A service supporting people in prison and once they have left, is helping to reduce the chances of them reoffending. 

An independent evaluation has been carried out into the HMP Low Moss Public Social Partnership (PSP).

The evaluation by Reid-Howie Associates found:

• Less than 17% of all service users who engaged with the PSP had returned to custody at some point.
• 51% of people reported an improvement in relation to their criminal behaviour
• 42% had reported a reduction in their substance misuse and risk taking.
• Just under a fifth of those interviewed in the community had secured some form of work.

The PSP is a partnership between the Scottish Prison Service and a range of third sector organisations, of which Turning Point Scotland is the lead voluntary sector organisation.

The service received funding from the Scottish Government, the Robertson Trust and the Big Lottery.

The Low Moss PSP was set up in 2013 to identify and address the underlying complex issues why a high level of people serving short term sentences would go on to reoffend.

It had been identified there had been a lack of coordinated support to address these issues.

With the support mechanisms that had been in place, there was a lack of engagement from the prison population.

The PSP identifies and addressed the problems people preparing to leave prison face returning to their community, improves engagement with services and contributes to a reduction in offending behaviour.

Findings revealed that a lack of access to housing, appropriate welfare support and medical support greatly increased a person’s chances of reoffending. 

Turning Point Scotland Chief Executive Martin Cawley said:

“These findings are extremely encouraging.

The evaluation shows, providing a clear, consistent pathway of through care support for individuals has major benefits towards reducing reoffending.

The partnership approach enables us to pool our resources and create a much more integrated approach that is more likely to succeed.

And of course any reduction in reoffending not only improves the lives of individuals, their families and their communities but reduces the burden on the public purse.”

HMP Low Moss Governor David Abernethy said:

“As the Governor of Low Moss I am pleased with the Reid Howie report on the PSP in place here. It is very encouraging and I hope we can address some of the issues highlighted so that short term prisoners leaving our prison can benefit to an even greater degree from the service provided. In this way more prisoners will go out to more positive destinations and the likelihood of them lapsing into old ways will reduce and therefore there will be fewer victims of crime and Scotland can be a safer and more productive place.

I think that if the Reid Howie report says anything, the thing it says most prominently is that consortiums and collaboration is the way to go. In Low Moss we are very fortunate to have fantastic partners in Turning Point Scotland, SACRO and Action for Children working with Prison Officers to provide what we think is a 21st century throughcare service. The sharing of expertise has provided unique opportunities for learning between organisations that has clearly contributed to positive outcomes for people making the transition back to their community.”

Read  Low Moss PSP evaluation report .

Contact:

Marisa Mahood, Communications Manager, Turning Point Scotland

07960 875022 marisamahood@turningpointscotland.com

Tom Fox, Head of Corporate Affairs, Scottish Prison Service

(0131) 244 8463 tom.fox@sps.pnn.gov.uk