MENTORING

HM YOI THORN CROSS

We were awarded a Ministry of Justice contract in 2008  to provide mentoring and work placements for young men in the High Intensity Training (HIT) programme at HM YOI Thorn Cross.  In 2011, participants undertook work placements throughout North West, Midlands, Yorkshire, Humberside, Gloucester and Lincolnshire.

40% of participants were offered a job after completing their work placements during 2011.

HM YOI Thorn Cross mentors gave over 560 hours of service during the year.

Can you provide a work placement?
We are looking for companies who are willing to offer a work placement to young males aged 18- 21 who are currently due to be released from custody. A work placement helps them to resettle into their  home communities. We are already successful securing placements with companies such as Timpson's, Max Spielmann, Barnardos  to name a few. We work throughout the North West, Midlands, Cheshire, Merseyside and often further afield.

If you are willing to give someone a chance to turn their lives around and help reduce re offending please contact Lynda 01925 805039 or by email linda.salt@hmps.gsi.gov.uk

MENTORING PROJECT - LIVERPOOL

In January 2009 we received three years funding to develop the mentoring work, with a full-time co-ordinator. The project is based in the community and is open to prisoners on shorter sentences, returning to live in the city. The project works with a number of prisons in the region; HMP Liverpool, HMP Risley, HMP Kennett, HMP & YOI Styal etc.

We provide a high quality service to those who most need it. The key criteria is that beneficiaries will have a clear and existing link to Liverpool (so that we can them build links with existing friends etc.) and be serving a short sentence (12 months or less) when they apply.

Our mentors are volunteers who have experiences and knowledge that could prove beneficial to prisoners who are preparing for their release, perhaps just by offering a link to the outside world and helping to point in the right direction when it comes to benefits advice, counselling and therapies or housing. All these volunteers undergo a recruitment process as they would if they were seeking paid employment.

By the end of 2010, 70 offenders had been supported in their desire to live a crime free life.

CASE STUDIES: EMMA'S STORY | DANIEL'S STORY