Core’s Offenders' Programme

Date: 
Tue, 28/07/2009

Core's new ex-offenders' Programme is underway. Core have received funding to run specialist services to support ex-offenders back into the community when they are released from prison.

 

Core Trust Client benefits from wrap around services
 
Evidence shows substantial demand for drug treatment programmes within prisons and research figures demonstrate a real motivation among this client group to remain abstinent.
 
However, the interface between services ‘inside’ and ‘outside’ for substance misusing sentenced offenders who are abstinent is very poor. For example abstinent ex-offenders are often not eligible for treatment programmes on release into the community. The result of this is that without the essential transitional support, ex-offenders commonly re-lapse and return to their cycle of crime and drugs.
 
Trustees and staff of the Core Trust identified this gap in service provision and feel it is important to develop accessibility for this group who often have the most acute need for it.
 
Acceptance for these individuals to Core’s programme will be subject to clients applying for an bursary through relevant referrers e.g. CARAT’s / Probation, with assessments planned prior to release, enabling a ‘meet at the gate’ service. Programmes will begin within 48 hours of release, this is essential as the early weeks following release give the highest risk of relapse and re-offending.
 
The programme will provide a 5 day per week fully structured and supportive environment. It will include:
 
  • One-to-one psychotherapy
  • Counselling and complementary therapies
  • Cognitive groups
  • Therapeutic groups
  • Life skills groups (such as IT, debt and anger management)
  • Family therapy and parenting skills groups. 
  • Access to employment training education (ETE) interventions

The combination of services, tailored to the needs of the individual, will give ex-offenders the best chance of reintegrating into their local communities and leading positive and productive lives. Please contact us for more information.