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The challenges of being transgender in prison

There are challenges for everyone in prison, but for trans people, they often face a lack of support, and struggle to maintain their gender identity. Current guidance on transgender prisoners going to gender-specific prisons In 2016, the Ministry of Justice reviewed how transgender people are treated in prisons, producing new guidance: Prison Service Instruction (PSI) 17/2016 The Care and Management of Transgender Offenders. Some of the key points from the review included that trans people could “express the gender [they] identify with at the earliest opportunity” and have that respected.   To decide where trans people are placed in the…

Improving victims’ experience of the criminal justice system

Every year, one in five people in the UK will become the victim of a crime. The repercussions of a crime can have life-long repercussions on the victim, psychologically, physically, and financially. Given how many of us have been or could be affected by crime, our criminal justice system needs to be highly effective and supportive in delivering justice to victims. However, as it stands, many victims feel let down by the system, with no confidence in its capacity to support them in the journey to receiving justice. In light of this, the Ministry of Justice opened a consultation, “Delivering…

Working in Catch22’s Wolverhampton Violence Reduction resettlement team

In today’s blog, we hear from Karan Channer, Project Worker in our Wolverhampton Violence Reduction Resettlement service on the support they provide to individuals looking to move away from gang lifestyles. Hi Karan, tell us a bit about your team and your role. I started my role in the Wolverhampton Violence Reduction Resettlement Team in 2019. We focus on gang violence in the Wolverhampton and surrounding areas and provide intervention services when a person is in custody. For example, if a person has 12 weeks before release from custody, we’ll work with them for those 12 weeks and once they…

What is it like to work as a Catch22 Senior Case Manager?

Today, we hear from Sevastiani Stampouli, Catch22 Senior Case Manager on her role in the Offender Management Unit (OMU) at HMP Thameside. Sevi, from Greece, has been working at Catch22 for almost a year and a half. She began her career in the Resettlement team, before moving to the OMU in October 2020. She is one of two senior case managers in the team. Can you tell us a bit about your day-to-day role? My day-to-day role is split between prisoner contact and office tasks. As case managers, we each have our own caseload of sentenced prisoners, who we support…

Challenges in prison during COVID-19

The economic, physical, and mental impacts of COVID-19 have been felt acutely by us all over the last year. For many of us, we have been able to make the most of technology to feel connected and learn how to collectively navigate life in a pandemic. Whilst the pandemic has been difficult, this is an experience we have been able to share together – albeit remotely. But for people in prison, or for their families, it is much harder: at times throughout the last year, social visits have been suspended, and individuals are faced with spending up to 23 hours…

The impact of foreign national peer mentors in prisons

The Foreign National Prisoner Guide defines a foreign national prisoner as: “anyone remanded or convicted on criminal charges who does not have an absolute legal right to remain in this country.” In the Foreign Nationals (FN) Service at HMP Wandsworth, the peer mentors are all serving prisoners; while some are Foreign Nationals themselves, others are simply eager to support the Foreign Nationals population. They are spread out across the establishment, and the team does their best to ensure there is one representative on each wing, providing access to the service for everyone. Peer Mentors are appointed through an interview process…

Child sexual exploitation: an ever-evolving crime

What is child sexual exploitation? The Department for Education defines child sexual exploitation (CSE) as: “A form of child sexual abuse. It occurs where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18 into sexual activity.” This could be in exchange for something the victim wants or needs and/or for financial advantage, similar to child criminal exploitation. Child sexual exploitation doesn’t always happen physically and can occur online such as through social media and chatrooms. The scope of child sexual exploitation experiences is…

SPACE talks Missing Incidents

Catch22 has called for a National Child Exploitation Strategy – acknowledging the risks of missing incidents and incorporating a child criminal exploitation strategy. Here, we share insight from the latest blog from SPACE (Stop and Prevent Adolescent Criminal Exploitation). SPACE is an organisation working to stop and prevent adolescent criminal exploitation. In their latest blog, also published in part in Police Oracle, they share their views of what is missing both in policy and in public perception. Across child sexual exploitation (CSE) and child criminal exploitation (CCE), including County Lines – an organised crime model which uses children and vulnerable…

Child exploitation and criminal behaviour

Child exploitation is not defined by law and has no official definition but there are many definitions and the most widely known types are child sexual exploitation (CSE) and child criminal exploitation (CCE). One definition of child exploitation is when an abuser takes advantage of a young person for their own personal gain. Both these types of exploitation occur when an individual or a group takes advantage of a young person under the age of 18 in exchange for something the victim needs or wants. In both cases, the victim is exploited even if it appears consensual. Catch22 supports victims…

Supporting young people with positive alternatives to crime using sports

In today’s blog, we discuss the importance of giving young people positive alternatives to crime using sports-based activities. With insight from Paul Knight, Project Manager in Catch22’s Suffolk Positive Futures, we talk about the importance of emotional wellbeing for young people at risk of crime. Hi Paul, can you tell us a bit about your role and service? For the past 16 years, my role has been to manage the Suffolk Positive Futures project. Our project is designed to offer young people a positive alternative to crime and anti-social behaviour (ASB) by providing them with a safe space. Our work…

The impact of Suffolk Positive Futures on service users

The Suffolk Positive Futures service operates in areas with known gang issues in Suffolk, such as the Maple Park and Nacton estates in Ipswich and the Gunton and Whitton estates in Lowestoft. Some of these areas are also linked with concerns around County Lines. The project is delivered in these areas to target, not just the young people who are already caught in the gangs but, those on the periphery of joining gangs. At Suffolk Positive Futures, we work with a significant number of young people in the project and see its impact all the time – for example, in…

What's it like to work as a Catch22 Reparation Manager?

In today’s blog, we interview James Willott, Manager of our Bristol Reparation Service, about his role. We discuss the importance of restorative justice with young offenders and how reparation positively impacted one young offender’s life. Can you tell us about a bit about yourself and the Bristol Reparation Service? Hi, my name is James and I’m the manager for the Bristol Reparation Team. When I’m not working I am running around with my two children or still trying to play football! The Bristol Reparation Service is commissioned by the Bristol Youth Offending Team (YOT) to work with young people, aged…

Helping prison leavers to develop into society

Catch22 deliver nine Personal Wellbeing Support services for prison leavers on licence, leavers requiring post-sentence supervision, and those serving community or suspended sentences. The Personal Wellbeing services focus on four key areas: Family and Significant Others, Lifestyle and Associates, Emotional Wellbeing, and Social Inclusion Tobias Benson is a Navigator Mentor in the Catch22 Justice Personal Wellbeing Service. In this blog, he shares how he supported an older service user after leaving prison on the Social Inclusion programme. Tell us a bit about the service user’s situation when they came to Catch22. After a long sentence, Mr F who is 69…

Education is the way out of reoffending

Employment is the number one predictor of preventing re-offending. But education in our prisons – which provides the very path to finding a purpose – is failing. In most establishments, there is reasonable provision around basic Maths and English, and some general vocational qualifications are readily available (such as Health and Safety and Industrial Cleaning). We have also seen qualifications in horticulture, painting and decoration, barbering, and peer mentoring – as well as occasional examples of prisoners undertaking distance learning studies, such as in law. But nationally, this practice is not widespread, and the quality and opportunities available are acutely…

Neurodiversity in the criminal justice system

Neurodiversity is a term that refers to the different ways the brain can work and interpret information. It highlights that people naturally think about things differently: a neurodivergent brain functions, learns and processes information differently to that of a ‘neurotypical’ brain which functions and processes information in the way society expects. To be neurodivergent does not mean to be less intelligent. Diagnoses including Dyslexia, Autism, Dyspraxia, Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Tourette’s are all conditions which are defined by the presence of a range of neurological differences. The neurological differences that someone with one of these diagnoses may experience…

How important is digital inclusion for prison leavers?

Access to digital devices and data can provide a lifeline for individuals leaving prison. After receiving a SIM card through Vodafone’s charities connected scheme, one of the service users from our Personal Wellbeing Service was able to arrange housing visits, communicate with their university and family and friends. Craig* was referred onto the social inclusion strand of the London Personal Wellbeing Service for support with his physical and mental health. Craig experienced homelessness and needed support with finances and isolation due to the nature of his offence. He couldn’t afford to contact all the services he needed such as housing,…

Hidden victimhood

Katherine Fuentes Dominguez, Head of Service for Nottinghamshire Victim Care, shares her insight on the perception of victims and what is meant by ‘hidden victims’. “I started working for Catch22 in 2015 in their new victim service in Leicester, Victim First, before moving to the Nottinghamshire service, Victim Care in 2017. What attracted me to a job with Catch22 was the sense that we could do things differently. Catch22’s approach to supporting individuals really appealed to me too; not putting service users in boxes – ‘offender’ or ‘victim’ – just individuals, who have needs, that we could help.” What is…

Supporting victims of hate crime

From March 2019 to March 2020, the Crown Prosecution Service prosecuted a total of 10,950 hate crime cases in England and Wales. There were 105,090 hate crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales, excluding the Greater Manchester police, with an increase of 8% compared to 2018-19 with 97,446 offences. The Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) found that most hate crimes were race hate crimes, accounting for around 72% of offences. This increased by 6% between 2018-19 and 2019-20. What is a hate crime? The Crown Prosecution Service defines a hate crime as a “range of criminal…

What is honour-based violence?

Honour-based violence (HBV) is a form of domestic abuse which is perpetrated in the name of so-called ‘honour’. According to the Crown Prosecution Service, “violence can occur when perpetrators perceive that a relative has shamed the family and/or community by breaking their honour code”. This can be through emotional abuse, physical abuse, being disowned, and even murder. An honour killing is the murder of family members because the perpetrator believes they have dishonoured a community’s family or principles. Such beliefs can exist in any culture and males can also be victims. According to the Association of Chief Police Officers, there…

Why is restorative justice important?

The Restorative Justice Council defines restorative justice as: bringing “those harmed by crime or conflict and those responsible for the harm into communication, enabling everyone affected by a particular incident to play a part in repairing the harm and finding a positive way forward.” The restorative practice can be used anywhere and is often used in the criminal justice system, schools, communities and more. Catch22’s victims services – Victim First, Beacon Victim Care and Nottinghamshire Victim Care – all offer restorative justice. Victim First continues to provide restorative justice during the pandemic, with 125 referrals and restorative conversations with 121…

Domestic abuse and sexual violence

The legal definition of domestic abuse is “any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are or have been intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality.” There are many types of domestic abuse and often a victim will experience more than one at the same time. It is important to acknowledge that one type of abuse isn’t worse than another, with the impact and harm ranging from one individual to another. ‘Honour’ based violence, female genital mutilation and forced marriage are classed under…

Violence against women and girls

Gender-based violence is violence directed against a person because of that person’s gender or violence that affects a person’s particular gender disproportionately. Violence against women is a violation of human rights and a form of discrimination. Catch22 supports victims of violence, both through our Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) and Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE) services, as well as three specific services with different remits in relation to supporting victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence: Leicestershire Victim First, Hertfordshire Beacon Victim Care and Nottinghamshire Victim CARE. The work of Catch22’s victim services gives us valuable insight into domestic violence and sexual…

How to be safe from fraud

In the UK, fraud losses equate to £130 billion each year, but fraud can have massive impact on individuals in more ways than just the financial: the emotional and physical impact can be equally devastating. In this blog, you can learn about different types of scams, how to report them and how to keep yourself – and your money – safe from fraudsters According to the National Crime Agency, fraud is the most commonly experienced crime in the UK. Official statistics show that there were 4.4 million fraud offences committed from June to November 2020. This has grown over the…

Adapting victim services to remote delivery

Through innovation, Catch22’s victim services have continued to support thousands of victims across Hertfordshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and Rutland. For the thousands of people who rely on victim services, the ability for the Catch22 teams to adapt in these difficult times has been essential. While the victim teams have always offered services over the phone, as well as in person, the lockdowns sped up much of the innovation already underway. Victim service referrals are increasing each year, particularly amongst young people and hidden victims – these are individuals who are not accessing victim services because they may be vulnerable, may not…

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