as a single administration point of contact with courts. We will also provide assessment reports to magistrates courts in a shorter time frame using a new report format. We are planning the use of a specific report for community service which we will pilot in These recommendations will result in probation officers being more accessible to courts and also meet with Departmental priorities of faster, fairer justice. PBNI managers will continue to meet sentencers on a regular basis to update them on progress of these developments. 3

4 New projects ENHANCED COMBINATION ORDER In October 2015 PBNI begun piloting a new community disposal as an alternative to short prison sentences. The Enhanced Combination Order is being piloted in the Court Divisions of Armagh & South Down and Ards for a period of 18 months. The Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan having looked at the high number of very short sentences currently being handed down for minor offences asked PBNI to consider the development of this community alternative. PBNI Acting Director Cheryl Lamont said: We were delighted to respond to the Lord Chief Justice s request to develop an alternative to short prison sentences. The aim of the Enhanced Combination Order is to bring together elements of community supervision, such as community service and restorative justice, with a greater emphasis on victim engagement and judicial oversight. The order will include more intensive supervision and a range of measures to facilitate rehabilitation. The initiative is being led by the Probation Board s Deputy Director, Paul Doran, working closely with partner organisations such as the police and Victim Support. Sir Declan, speaking in November 2015 paid tribute to the speed and creativity demonstrated by PBNI in developing this order. RESET A new mentoring scheme for offenders has been introduced by PBNI and funded through the Northern Ireland Executive Change Fund until March The mentoring service which is delivered by our partners NIACRO supports the work of probation officers and specifically assists offenders at the critical stage of transition from custody to the community. We know that a significant proportion of prisoners released are recalled to custody as a consequence of either failing to comply with the supervisory requirement of release or because of reoffending and we know this often happens within the first few weeks of release. Therefore, leaving prison and the transition to resettlement is a critical point on an offender s life and their desistance journey. The RESET project is targeting all men and women who are assessed as High/Medium risk commencing 4 weeks prior to leaving custody and continues for a maximum of 12 weeks after release. Mentors offer practical support such as assisting offenders find appropriate accommodation, training, employment and accessing services in the community. An interim evaluation has noted positive feedback from offenders, mentors and stakeholders. A full evaluation will take place next year. RESTORATIVE PRACTICE PBNI has been providing restorative interventions over a number of years. However in the last year progress has been made on expanding restorative practices within PBNI. PBNI s restorative practice strategy was approved in March 2014 and a pilot project has commenced with probation working alongside community partners. The pilot project will test out a range of restorative interventions with adult offenders subject to PBNI statutory supervision, including victim offender conferencing. Given their significant impact, offences against the elderly, assaults, interface violence and crimes motivated by hate or prejudice will be a priority. 4

5 Community Service Annually 150,000 hours of community service is delivered across Northern Ireland equating to a reparative value of almost 1million to the community. Community Service is one of the most successful court sentences in terms of preventing reoffending. It is a visible and practical method of ensuring offenders pay something back to the community while at the same time helping them to develop skills they can use in the future which will prevent them continuing in a cycle of crime. Example of community service project WORKING WITH OXFAM IRELAND The Probation Board for Northern Ireland has teamed up with Oxfam Ireland to help offenders pay back to local communities. Offenders are being given a chance to make good for the crimes they have committed by carrying out community service with Oxfam in a large behind-thescenes warehouse in Harbour Industrial Estate. People on community service are trained to scan the books that have been donated and price them individually. They are also trained to spot rare books and limited editions. Each week the sorting warehouse in processes up to 20,000 books. The community service teams help pack up the books and get them ready for delivery to Oxfam shops. PBNI Manager Chris Davies who is responsible for community service in North stated: This project has been really successful in helping rehabilitate offenders. Many of those who have gone through the project have said they got a sense of purpose carrying out the work, as well as developing life-changing skills such as effective communication and team working. The offenders have also gained an understanding of the range of excellent work carried out by Oxfam locally and globally. 5

6 Community Service Example of community service project THE LYRIC THEATRE PBNI are working in partnership with the Lyric Theatre in and have community service squads currently cleaning up the gardens outside the theatre. Community Service Manager for, Gillian Montgomery said: We hope to expand the partnership to have individual placements within the theatre as well as work squads. We continue to look for community service placements that will enable offenders to pay back but also enable them to learn new skills and experience new opportunities. There is evidence to support the fact that involving offenders in arts activities significantly reduces the chances of their reoffending after release so we hope to develop this partnership further. Philip Crawford, Head of Creative Learning for the Lyric said: Much of the work of the Lyric s Creative Learning department focuses on encouraging new patrons to come and visit. We want the Lyric to be a place where everyone feels welcome and at home in a venue which belongs to them. 6

