Switchback submitted to the Justice Select Committee inquiry on rehabilitation and resettlement: ending the cycle of reoffending.
It is strategically important for us to contribute to this inquiry, as the primary goal of Switchback’s Influencing Team is to elevate the role of effective resettlement in national policy conversations. We aim to do this by;
- Supporting Switchback Trainees to build their voice and capacity to influence systemic change through further development of our Experts by Experience Board.
- Communicating a compelling agenda for transforming resettlement for prison leavers.
- Inspiring meaningful changes in policy and practice needed to reshape resettlement for people leaving prison.
The following submission was guided by the above.
Key points:
There is strong evidence demonstrating what works to effectively support people who are leaving prison. This knowledge should design the system.
There is substantial diverse evidence on what effective resettlement practice looks like. Switchback and other charities practice many of these principles with strong results. Switchback data indicates that fewer than 1 in 10 Trainees go on to reoffend, compared to nearly half of all prison leavers nationally.
The impact of a genuinely rehabilitative system is significant. Our experience demonstrates that many men leave prison wanting to live life differently, but they face significant barriers to reintegration. We must create an evidence-led system that supports people to step away from crime.
Collectively we are failing to create a rehabilitative pathway. We have responded to the Justice Select Committee’s questions by providing evidence and insight, alongside providing nine recommendations which we believe address our collective failure.
As a delivery-focused organisation, our evidence and advocacy are rooted in our daily work and informed by the frontline experiences of our Mentors and our Trainees (our programme participants), who were consulted for this submission. We are encouraging decision makers to meet with our Experts by Experience who we work alongside to advocate for system-change.
Switchback Evidence Submission Justice Select Committee – Reoffending Inquiry
