Gavin Williamson, MP for South Staffordshire, met with representatives from Family Pathways, an organisation that helps to resettle prisoners after they have been released.
The Family Pathway Centre which is based at HMP Oakwood provides help and support to families of the prisoners who are about to be released and provide support to enable their transition to community life easier. The prison has recently become a resettlement prison, transferring prisoners back to the areas near their families to aid in their transition back into society.
Statistics currently show 45% will re-offended within 12 months and 72% with 24 months. Evidence shows that one of the ways that prisoners will stop re-offending is from enrolling on a programme of family support. Maintaining family ties has a significant impact on the reoffending rate, as well as reducing the rate of intergenerational offending.
After his visit Gavin commented: “It’s extremely important that we do everything we can to stop prisoners from re-offending when they are released, which is why charities such as the Family Pathway Centre are so important. In order to make a crime free transition back into family life, prisoners and their families need the support that the Family Pathway Centre provides to ensure that the rate of re-offending continues to fall.
“Recent figures show that crime in South Staffordshire has fallen by 19%. The independent Crime Survey of England and Wales shows that crime continues to fall under this Government, reaching a record low. The Government has been following an action plan to tackle crime and these figures show that our plan is making Britain a safer place to live, work and raise a family.”