7 Programmes and Interventions PBNI deliver a range of programmes aimed at preventing reoffending. They are delivered in both one to one and group work settings. PBNI programmes are designed to address aspects of an individual s personality, attitudes and behaviours that are linked to offending behaviours. The range of accredited and approved interventions include the following: Sexual Offending: The interventions used to tackle sexual offending include the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) accredited core sex offender group work programme, the Internet Sexual Offending Programme and the adapted one to one intervention. Violence: The interventions for violent offending includes the NOMS accredited domestic abuse Building Better Lives Programme (BBR) and RESOLVE targeted at medium to high risk of general violence. PBNI also deliver the Cognitive Self Change Programme targeted at high risk instrumental violence. General Offending: The general offending interventions include the NOMS accredited thinking skills programme. This programme targets a wide range of offending behaviours and is open to both male and female offenders (over 18 years of age). ONE TO ONE INTERVENTIONS PBNI have also developed a range of one to one interventions to target specific needs of offenders and prevent reoffending. These include Victim Awareness, Hate crime- Accepting Differences, Safer Lives, Respectful Relationships Intervention, Alcohol Brief Intervention, Substance Misuse, Anger Management, Problem Solving, and Motivational Enhancement. 7

8 Real Life stories Probation has given me the chance to have a future with my children Paul received a Determinate Custodial Sentence which consisted of an 18 month custodial phase and 24 months on licence. This is Paul s story. Paul experienced an unsettled childhood which led to him leave the family home and begin using illegal substances. Paul quickly became involved in the supply of illegal drugs and gained an extensive criminal record. He believed he would never change his way of life; that it was out of his control. It has been just over a year since I was released from prison and I remember coming to the probation office on that first day thinking this will do nothing for me. I was wrong. This has been a tough year and at times I have felt like giving up but with the support of my probation officer I have not and now, when I look back, this has been the most positive year in my life. Probation has helped me accept my past and understand that I can change. Probation gave me the motivation to set myself goals and to tackle my problems. I don t take drugs anymore. I don t want to take drugs. I have just passed my driving test and am legally on the road for the first time in my life. Most importantly probation has helped me to mend relationships I thought I d lost. I enjoy spending time with my family. I have contact with my children and I think now I have become a better person I can be a good Dad. I have a future with my children. I thought I d lost that chance. 8

9 Real Life stories Probation was like a new lifeline Michelle is being supervised through the PBNI Inspire Women s Project, which was established to develop and deliver a bespoke range of womenspecific services. Inspire contributes directly to reducingwomen s offending through targeting community-based interventions. Michelle, a grandmother has had difficulties with alcohol and mental health problems and was convicted of driving offences and benefit fraud. Michelle believes that the biggest impact Inspire had was through her attendance at a personal development programme, which helped her take responsibility and make plans for her future. She said: I enjoyed it so much and I have never got so much out of something. I still have my book with my goals in it. One to one support from her probation officer and support from NIACRO and her local Women s Centre have also enabled her to sort out problems she was having with her benefits and debts. She is now employed part time in a job which she enjoys. Of Inspire she said: I just can t explain what coming here does. It s unbelievable. I couldn t believe it and it took me out of my shell as well It was like a new lifeline. It closed the door on all the stress I couldn t have done it on my own. Michelle hasn t reoffended and says that she will not offend again in future. 9

10 Real Life stories RESET has been life changing Simon spent 10 months in custody and was released on licence. He was one of the first offenders to be supervised through the new RESET mentoring project. He outlines the benefits of the project: When I came out of prison I was really worried about not being able to find employment. My mentor was William and he has been very supportive in helping me take steps back into employment. He helped me write a disclosure letter to future employers which is something I was really concerned about. He has also helped me access training and write a CV. William also works closely with my probation officer which is important. I have no doubt that RESET will help me stay out of custody. When you surround yourself with positive people it gives you a more positive outlook. This project is fantastic. The support and encouragement I have received has been so important. I won t be going back to custody. I am determined to stay away from crime. I would go as far as to say RESET has been life changing for me. 10

