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Third sector rehabilitation services to share in £3.4m funding

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Michael Matheson

sFour mentoring services to reduce reoffending will share £3.4 million in funding, Justice Secretary Michael Matheson has announced.

The services, delivered by third sector organisations across Scotland, are intended to provide “practical and flexible one-to-one mentoring” to individuals leaving prison and in the community.

The four schemes receiving funding are:

  • Shine – a national service for women leaving prison, on remand, or struggling to complete community sentences

  • New Routes – a national service for young men leaving prison

  • Moving On – which supports young men leaving HMP Polmont

  • Tayside Council on Alcohol (TCA) – which provides support for men and women on community sentences and other court orders.

    • Mr Matheson visited TCA offices in Dundee to meet management, staff and some of those being supported to successfully complete their sentences and court orders.

    He said: “One-to-one mentoring has been shown to turn people away from crime by helping them address practical or personal problems, such as relationship issues, accessing housing or healthcare, or finding training or work. Supporting people to overcome these challenges can stop them offending in the future.“This funding follows the £15.5 million we have invested through the Reducing Reoffending Change Fund, to create new services that offer mentoring for men and women, either to build a new and better life after their release, or to comply with community sentences. This is a key element of our record support for community justice services, which has helped to bring down Scotland’s reconviction rate to its lowest level in 18 years.”

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