Catch22 will be working with His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) in London, including prisons and probation, to provide additional rehabilitation and integration support to individuals leaving custody early as part of the Government’s SDS40 early release scheme.
From September 10th, Catch22 will provide prison leavers with extra support on their day of release, such as meeting them at the gate, supporting the transition into their accommodation, providing a basic support package and helping make appropriate referrals to support services. Alongside this supplementary service, Catch22 will continue to provide support to all referred prison leavers through its existing custodial and Commissioned Rehabilitative (CRS) services.
The UK is amid a prison capacity crisis, with prisons routinely operating at over 99% capacity. SDS40 is the Government’s expansion of the previous early release scheme, intended to give urgent, temporary relief to the prison system. The scheme will see a proportion of those on standard determinate sentences (SDS), who previously would have been released after serving 50% of their sentence, now being released after serving 40% of their time. There are strong safeguards and exemptions in place to keep the public safe, including the automatic exclusion of those who have committed sex offences and domestic abuse crimes.
Rehabilitation while in custody is currently limited due to the pressures caused by the capacity crisis. Catch22 believes that early release is a necessary measure to ensure prisons can function safely and to rehabilitate prison-leavers effectively. Catch22 continues to advocate for the implementation of better and more rehabilitative support in the community, which we know breaks the cycle of recidivism more effectively than custody – particularly for those serving short sentences.
For SDS40 to be effective, there must therefore be strong support services available to facilitate a smooth and safe transition into the community. Specifically, the meet-at-the-gate provision that this service will provide means that rehabilitative support can be accessed without delay and immediately on release.Catch22 is well placed to provide such transitional support, having delivered extensively in both custody and the community with proven positive outcomes, and is looking forward to working with HMPPS achieve the desired impact of SDS40.
Matt Randle, Director of Justice at Catch22 said:
“The SDS40 early release scheme is a vital step to help ease the pressures on our prison system. We know that its limiting factor will be whether support in the community is robust enough to ensure that individuals resettle effectively and avoid falling into the revolving door of recall and reoffending. As such, Catch22 are pleased to be delivering additional rehabilitative support that will complement the crucial work that London Probation do to help prison leavers turn their lives around.”
About Catch22
Catch22 is a social business: a not-for-profit business with a social mission. Our vision for a strong society is one where everyone has the same three things to thrive: a purpose, a good place to live, and good people around them. All of our services help people to achieve at least one, if not all three, of these things.
About SDS40
Find out more about the SDS40 scheme here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/lord-chancellor-sets-out-immediate-action-to-defuse-ticking-prison-time-bomb