Recoop

Under the Governments new temporary scheme, over 5,500 people are likely to be released from prison early from mid-September onwards. The scheme, part of emergency measures put in place to alleviate prison overcrowding will be reviewed in 18 months’ time. This will put significant pressure on Probation, Accommodation Providers and community-based charities working in this field. Under the new law, it is likely that more people will be released without adequate support and resettlement preparation. For the older and long sentenced cohorts, without social networks, family relationships and limited financial ability, many will face psychological challenges including discrimination, isolation, stigma and instability. With limited resettlement support, the risk of breaches, re-offending and recall increases. Recoop’s 50 Resettlement programme, co-designed with older people in custody, was developed specifically to meet the needs of the older and long sentenced prisoners. The programme helps reduce fear and anxiety for those returning to the community and includes sessions on: 🔹 Understanding electronic monitoring 🔹 Planning for retirement 🔹 Independent living skills 🔹 Technology 🔹 Building new networks of support 🔹 Volunteering and disclosure Flexible and deliverable in as little as 2 or 3-days, 50 Resettlement is available for use in prisons, in Approved Premises, in Community Accommodation Services (CAS1, 2 and 3) and in Probation Hubs and can accommodate up to 12 participants on each programme. You can find out more about our 50 Resettlement Programme and the results here ➡ https://lnkd.in/e_bsJPvV

The Howard League for Penal Reform have published 'Grasping the nettle'; a piece that looks at solutions to the prison overcrowding crisis that is currently having a major impact on all aspects of the justice system. Some of these suggested solutions include: ◾ Suspend custodial sentences for certain offence types and replace with suspended sentences, fines or community orders. ◾ Abolish the use of recall for sentences of 12 months or less. ◾ Review the use of remand and reduce the remand population. ◾ Independent review of sentencing, legislation and practice. ◾ Better use of community sentences. You can read the full report here ➡ https://lnkd.in/ef5ETJ7S

Transitioning back into the community, having spent time in prison, can be a daunting and anxious time for older individuals, especially if they've served a long sentence. Our 50 Resettlement Programme aims to ease some of those worries, providing individuals with the knowledge, skills and confidence to support a positive resettlement and be able to live responsibly and productively. Our trainers and support staff can also be valuable assets to those who attend the course due to their impartiality and expertise. You can see one such example of our trainers advocating for one of the participants in our case study below.  Recoop Case Study: 50 Resettlement What was the issue identified?  During delivery at an Approved Premises, one of the participants shared with our Trainer that he was eating just a humbug for breakfast, not eating lunch and was having a tin of mackerel in his room in the evening.    What action was taken?  Concerned, our Trainer spent some time with the participant, exploring what might be going on for him. It took a little while to get him to open up and what emerged was worrying. The 66 year old had mobility issues and struggled to get to the kitchen of the approved premises to access the one free meal a day which was offered. On the odd occasion he made it, he was too late, and was also intimidated by the younger residents. He’d opted to try and survive on a humbug for breakfast and a tin of fish for his evening meal.  During the discussion, he also admitted to having no clothes, only what he’d come out of prison in. #prisons #resettlement

The positive impact of the Recoop Buddy Programme can not be understated. Many individuals find the support from their Buddy invaluable allowing them to retain their independence but also have someone who can help them with the physical challenges of prison life. However, sometimes it's just the small things that make the biggest impact. Read about the actions of one determined Buddy, who managed to raise awareness of a very important issue. Recoop Case Study: The Buddy Programme The Issue: One of the Buddies, was concerned about an individual on his wing. He had noticed that the individual had been going to the toilet 10 times during the night and thought this could be as a result of prostate problems. The Action: The Buddy recommended that the individual made an appointment with healthcare, however he did not think there was anything to be concerned about and chose not to. Rather than give up, the Buddy approached the Buddy Co-ordinator and asked if they could create some prostate cancer posters for the wing.

We'd like to thank the Journeymen Theatre for choosing to support Recoop with proceeds from the sales of their legacy book, which has so far raised £415. We are incredibly grateful for this donation which will be used to help us provide purposeful activities to older individuals currently serving a sentence. For the last 13 years they have been touring around the UK, performing and writing several productions which discuss a variety of important issues. The Journeymen Theatre held its last performance in 2023 and has now moved on to a new project, the Journeymen Theatre Legacy Book. The book includes full scripts of all its plays, allowing others to perform them or use them as discussion pieces. You can order a copy of the book from their website >> https://lnkd.in/eeX5kjGP

https://lnkd.in/egTjTyWY

◾ Nearly three in five men (59%) serving a sentence have mental health problems (Bromley Briefings, Feb 2024).◾ This Men's Health Week, we wanted to focus on how peer-supporters can play a vital role in helping those experiencing mental health problems in prison. Both of our peer-support services, THREADS and the Buddy Programme, aim to restore independence as well as giving individuals control of their recovery. We've seen some incredible results from both services, as you can see below. Read about some of our success stories here ➡ https://lnkd.in/eXwu-Psa #menshealthweek #mentalhealth #peersupport

We're looking for an Older Prisoner Co-ordinator to join the team at Recoop. Based at HMP Downview in Surrey, you will take responsibility for the provision of an Activity Hub that will provide bespoke, health, well-being support and meaningful activity to the older population (those aged over 50). The role will require some travel to HMP Bronzefield and HMP Send. Find out more and apply here >>https://lnkd.in/e86wmGGX #jobs #hiring #criminaljusticejobs

Recoop are looking for two individuals to join our dedicated and hard-working team. Both roles are located at HMP Altcourse in Liverpool. Older Prisoner Co-ordinator, full-time: Will take responsibility for the provision of an Activity Hub that will provide bespoke, health, well-being support and meaningful activity to the older population (those aged over 50). Buddy Wellbeing Co-ordinator, part-time: Will be responsible for the provision of our Buddy Support Worker programme, which trains prisoners to National Care Standards, adapted for use in Prison, to support other prisoners who have health and social care needs. To find out more and apply here >> https://lnkd.in/e86wmGGX #jobs #hiring #criminaljusticejobs