Catch22, alongside In-House Records, EY Outreach and Intuitive Thinking Skills, have been awarded a contract by MOPAC in close partnership with the London Prisons Group to deliver a pilot Prison Violence Reduction (PVR) service.
The pilot will be delivered in HMP Pentonville, HMP Wandsworth and HMPYOI Feltham. The service aims to drive a reduction in risk, promote pro-social behaviour and improve mental wellbeing amongst men in prison as well as staff teams.
The PVR service comprises four key strands, which are delivered in a combination across the three custodial sites via both one-to-one support and group work:
- Exploitation, Gangs and Debt: this strand will work to identify and support men to break the cycle of exploitation and gang-involvement by fostering viable alternatives and resilience.
- Purposeful Activity: delivered in partnership with In-House Records and EY Outreach, the Purposeful Activity element of the service will provide participants with structured interventions and employability support; from music production and creative arts to vocational training.
- Mediation & Conflict Resolution: through sessions and training delivered both to men in prison as well as staff, this strand addresses the need for effective conflict management skills within the custodial environment, including complex conflict management, to help create a safer prison setting.
- Peer Mentoring: delivered in partnership with Intuitive Thinking Skills, a peer led organisation that will train peer mentors and ambassadors within the prisons, this strand will help to build a supportive prison community led by trained mentors responsible for delivering reflective practice to their peers.
Sophie Linden, London’s Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, said:
“Reducing violence within prisons is essential to reducing violence within our communities when offenders are released. Thanks to £1.3m investment from the Mayor of London, this new service will pilot specialised support and guidance for men in three of London’s major prisons. It will help individuals to break the cycle of exploitation and gang-involvement and support their safer reintegration into our communities.”
Matt Randle, Director of Justice, Catch22, said:
“We are incredibly proud to partner with MOPAC to deliver this Violence Reduction Service across three major London prisons. This service aligns strongly with Catch22’s commitment to a more rehabilitative criminal justice system and will support prisons to address the root causes of violence. We look forward to working with our delivery partners to create safer and more supportive custodial environments.”
The service will go live on October 1st and will become part of Catch22’s wider portfolio of violence reduction services, expanding on Catch22’s existing footprint in prisons across the UK including Wolverhampton and London.
Read more:
Gangs in prison: violence reduction and rehabilitation | Catch22 (catch-22.org.uk)
Ten years on: violence reduction in prisons | Catch22 (catch-22.org.uk)