Tina’s story
A single parent working mum on low income sentenced to weekend prison after defrauding the benefits agency for £40,000 over an eight-year period. Her first-ever conviction, she served the new order called Intermittent Custody which combined twenty weekends in prison followed by a period of weekend electronic tagging and probation supervision. Maintained her weekday working and family commitments which a full time custody sentence would have robbed her of. Find out more:
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Diljit’s story
In and out of prison and on and off probation this chronic serious drug user stole to support her habit for most of her adult life. Started to turn her life around when she met her new partner and attended the Women’s Programme which helped her rethink her future as well as present. Now drug and crime free she is able to cement her loving relationships with her two children, whom she lost custody when they were young. One of whom has now chosen to live with her again.
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Lee's story - with his mum, Suzanne, too
Prolific burglar and thief with desperate heroin problem whose mother finally reported his crimes to the police when she reached the end of her tether. Sentenced to prison he served time and was released back in to the community on a special police and probation scheme which targets the most prolific of acquisitive criminals. He worked well through the project and is now a responsible father, partner and son and is working for a living. Totally drug and crime free.
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John S’s story
Faced his chronic loneliness and social isolation when his alcoholism drove him to an attempted kidnap of a 15 year old who regularly went by his house. His time spent in prison and afterwards in a probation service approved premise helped straighten out his thinking and got him alcohol-free so he was remorseful for his crime. Now rehabilitated into the community and assessed as posing no further risk to the community.
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Jim’s story
Chronic gambling addiction fuelled by escalating debts led to his first-ever offence of armed robbery at a bookies. Clearly remorseful of his crime he worked constructively through his prison term becoming a prison listener helping other suicidal prisoners. Despite a good start when on release on licence to the probation service he later lapsed with his gambling and was forced to either get help or go back to jail.
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Claire’s story
Drug-free and more constructively aware of her behaviour, still struggling with her alcohol misuse & angry outbursts. Early sexual abuse contributed to her time spent in prostitution and problems forming close relationships with men. Sentenced to a community sentence, and has been attending the women’s programme – an accredited behaviour programme especially designed for certain types of women offenders.
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Ken’s story
Groomed and subsequently abused by an older family friend from the age of 12, he went off the rails with alcohol when the man died committing an attempted house burglary on impulse and other thefts. Got counselling support for his abuse issues whilst serving his community sentence. Stopped drinking and got back into sports. Successfully completed the London Marathon to raise money for charity.
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What prevents people from re-offending?

• attendance on effective offending behaviour programmes aimed at the right offenders, run in prison or in the community, can stop further offending
• getting a job is very effective in helping previously unemployed offenders live crime-free lives
• a high percentage of persistent offenders have a serious drug misuse problem and so they commit more crime. So getting treatment is often the first step to stop further offending
• intensive police surveillance combined with increased levels of probation supervision can work with the most 'hard core' of persistent offenders.