MEMBER NEWS: Extra £3.4m funding for prisoner rehabilitation

10 May 2019

Mentoring schemes which help prisoners avoid reoffending have been given a cash boost by the Scottish government.

Four programmes which help offenders cope with life outside of prison so they are less likely to commit further crimes will share £3.4m.

The mentors provide one-to-one support and guidance to prison leavers.

The announcement comes as Scottish ministers prepare to present plans to Holyrood to end jail terms of a year or less for most offenders.

Sean Duffy, chief executive of The Wise Group, which oversees the running of a mentoring programme for 18 to 25-year-old-men who have served jail sentences of up to four years, said: "Our dedicated mentors, half of whom have convictions themselves, provide vital wraparound support and guidance to customers for up to six months before release - being there for them on the day they leave prison - and for a further six months in the community.

"This funding will allow our proven mentoring approach to positively impact more lives and further reduce reoffending.

"We will also be able explore new ways to support the justice system in providing a viable alternative to custody, such as embedding mentoring in community sentencing options."

For the full story click here.