For over 200 years, Catch22 has supported people to build lives they value. In our justice work, this means reducing reoffending to prevent further harm – particularly to victims – and strengthening families and communities.
Reoffending remains a major challenge: almost three in ten people reoffend within a year, rising to one-third for those leaving prison, and two‑thirds for people serving short sentences. The social and emotional impact is huge, and the financial cost exceeds £20 billion annually.
Reducing reoffending works because the things that help people move away from crime – stable housing, meaningful employment, healthy relationships, mental health and substance use support – build safer and more resilient communities.
Read the Reducing Reoffending booklet (2026)Our approach
Our commitment to Reducing Reoffending is built on three principles:
- Connection in the community – Rooted locally. Connected nationally
We embed workers within the communities they service, collaborating with probation, prisons, local and grassroots organisations to provide joined-up, holistic, community-based support. - Co‑production – Real voices. Real results
Our services are co-designed with service users and frontline teams, ensuring relevance, empowerment, and lasting impact. - Voluntary sector value – Powered by purpose
As a not-for-profit, we reinvest in people and services. Our voluntary status builds trust, delivers social value, and drives better outcomes.
Together, these principles underpin rehabilitation that supports change, strengthens communities, and reduces reoffending for the long term
We work across the justice system to reduce reoffending and prevent harm. Our delivery includes:
- Custodial services – purposeful activity, rehabilitation, and safety
- Transition support – personalised through‑the‑gate help
- Community services – wellbeing, finance, recovery and mentoring
- Young adult support – bridging the youth-to-adult gap
- Victim support and restorative practice – centring victim experience and accountability
- Innovation and systems change – driving better outcomes across the sector
In custody and through the gate
Custody is a moment of disruption, yet a vital opportunity. Evidence shows that punishment alone does not reduce reoffending. But access to purposeful activity – education, skills, work, family contact, and structured support – does.
Our custodial work:
Catch22 operate in a number of prisons in London, West Midlands and the South West, delivering:
- offender management
- violence reduction programmes
- support for men on remand and foreign nationals
- education, skills, mentoring and purposeful activity
We also work with prison staff to reduce violence, self‑harm, and prepare people for release.
Prison Violence Reduction (PVR) Service:
PVR reduces violence in custody through trauma‑informed support, mediation and purposeful activity. We stabilise wings, strengthen staff‑resident relationships and help people carry safer decisions into the community.
Our impact
- 82% felt confident making safer choices
- 82% felt confident managing finances
- 70% felt more confident handling conflict
Delivery in 2024-25:
- 669 referrals
- 418 purposeful activity sessions
- 44 trained in Information, Advice, and Guidance (IAG)
- 348 staff received training
- 169 service users received training
What others say:
An innovative, commissioned model in which caseloads were manageable, and contact was maintained with prisoners.
HMIP, HMP Thameside 2025
The restorative justice pilot, led by Catch22, was instrumental in resolving violent incidents and training peer mentors as ‘restorative justice champions’.
IMB Annual Report 2025
The dedicated gangs team within Catch22 plays a vital role in identifying and managing gang conflicts, contributing to a safer prison environment.
IMB Annual Report 2025
Staff were clearly hardworking and committed and understood their role in ‘keeping the system going.’
Sarah Coccia, COO HMPPS
Catch22’s involvement has significantly enhanced operational processes and the quality of joint working… Their presence has added real value to our efforts to deliver rehabilitative and trauma‑informed care.
Head of Safety, HMP Wandsworth, 2025
Spotlight: through-the-gate support
Leaving custody is a vulnerable moment. Without help to secure stable housing, income, or emotional support, progress made within custody can unravel quickly.
Our Personal Wellbeing and Dependency & Recovery teams (CRS) support people up to 12-weeks pre‑release, building strong and trusted single point of contact relationships which enables our teams to meet people at the gate, providing successful transition and continuity into the community.
Our remand and through-the-gate service (PVR Phase Two) ensures that people on remand receive the same transitional support as their sentenced counterparts. In 2025, we delivered 183 through‑the‑gate interventions for people on remand.
Our work in the community
Community‑based support is central to reducing reoffending. As the 2025 Independent Sentencing Review notes, effectively supporting more people in the community provides better value for money and creates more lasting change than custodial sentences alone.
Why community rehabilitation works
Rehabilitation in the community allows people to rebuild their lives around stability:
- keeping their homes
- maintaining employment
- staying connected to family and support networks
The same interventions that reduce someone’s likelihood of reoffending also support them to build purpose, confidence, and long‑term wellbeing. Our Commissioned Rehabilitative Services (CRS)
Through our Commissioned Rehabilitative Services (CRS), we support men on probation to address the factors most closely linked to reoffending – wellbeing, financial stability, and recovery from dependency – while helping them develop confidence, purpose, and positive routines.
