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What is Fresh Start New Beginnings?

Fresh Start New Beginnings is a Shrewsbury and Telford Community Chaplaincy Project. It offers a variety of resources and support to assist offenders with resettling before and after their release from custody.

The project is committed to supporting and promoting a change in lifestyle that will assist in reducing reoffending. We work with the relevant agencies to ensure that we offer the most appropriate level of support.

Support for the Project has been received from a wide representation of senior members of the Judiciary, Her Majesty's Prison Service and Faith Communities. This concept has been successful in reducing reoffending from 58% to 20% in other parts of the country.

Support is offered to prisoners who:

  • want to change their lives
  • want to stop their reoffending behaviour
  • are totally committed to changing their lifestyle

Why do we need Fresh Start New Beginnings?

  • Nationally, 58% of ex-offenders are covicted of another crime within 2 years.
  • The statistics for young male offenders aged 18 to 20 is even higher at 72% over the same time period.
  • Released prisoners are responsible for at least 1 million crimes per year.

Background

The concept of Community Chaplaincy has been developed in Canada by the Correctional Service of Canada, where it has proven over twenty years to reduce reoffending and recidivism. The Shrewsbury and Telford project is one of a growing number of similar projects in various parts of England and Wales where positive results have already been seen. The Community Chaplaincy Project operating in HMP Swansea, since 2001, records less than 25% of men assisted under the project being recommitted in the first 18 months of that project, a substantial reduction in the rate of reoffending.

The Churches' Criminal Justice Forum of Churches Together in Britan and Ireland supports all the projects currently being developed in England and Wales through their Community Chaplaincy Project Officer.

Statistics from the Annual Report of the Swansea Community Chaplaincy Project can be found in the full business plan.

Where will the project operate?

Within the Shropshire communities of:

  • Shrewsbury and Atcham
  • Telford and Wrekin
  • North and South Shropshire

Men over 21 years of age, living in these areas and who are given a custodial sentence are initially sent to HMP Shrewsbury. 45% of prisoners at HMP Shrewsbury are released into these Shropshire communities. The emphasis of the project will be on providing assistance to those receiving custodial sentences of under 12 months whose needs are not addressed by the current statutory provision. Many of these people go through the revolving door, from prison, back to the communities from which they were sentenced, and back to prison again. Each time they return to prison, there are further victims of their crimes.

Aims and objectives of the Project

The project will:

Reduce the number of victims of crime by supporting people who are serving or who have served a custodial sentence to be successfully resettled in the Shrewsbury and Telford communities from which they come.

Draw the many faith communities in Shrewsbury and Telford together to support those being released from prison to improve their chances of successful resettlement and breaking the cycle of reoffending.

Add to community cohesion by using individual mentors from across the various faith communities and none, thereby improving the quality of life for people who have offended and the communities in which they live.

Provide an additional community resource working with and drawing from various faith communities and none to reduce crime and the number of victims of crime, and therefore support community development.

Multiply the impact of existing community resources through improving access to health, education and housing facilities.

Deliver at least 3 S.O.R.I courses (Supporting Offenders through Restoration Inside). The courses bring victims of crime, prisoners and community members into personal contact with the intention of repairing the emotional and physical harm caused by an offence.

Improve the engagement of the faith communities as active partners both with the statutory and voluntary sectors to mobilise and improve resources to support individuals.

Lead to a reduction of reconviction rates from the national figure of 58% to 20%, a figure that is in keeping with the outcomes of a similar project in Swansea during the first 18 months of that project.

Begin with a focus on male adult prisoners being discharged from HM Prison Shrewsbury, but will extend to include women and young people as soon as resources become available.

Have the support of crimnal justice and community agencies, Bishop of Shrewsbury and many other community leaders.

Be professionally evaluated after actively seeking three independent tenders from companies experienced in evaluation.
 

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