ACE
It was in 2004 that Caritas Care, aware of the growing prison population and the impact of imprisonment of families, became involved for the first time in the criminal justice world.
A pilot project, branded as community chaplaincy, sought to recruit and train mentors to be matched to men leaving prison in order to assist in the process of rehabilitation into the community. It was not straightforward for the Charity, the Prison Service or Probation, not least because of the cultural change the latter two where preparing to embark upon, culminating in the National Offender Management Service.
From the successes and learning Caritas Care honed the ideas from the pilot experience and in 2007, with funding from the Lottery, gave birth to ACE (Assisted Community Engagement)
ACE provides men, in the lead up to their discharge from prison, with support and advice through a specific program we have developed – this may include something as simple as meeting the man at the prison gate and enabling him to keep his first appointment with his probation officer. It may give assistance with accommodation, a real stumbling block for many, access to training, help towards getting into work, and opportunities to improve life skills, as well as providing other community support according to individual needs.
ACE is a community prison resettlement project unique to Lancashire and Cumbria, which aims to build stronger and safer communities by enabling ex-offenders to become active, involved and integrated citizens. Resettlement of offenders is supported by all political parties but generally systems that have developed rarely engage humanly with individuals or recognize the real threats to successful re-integration. To achieve successful resettlement over an intensive six week period ACE has developed and delivers a simple, post release "Six Point Resettlement Plan" which involves:
- Meeting the ex-offender on discharge at the prison gate
- Helping him to keep key appointments
- Helping him to get accommodation (we have established a network of friendly landlords)
- Helping with employment or training
- Provide a personal mentor or other support
- Helping him to establish links with the community
We want to reduce re-offending through trained staff and volunteers offering practical support by making critical interventions at an early stage of release to sustain positive change. We currently work with men in Preston, Lancaster Castle, Kirkham, and Haverigg Prisons. The original target was to work with 200 ex-offenders per year; it is likely to deal with twice as many and has a success rate in excess of 95%.
What those who have used this service have said
“I feel motivated, I’ve started to get up in the mornings and tidy up after myself. I’ve changed my lifestyle and drink a lot less alcohol now”
“ACE put me first every time and helped me”
For more information, please contact:
Sharon Smith
Tel: 01772 561 323
Email: sharonsmith@caritascare.org.uk
ACE Project
Bannister House
23-25 Sedgewick Street
Preston
PR1 1TP