Fighting reoffending through individual guidance in the UK

Program takes many causes of recidivism into account 

In the UK, crime is decreasing, but statistics show that of all released prisoners, within 2 years, 55 percent is convicted again. After 9 years this amount grows to 74 percent. These statistics underline the urgency of the new approach. Since recidivism has many causes, the program focuses on multiple pathways. These are:

• Accomodation and Support;
• Education, Training and Employment;
• Health;
• Drugs and Alcohol;
• Finance, Benefits and Debt;
• Children and Families;
• Attitudes, Thinking and Behaviour.

Individual guidance through a combination of pathways and partners

The idea is that after the cause of recidivism of an offender is established, a support track can be created through an individually tailored combination of these pathways. Each of these 7 pathways is to be led by partner agencies, who are to work closely to prevent offenders to fall back in their behaviour.

Payment by private sector is being tested

At the moment, the UK government is exploring options to fund this new approach, for example by piloting a ‘payment by results’ model, in which the private sector contributes to the program if it proves effective in reducing crime.