A CHARITY which helps offenders to resettle in the community when they return to Warwickshire on release from prison has been given a £10,000 boost from Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Seccombe.
Futures Unlocked provides 1-1 mentoring support for individuals leaving the prison system, many of whom have few or no existing support networks.
By helping them restart their lives more effectively, the ultimate aim is to turn their lives around and steer them away from further offending.
Case referrals come predominately from the National Probation Service, often for individuals who have served sentences for high risk offences such as murder, robbery and serious sexual offences, though clients can also self-refer or be suggested by other partners such as the police.
The charity supports more than 100 clients a year on average, who come from a wide variety of backgrounds and circumstances.
By working closely with their trained volunteer mentor from Futures Unlocked, clients can get help with accessing accommodation and benefits, attending Probation appointments, registering with a GP and getting help for substance misuse problems.
They can also receive support around family matters and get assistance to help them work towards education and employment.
Mr Seccombe said: “Having people locked into a cycle of crime is of no benefit to anyone and the mentoring provided by Futures Unlocked gives a real opportunity for those coming out of the prison system to successfully settle back into the community and lead productive and crime-free lives.
“Ultimately, that means fewer lives being blighted by crime in the future, not to mention the benefits for the taxpayer of not having the same people coming through the criminal justice system time and again.”