11 Contacts Probation Works is a biannual newsletter that aims to inform you about important news from PBNI. It is produced by Gail McGreevy Head of Communications. If you would like further information about any article please contact Gail at: Telephone: gail.mcgreevy@pbni.gsi.gov.uk If anyone wishes to contact PBNI senior leadership please feel free to contact: (Acting) Director Cheryl Lamont: Cheryl.lamont@pbni.gsi.gov.uk Deputy Director Paul Doran: Paul.doran@pbni.gsi.gov.uk Acting Deputy Director Hugh Hamill: Hugh.hamill@pbni.gsi.gov.uk Assistant Director for Courts Eithne McIlroy: Eithne.mcilroy@pbni.gsi.gov.uk Region/Team Area Manager Office Office Address Telephone Ballymena - Rural PDU (Programme Delivery Unit) Brigie Rodgers Ballymena 3 Wellington Court, Ballymena, BT43 6EQ Brigie.rodgers@pbni.gsi.gov.uk (028) RESET Project Christine Hunter 330 Ormeau Road,, BT7 2GE Christine.hunter@pbni.gsi.gov.uk (028) South Catherine Maguire 330 Ormeau Road,, BT7 2GE Catherine.maguire@pbni.gsi.gov.uk (028) Community Service Gillian Montgomery 330 Ormeau Road,, BT7 2GE Gillian.montgomery@pbni.gsi.gov.uk (028) Inspire Women s Project Jean O Neill Waring Street, Jean.oneill@pbni.gsi.gov.uk (028) Assessment Unit Paul McCusker 1st floor, North Street,, BT1 1LD Paul.mccusker@pbni.gsi.gov.uk (028) ISU (Intensive Supervision Unit) Trust Domestic Abuse Team Jimmy Moore Kerry Malone - West Carol Carville Rural ISU (Intensive Supervision Unit) - North Paul Devlin Mark Nicholson Armagh - Lisburn Roisin Leckey Lisburn Alderwood House, Hydebank Wood, Purdysburn Road,, BT8 7SLw Waring Street, 202a Andersonstown Road,, BT11 9EB 25 College Street, Armagh, BT61 9BT 306 Antrim Road,, BT15 5AB Unit 4, Wallace Studios, 27 Wallace Avenue, Lisburn, BT27 4AE Jimmy.moore@pbni.gsi.gov.uk (028) Kerry.malone@pbni.gsi.gov.uk (028) Carol.carville@pbni.gsi.gov.uk (028) Paul.devlin@pbni.gsi.gov.uk (028) Mark.nicholson@pbni.gsi.gov.uk (028) Roisin.leckey@pbni.gsi.gov.uk (028)

12 Contacts Region/Team Area Manager Office Office Address Telephone Jane Lappin 297 Newtownards Road, - East Jane.lappin@pbni.gsi.gov.uk (028) Jane McKenna, BT4 1AG Victims Information Scheme Carrickfergus PPT (Public Protection Team) North Antrim North West Mid Ulster Rural South Rural West Chris Davies Paul Thompson Janet McClinton Rosemary Baillie John O Kane Nicola Barr Ruth McKelvey Jill Grant Patricia McKeever Lisburn Carrickfergus Ballymena Coleraine Derry/ Londonderry Magherafelt Dungannon Armagh Portadown Newry Omagh Enniskillen Unit 4, Wallace Studios, 27 Wallace Avenue, Lisburn, BT27 4AE PSNI Seapark, 151 Road, Carrickfergus, BT38 8PL 3 Wellington Court, Ballymena, BT43 6EQ 12 Lodge Road, Coleraine, Co. Londonderry, BT52 1NB 8 Crawford Square, Londonderry, BT48 7HR 7 Limavady Road, Londonderry, BT47 6JU 9 Kirk Avenue, Magherafelt, BT45 6BT 2 Feeney s Lane, Dungannon, Co.Tyrone, BT70 1TX 25 College Street, Armagh, BT61 9BT 12 Church Street, Portadown, Co. Armagh, BT62 3LQ 1d Monaghan Street, Newry, Co. Down, BT35 6BB 11a High Street, Omagh, Co.Tyrone, BT78 1BA 14 Dublin Road, Cathcart Square, Enniskillen, BT74 6HJ Chris.davies@pbni.gsi.gov.uk (028) Paul.thompson@pbni.gsi.gov.uk (028) Janet.mcclinton@pbni.gsi.gov.uk (028) John.okane@pbni.gsi.gov.uk (028) Ruth.mckelvey@pbni.gsi.gov.uk (028) Jill.grant@pbni.gsi.gov.uk (028) Patricia.mckeever@pbni.gsi.gov.uk (028) PBNI Headquarters 80/90 North Street BELFAST BT1 1LD T: F: E: