Reducing Reoffending

The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) works with local agencies to break the cycle of reoffending.

The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Clare Moody is committed to bringing together local partners to prevent and reduce reoffending.

“Within Avon and Somerset we are dedicated to reducing reoffending turning people’s lives around and preventing crime. Through working in partnership, we will make a safer, healthier and more stable community that creates opportunities for people to step away from offending for good.” PCC Clare Moody.

Clare’s commitment to reducing reoffending is clear, and as the chair of the LCJB, Clare brings partner agencies together to get to the heart of why criminals reoffend, to stop reoffending for good. People who reoffend are often experiencing multiple and complex adversities, the Reducing Reoffending work looks to address those reasons, to help people to move away from offending. To do this we must work in a trauma informed, multi-agency collaborative way. Our Community Safety Partnerships are at the heart of this work, reviewing the specific needs of their area to respond to the needs of those who have committed offences.

There are two main streams of work:

Avon & Somerset Reducing Reoffending Board

Avon and Somerset representatives have collaborated to drive the local Reducing Reoffending Board. This is the key forum for all partners involved in the criminal justice system to focus efforts that reduce reoffending.

You can find our Reducing Reoffending Strategy here: FINAL Reducing Reoffending Strategy 25-28.docx

Our partnership’s key objectives are:

For Adults (Over 18 years old)

Improve resettlement support for offenders from prison returning to the local communities of Avon and Somerset to reduce their risk of reoffending. With an additional focus on 18-25 year olds and women. The following key pathways for resettlement will be prioritised: housing including retention of accommodation, continuity of drugs and health care support and finance, benefit and debt support.

Improve support for offenders managed via the Integrated offender management schemes with the key pathways of housing including retention of accommodation, drugs and health needs and finance, benefit and debt support.

For Children (Under 18 years old)

Maximise alternative sentencing and use of restorative opportunities to build confidence in and educate sentencers to make a meaningful impact on behaviours to reduce reoffending. Recognising the value of out of court resolutions to prevent entering the CJS in the first place, to intervene as required and offer diversions which will protect communities and enhance cohesion.

By being focused on these areas we can support those who are at the highest risk of reoffending, which in turn reduces the impact of those most serious prolific offenders on the community

South West Reducing Reoffending Partnership

Some issues impacting reoffending are better tackled at a regional level. The South West Reducing Reoffending Partnership (SWRRP) was established in March 2019. Bringing together partners from across the South West to support multi-agency work to tackle some of the main causes of reoffending (such as lack of accommodation, access to health services and employment opportunities).

Aims

The Partnership is made up of a range of criminal justice partners, which includes:

Ministry of Justice
NHS
Police
Prisons
Probation Service
The Department of Work and Pensions.
The South West regional Police and Crime Commissioners
The voluntary sector
Youth Justice Board

Together, they aim to reduce the frequency and harm of reoffending by adults and children in order to reduce crime and prevent further victims. The SWRRP is currently particularly focused on improving outcomes for people in the criminal justice system with a substance misuse and / or mental health need.

The innovative partnership deliver a number of ambitious projects, including our Prisoners Building Homes Programme – an exciting initiative which involves prisoners working with modular housing providers to build low carbon, environmentally friendly modular homes for local communities and vulnerable people across the South West. It provides an opportunity to reduce reoffending by ensuring prisoners have the skills they need to help secure employment upon their release, whilst addressing the housing crisis in the South West.

This video which explains the Prisoners Building Homes Programme in more detail.

Drive

The Drive Project is a pioneering response to domestic abuse, designed to reduce the number of child and adult victims by directly addressing and changing the behaviour of perpetrators.

Launched nationally in April 2016, Drive was created to fill a critical gap in the response to high-harm, high-risk, and serial perpetrators of domestic abuse. The programme combines intensive individual case management with a coordinated multi-agency approach, encouraging perpetrators to take responsibility and change their behaviour, while prioritising the safety and wellbeing of victims.

An independent three-year evaluation (2016–2019) by the University of Bristol, published in February 2020, found that Drive significantly reduced abusive behaviours among perpetrators:

Physical abuse reduced by 82%
Sexual abuse reduced by 88%
Harassment and stalking reduced by 75%
Jealous and controlling behaviours reduced by 73%

Drive works alongside specialist victim services, ensuring that protective support remains central while perpetrators are challenged and held accountable.

Drive in Avon and Somerset

Since February 2021, charity partner Cranstoun has delivered the Drive programme in South Gloucestershire, initially funded by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC), South Gloucestershire Council, and the National Lottery.

Following changes in central funding, Drive expanded into Bristol and North Somerset and now operates across these three local authority areas. The programme is currently funded by the Home Office and the three councils, with continued support from the OPCC.

“Prevention of Male Violence against Women and Girls is a strategic priority for me. Drive helps us to disrupt the behaviour of violent offending patterns, ensuring perpetrators understand the impact of their offences. Addressing the root causes of male violence helps us to create a safer, more civilised community for all of us, particularly women and girls. Clare Moody, Police & Crime Commissioner

To date, Drive in Avon and Somerset has:

Engaged with over 389 perpetrators directly
Identified and supported over 1,225 associated survivors
Supported the multi-agency coordination and risk management of approx. 1,353 perpetrators through the Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Panels.

National Funding Award

The Home Office Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Intervention Fund awarded £581,001.80 to support the delivery of Drive across Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire. This funding was secured by the OPCC, in partnership with Avon and Somerset Police and the three local councils.

This investment enables Cranstoun to work with high-risk and repeat perpetrators, challenging abusive behaviour and collaborating with agencies such as the police and social services to disrupt abuse and protect victims. We are currently in conversation with partners to best support Drive in response to the recent Home Office announcement of continued roll out of this programme.