When I met Gary,

he asked me why

I was bothering with him

Six papers by young thinkers

2. Michelle Howard on care of offenders

At 37 years old, Gary was in prison. He was a prolific burglar, who had spent much of his adult life in and out of custody. He had never had his own house, never had a job and had lost contact with his family. Gary had offended with no regard for the people whose homes he was burgling; their belongings, or their memories – and despite leaving a trail of victims behind him, he had viewed his actions as necessary to maintain his drug addiction. 
     When I met Gary, he asked me why I was bothering with him. He told me that he didn't deserve my help, didn't have a future and was better off staying where he was.
     Gary had incredibly low self esteem, could barely look anybody in the eye and was genuinely frightened at the prospect of finding a house and a job, and living independently for the first time. Should he have been punished for the offences he had committed? Absolutely. But was he any less deserving of a chance to resettle and start again? No.
     A fair criminal justice system requires that when a crime has been committed, this is followed by detection, prosecution, conviction and punishment. But what next? Punishment alone doesn't break the cycle of crime. 
     The cost of maintaining somebody in prison is estimated to be around £40,000 per year. Whilst continued imprisonment may incapacitate an offender and provide some comfort to victims, its deterrent effect, actually, is unimpressive. The active resettlement of offenders, on the other hand, contributes greatly to reducing offending. It is a vital tool to support an offender's release from prison and in any case, for an offender serving a determinate sentence, release from custody is ultimately dictated by statute. It is imperative to help an offender to prepare for release – intervening in a way which affords that person an opportunity and a positive alternative to crime. 
      Resettlement not only serves to reduce crime and victimisation.  It goes much further than that. It provides people, whose lives have been characterised by a lack of stability, deprivation, and negativity, with a wealth of support and opportunities. 
     Like Gary, many offenders find the prospect of leaving prison daunting. The positive social networks, families and friends that we all take for granted may not be there for somebody leaving prison, and the day to day tasks we take for granted, such as getting on a bus or doing the weekly shop, can be frightening for somebody who has been in prison and has not had to fend for themselves. Compare this to tying a shoelace – If nobody had shown you how to do it, would you know what you were doing? 
     Without support to overcome the hurdles of everyday life, it is all too easy for that prison leaver to return to old habits, old acquaintances, and a life of crime. Resettlement can ease the transition from prison back into the community – breaking down those barriers, and showing the prison leaver that returning to a life of crime is not the easy option. 

     Ex-offenders with jobs and those with a home are less likely to reoffend than those without. In fact, the more ex-offenders are supported to lead normal lives, the less likely they are to reoffend. A job and a home are much more than a roof and a steady income – they provide a sense of purpose, a sense of belonging and a sense of normality. Without these things, on the other hand – what is there to lose by returning to prison?
      So what does resettlement look like? It is persistent yet flexible, it is person-centred, it is proactive, and it is focused on empowering the ex-offender to achieve. Resettlement isn't judgemental, it isn't prescriptive and it isn't without its ups and downs. It is a risk management tool, the removal of barriers, and a process of trial and error. 
     Resettlement acknowledges, yet sees beyond an offending history. It isn't the work of one person, or one organisation – it is the joining up of a number of specialisms with the offender to provide the package of support that that person needs to resettle. Ex-offenders' needs are far from straightforward and the path to resettlement is certainly not without its difficulties. It requires patience, commitment and a second, third and even fourth chance.
     Of course, there is no way to determine that an ex-offender will never again place themselves in a high risk, offending situation. But to give somebody the tools and opportunities to resettle is valuable to the offender, and in turn benefits the wider community – reducing victimisation and enhancing public protection.
     You may be wondering what happened to Gary. Gary left prison with accommodation. However it didn't work out the first time. He was supported by no fewer than five organisations, each with a focus on a specific need including housing, drug use, and statutory supervision. Gary's resettlement was not without its difficulties and it took time to find a house-share that worked for him, and a number of interviews before he had a chance to prove himself in the workplace. In fact, Gary had been turned down for a job working with young, disadvantaged people, because, despite his valuable life experiences and a very successful interview, his criminal record deemed him an unsuitable candidate.
     It took Gary a number of attempts, and he was supported to cope with the hurdles and the knockbacks, until he was successful in gaining employment. During this time, Gary also made contact with his mum and began to rebuild a crime-free life, full of remorse for the mistakes he had made in the past, and incredibly glad of a chance to try again.
     Giving Gary a second chance meant it was possible to reduce crime, and reduce the potential for more victims, whilst giving him the tools and skills to rebuild and improve his life and to give something back to the community, despite his previous wrongdoings.  

Michelle Howard delivered this paper at a recent Young Thinker of the Year event organised by the Scottish Review team. She works in local government