How we learn and improve
Our Data & Insights team has completed a multi‑year internal impact review of our Commissioned Rehabilitative Services (2023–2025). The findings are actively shaping how we design and deliver support, strengthening practice, targeting engagement where it’s most needed, and driving equity‑focused improvements across PWB and FBD.
Personal Wellbeing (PWB)
Across London, West Mercia, South Central and the South West:
- Satisfaction consistently 95–100%
- Strong progress in emotional wellbeing, relationships, lifestyle and resilience
Examples:
- Avon & Somerset: 100% positive feedback, 91% positive progress
- Thames Valley: 97% positive feedback
- London: 98% positive feedback
Feedback from participants
The members of your team have had an absolutely massive influence on my life and changed it for a positive way… the content of the sessions was spot on as
well.PWB participant, Thames Valley
He has appreciated the non‑judgemental outlook and informed discussions… it has done him the world of good.
Probation Practitioner, Hampshire & Isle of Wight
Finance, benefit & debt (FBD) London
Financial insecurity is one of the biggest barriers to making progress on probation. When people are dealing with debt, benefit delays, or pressure to quickly repay unsecured borrowing, this can push people towards high‑risk decisions that increase the likelihood of reoffending.
Our Finance, Benefit & Debt (FBD) service helps men on probation get back on stable financial footing. We support people to understand and manage their debts, access the right benefits, and build practical money‑management skills that last. The service is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and all our staff are FCA‑accredited, which means the advice we give is trusted, safe and high‑quality.
In London:
- 96% progressed on financial issues
- 97% satisfied with support
Case study: Chris
Balancing fines, a new job, and becoming a first‑time father, left Chris overwhelmed. Through structured one‑to‑one support, he:
- resolved court fines
- built budgeting and money‑management skills
- set realistic financial goals
- opened his first savings account
By the end of the intervention, Chris felt confident managing his money and providing for his family.
Dependency & Recovery (D&R) London, ages 18–25 (delivered with Forward Trust)
Young adults aged 18–25 on probation often face multiple pressures – substance use, gambling, trauma, unstable housing, and strong peer influence – all while navigating the shift into adulthood. These challenges can make recovery and desistance especially difficult.
Our Dependency & Recovery service provides specialist support by linking young adults into the right treatment, helping them to build resilience, independence, and positive routines. Drawing on Catch22’s wider expertise in youth work, employability and justice, our D&R service offers the specialist, consistent support this age group needs to build stability and reduce the risk of reoffending.
- 93.3% recorded positive progress
- Participants report stronger coping strategies and better emotional regulation
Youth2Adulthood (Y2A) mentoring service
The move from the youth justice system into adulthood can be a vulnerable moment for 17–25‑year‑olds. Expectations rise (more self‑management), supervision is less intensive, and eligibility for support often changes – from mental health to housing and benefits – which can leave gaps just as responsibilities increase.
For young adults in Newham facing this transition or returning from custody, our Y2A mentoring service provides goal-setting, mentoring, meet-at-the-gate, and connections into employment, education, health and specialist services.
In the past year, Y2A achieved:
- 100% satisfaction
- 71% positive distance travelled
- 234 onward referrals
Reducing Reoffending
At Catch22, we’ve been working to tackle the root causes of crime and reoffending for over 200 years. From education and youth work to probation and victim services, one thing has always been clear: when someone leaves prison or is on probation, the right support in the community can be life changing.
Our Reducing Reoffending campaign is rooted in three core principles:
- Connection in the community: Rooted locally. Connected nationally
- Co-production: Real voices. Real results
- Voluntary sector value: Powered by purpose
These pillars guide how we believe rehabilitative services should be designed and delivered, to make both recall reform and the shift away from short sentences meaningful and reduce reoffending for the long term.
Connection in the community
The strength of community sentences lies in their ability to keep people rooted in the places they live. This only works when people are connected to the right opportunities and relationships. Many of those we support don’t know what’s available locally or feel unsure about reaching out. Our role is to bridge that gap – case workers who reflect and live in local communities, providing assertive linkage to local, rehabilitative activities, strengthening local networks, and helping people build lasting connections within their local community.
Spotlight: Community Partner Network (CPN)
Our Community Partner Network brings together over 200 mission‑driven organisations across justice, employability, education, health, and family support. The CPN:
- strengthens local capacity
- improves referrals
- creates shared learning
- ensures clear pathways for people
Being a part of the community partner network has allowed many connections to be created, and this has actively led to future collaborative opportunities that I have been very grateful for.
Member of Catch22’s Community Partner
Youth2Adulthood mentoring service – connection in practice
The Y2A hub is a great example of community‑based rehabilitation. Co‑located with Probation in Newham, the hub brings together multiple services under one roof, creating a safe, accessible environment for young people.
