OLWEN LYNER, CEO, NIACRO NI European Social Fund Conference 2008

Context Northern Ireland – 35 years of conflict Signing of Good Friday Agreement 1998 Society in Transition Profile of Prison Population changes as consequence of Prisoner Early Release Programme Movement from Containment to Resettlement Criminal Justice Review (2000) Resettlement Strategy

Employment Social Status Long term unemployed (unemployed > 1 year) approximately 12,000 PPS targeted beneficiaries pool approximately 2,000 Current national employment programmes not connecting to PPS target group therefore EU funding Importance of mainstreaming

Establishing DP (National) Lead in time of approximately 2 years History of bilateral working on other issues Innovative – first time formal relationship between organisations DP members shared resettlement agenda – time was right Small DP – very focused

Relevant Size AGENCY BUDGET STAFFING NI Prison Service 112.5 m 2,100 Probation Board for NI 14 m 300 NIACRO 3.3 m 75

Some of the Issues Consistency of staff personnel in statutory agencies Development needs in terms of data capture Differing cultures/structure Differing priorities (disturbance/allocation) Location of decision making The value of the transnational experience i.e. forming relationships and visioning change

Example Fed into the Resettlement Strategy 2004 and resulted in the recommendation that “The Prison Service takes on board the learning from the NIACRO led Equal Programme in terms of services and approaches” Resettlement Strategy 2004

By the end of Equal I Had in place a system for employability assessments which is now carried out by NIPS or other staff (we are not involved) Establishments have integrated employability assessment into a holistic process

COLLABORATIVE AND COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE Strategic Level: Collaborative Advantage Assist delivery of Agency Mission Builds inter agency social capital Contributes to shifting mainstream policy Catalyst for change PPS Delivery Operational Level: Comparative Advantage Exploits a specific expertise Cooperation leads to customised resettlement plan Continuity of service delivery within and beyond prison

VOLUNTARY & COMMUNITY (NGO) CONTRIBUTION Specialist knowledge, experience and/or skills Involving the, “hard to reach” people Independence from existing and past structures/models of service Access to communities particularly in contested/hostile arenas Lateral response required coordinated, multi strand, multi sector approach understood

Cont\d… Informed re issues of social exclusion Empowerment of beneficiaries key to successful design and implementation of programmes

Strategic Model of Intervention: (a) effective legislation with respect to employers and beneficiaries (b) incentives that encourage both employers and beneficiaries to engage with employment opportunities (c) providing support and education to employers and beneficiaries that ensure sustainability and duration within the labour market

EVIDENCE FROM PPS/ REACHOUT 3 Prison establishments integrated employability assessment into holistic process (PPS) Approx. 60% of beneficiaries completing programme secure employment (Reachout) Reconviction rate for completers 17%, non-completers 20% compared to 45% - general reconviction rate