Guidance

Prison Leavers Project: innovating to tackle the complex causes of reoffending

A £20 million Shared Outcomes Fund initiative which works across sectors to test new ways to break the cycle of crime.

The Shared Outcomes Fund (SOF) was set up to test innovative ways of working across the public sector and drive the modernisation of public service, with an emphasis on thorough plans for evaluation. £20 million of the SOF has been awarded to the Prison Leavers Project.

Led by the Ministry of Justice, the project promotes collaboration across sectors and at a local level to develop innovative ways to help turn people leaving prison away from crime.

The project will build robust evidence on what works to reduce reoffending by rapidly developing and testing multiple interventions at a small scale, before scaling up the most effective over time. This work is part of the government’s £220 million package to cut crime and protect the public.

The Prison Leavers Project is generating opportunities to tackle reoffending through three different routes:

  1. Cross-sector teams
  2. Local Leadership and Integration Fund
  3. Prison Leavers Innovation Challenge

1. Cross-sector teams

The project is establishing four new cross-sector teams, known as ‘Service Communities’, which bring together colleagues from across the public and third sector. Each team will co-design and test innovative schemes to reduce reoffending, with a focus on four key areas:

  • health and wellbeing
  • the day of release from prison
  • community and relationships
  • employability and skills

2. Local Leadership and Integration Fund

The Ministry of Justice has launched a grant funding scheme to support the development of locally-led schemes which aim to turn repeat offenders away from crime by tackling the drivers of their offending. The Local Leadership and Integration Fund is funding local partnerships to improve services that reduce reoffending in their area.

The Local Leadership and Integration Fund is worth £7.1 million in total, which is split between two rounds of competition (both of which have now closed). The maximum grant award per bid is £1 million.

The drivers of reoffending are often specific to the local area of people leaving prison. Tackling these therefore requires a tailored approach that accounts for the local context and builds on the expertise and experience of local leaders.

The Local Leadership and Integration Fund focuses specifically on local systems leadership. It provides grant funding and support to empower local leaders and agencies to improve join-up of services and find innovative ways to work together towards shared outcomes. In doing so, the project hopes to learn more about what works to reduce reoffending at a local level and generate new, tailored, approaches can be scaled up and help shape future policy.

Round 1: Local Leadership and Integration Fund

Following the first round of the competition, we have now awarded funding to the following partnerships to reduce the reoffending of people leaving prison, led by:

  • Bounce Back: Aims to reduce reoffending for men leaving prison after short sentences, offering support to improve family ties and with employment.
  • Catch22: Aims to reduce reoffending in East London by identifying prison leavers who are at risk of recall - providing a Recall Prevention Service both in custody and in the community. The pilot will work with offenders to identify the reasons why they might breach their licence conditions, and help them to access the right services, such as accommodation, and rebuild relationships to address those factors.
  • Change, Grow, Live (Cheshire): Aims to reduce crime in Cheshire by providing accommodation and support to prison leavers, including those with drug and alcohol issues.
  • Change, Grow, Live (Midlands): Helping offenders with experience of the care system live crime-free lives through training, peer mentoring and support with health, housing and employment coaching.
  • The Innovation Unit: Aims to reduce reoffending in the West Midlands by creating support networks for young prison leavers aged 18-25 who have been in care, planning their resettlement and helping them live independently.
  • NEPACS: Aims to reduce reoffending in young male prison leavers in County Durham with experience of the care system. With specialist therapy, the pilot will focus on building their support network, help them to live independently, and improve literacy skills to boost job prospects.
  • New Futures Network/Antz Junction: Supporting prison leavers into employment by increasing training and employment opportunities for them through partnerships with local employers in the North West who will deliver real world work environments and training within prisons.

Round 2: Local Leadership and Integration Fund

Following the second round of the competition, we have now awarded funding to the following partnerships to reduce the reoffending of people leaving prison, led by:

  • Office of the Police & Crime Commissioner for the Thames Valley – Providing a package of staff training and support for prison leavers in the Thames Valley to reduce homelessness and improve employment outcomes.
  • Llamau – Targeted interventions for young men in Wales, focusing on reducing homelessness, improving family relationships and community integration.
  • The Nelson Trust - Supporting women prison leavers to lead crime free lives through a network of new and existing Women’s Centres, both in custody and the community, to reduce homelessness and improve engagement with substance misuse services.
  • St Giles Trust – Providing housing and mental health support for offenders in Yorkshire with complex needs who are released on a Friday, when other services are shut.

3. Prison Leavers Innovation Challenge

The Prison Leavers Project is working with dynamic organisations such as start-ups and SMEs to develop and pilot new digital or technological solutions to address challenges in reoffending.

Published 8 February 2021
Last updated 13 April 2022 + show all updates
  1. Page updated with information about Service Communities

  2. Information about which partnerships funding has been awarded to.

  3. First published.