Josh’s story
Josh came to Y2A after receiving a 12‑month community order for intent to supply Class A drugs. He was sofa‑surfing and surrounded by peers involved in crime. Through Y2A:
- he secured stable accommodation with support from our housing team
- we provided essentials through our Essential Fund
- we funded an SIA CCTV course aligned with his career goals
However, what made the biggest difference was connection. Josh re‑engaged with his church, joined a local youth club, and was introduced to organisations aligned with his interests:
Fight for Peace – using sport to build confidence
The Amani Project – creative workshops and mentoring
With consistent support from his mentor, Josh built a new network, strengthened his confidence, and began to see a future beyond offending.
Co-production
Effective rehabilitation cannot be designed behind closed doors. It must be shaped by people with lived experience and those working directly on the frontline.
Our approach:
We design services with people, not for them. Through consultation sessions, co‑design workshops, and staff feedback loops, our services stay grounded in real experiences and evolving needs.
Spotlight: Lived Experience Consultants. In 2024–25, we piloted paid consultancy roles for people with lived experience. Five consultants now work with managers to:
- test ideas
- challenge assumptions
- influence service design
- ensure decisions reflect lived reality
Consultants also receive structured development opportunities, supported by the Royal College of Art’s Service Design MA.
Spotlight: Experts by Experience podcast
Listening to people with lived experience of the justice system is central to how we learn, improve and challenge assumptions. In 2025, we built on the success of our Catch22Minutes podcast by launching Catch22Minutes: Experts by Experience, placing lived experience voices front and centre. 15 episodes launched in 2025, aired inside prisons, sharing real stories on topics including restorative practice, masculinity, family relationships and reintegration, with the series now airing inside HMP Thameside and plans underway to expand to more prisons.
Spotlight: Peer Mentoring programme
Our Peer Mentoring programme brings lived experience directly into our work, offering support that feels genuine and relatable. For many people on probation, speaking to someone who has been in a similar situation builds trust, reduces isolation and creates a sense of hope that change is possible. Mentors are individuals who have progressed through our services and fell ready to support others. They work with those currently using our service to engage in both one‑to‑one and group sessions, offering understanding, encouragement and a positive rolemodel.
For mentors themselves, the role builds confidence and skills, turning lived experience into meaningful expertise and empowering them to contribute positively to their communities.
Voluntary sector value
As a voluntary sector organisation, our role is not enforcement but support – and this complements the statutory responsibilities of probation and prison staff. People often find it easier to engage with non‑statutory staff who can focus solely on helping them address practical barriers and build stability.
Moreover, as a not-for-profit, Catch22 reinvests every pound into improving services, strengthening communities, and driving innovation.
GoodTech Ventures is an example of Catch22’s voluntary sector value in action. This programme supports early‑stage founders to design, build, and scale digital tools that improve public services – including services that help reduce reoffending.
At its core, GoodTech is about co‑creation. It brings together founders, practitioners and people with lived experience to develop digital solutions to real needs.
Before GoodTech launched, Catch22 incubated justice ventures that are now well known in the sector, including Unlocked Graduates (incubated for three years before transitioning to an independent charity in 2020) and Offploy (backed through Catch22’s Incubate, Accelerate, Amplify programme). Under the GoodTech banner, we’re now supporting a new wave of justice‑focused ventures – for example, Reintegrate Me by Tailored Futures (a digital resettlement platform connecting people in the criminal justice system with employers).
Justice AI Hackathon
Recently, GoodTech Ventures hosted a Justice AI Hackathon to explore how technology can strengthen rehabilitation and community support. Practitioners, technologists, designers and people with lived experience worked together on challenges that we see every day in our frontline work across custodial and community services, and the Director of the Justice AI unit for the Ministry of Justice sat on the judging panel.
The winning concept, Pathway AI, proposed an early‑warning tool to reduce recalls and free up probation officers’ time.
Spotlight: Innovation Challenge – VCSE value
from underspend (people over profits)
Our Innovation Challenge reinvested Catch22 underspend to give operational colleagues the opportunity to pitch, test and scale new approaches that improve delivery and strengthen our overall offer. It sparks creativity, encourages professional development, and shows the unique value a non‑profit can bring.
The winning projects Theatre Project – The BENCH
A 10-week creative programme using drama to build confidence, empathy and self‑worth. Participants co‑created a performance drawn from lived experience, developing communication, teamwork and self‑reflection along the way. Audiences described the production as “beautiful” and “moving”.
Collaboration between the voluntary and statutory sector
The voluntary sector plays an important role in helping people on probation engage consistently and make progress. Catch22’s trusted, non‑judgemental approach complements probation’s statutory responsibilities, providing practical and relational support alongside supervision.
Probation colleagues highlight our practical help with tasks like benefits, communication, and engagement, strengthened by dedicated Stakeholder Engagement Leads.
What probation colleagues say:
“(Caseworker) is great at navigating difficult service user’s and has built great working relationships with some of my most difficult cases”
“(Caseworker) has been really helpful especially with PIP applications, as it can be really long and complicated and it takes a load of my mind”
“(Caseworker) is based in the same office at me when he is in Ealing and he is a team player and interacts supportively and professionally with all staff in the office.”