Prisoners should be assigned a mentor after their release, the Justice Secretary will say Tuesday as he outlines plans aimed at tackling reoffending.
The scheme will be provided by voluntary groups and private companies and will be on a payment-by-results basis, Chris Grayling is expected to say.
Under the proposals, mentors will help ex-inmates get “back onto the straight and narrow” assisting them with housing issues, finding a job and dealing with drug and alcohol problems.
“When someone leaves prison, I want them already to have a mentor in place to help them get their lives back together,” Grayling will tell MPs.
“I want them to be met at the prison gate, to have a place to live sorted out, to have rehab or training lined up, and above all someone who knows where they are, what they are doing, and can be a wise friend to prevent them from reoffending.”
Ex-offenders, described by Grayling as “old lags”, could be among those sought to act as mentors and will be expected to carry out the role for at least a year.
“Often it will be the former offender gone straight who is best placed to steer the young prisoner back onto the straight and narrow — the former gang member best placed to prevent younger members from rushing straight back to rejoin the gang on the streets,” the minister is to say.
“We can’t just keep recycling people round and round the system,” he will add, in a speech calling for an “enlightened” approach to dealing with criminals.
David Cameron last month outlined his vision for a “rehabilitation revolution” to curb reoffending, including a payment-by-results approach involving businesses and charities.
He said he wants all but a few high risk prisoners to receive rehabilitation instead of only those who have been jailed for a year or more, as is currently the case.
Almost half of all criminals who leave prison are reconvicted within one year, official figures show, with the reoffending rate standing at 47.5 percent in 2010.
'Mentors' to support prisoners after release
