Welcome to our March edition. Here you will find a round-up of our month, including key updates on our work, feedback from people that we work with, and what to expect in the coming months.
Team News
Please welcome the newest member of our team –
Brandon Beyers, originally from South Africa, married with two boys. Worked with ex-offenders in the communities of South Africa and I have a real passion to help people get their lives back on track and to see the true potential of themselves so they can live it out purposefully.
Organisation news
Upcoming Events
Below are several dates for you to put in your diary, if you can attend, we encourage you to do so. If you have any queries about any of the events, please contact.admin@sussexpathways.org.uk
Tuesday 7 April - Easter Volunteer Support Network. Location: Stanmer Park Tea Rooms
Thursday 21 April 10 am – Volunteer Support Network Hosted by Jack Scott Douglas
Thursday 5 May 10am – Volunteer Support Network hosted by Kirsty D’Silva
Wed 4 - Fri 6 and Wed May – 4 days Restorative Justice Training
Wed 18 May – Insights Festival Restorative Justice Talks Hosted by Susie
Thurs 19 May – Volunteer Support Network hosted by Chloe Fox
Friday 20th May – Sussex Pathways Annual General Meeting and Celebration of Queens Award 6pm to 8pm
Restorative Justice Update
Sussex Pathways RJ facilitators are currently working on 22 cases across the county and our work in the prison is also picking up momentum, as more referrals come in and we can get out to speak to staff and residents once again. We also have 4 brilliant new RJ volunteer facilitators who have joined us over the last few months! If you have any questions or feedback about RJ, please get in touch with Susie or Rosanna at any time.
Margaret Carey and Shirl attended the RJ Leaders Summit in London, and met several interesting people that work within the CJS in RJ, and had a good day discussing RJ issues and coming up with suggestions and answers that the RJC can take to the MOJ.
Pathways to Change Update
With the buds of spring coming into bloom, the last month has seen an increase in the number of referrals we are receiving. These are coming from Probation Offices for new releases and some clients who they feel additional support. We have also seen a growth in referrals because of the presence of Sussex Pathways staff in the prison. This has meant that we have been assessing clients both in the community and the prison and more of them are now Face to Face which makes a difference. It also results in more release plans being developed and gate support / meeting being planned. A consequence Is that we have 3 releases in the last week of March. It seems a long time that we had more that one release a week.
We are also seeing several of our clients being recalled to Prison and this can be for a short time but can also be for a few months with their release coming at the end of their licence which does affect the work that we are doing with them on the release plan and their reporting. Our students are now working hard with their caseloads both in the community and in the Prison and they have a variety of cases offering a diverse experience. As we move forward in the prison we are starting to see more and starting to establish meetings in the IPR and hopefully we will be able to resume the delivery of our group work programme again. Thank you for all the hard work by the volunteers and we are also being able to close their cases down with successful outcomes.
News Outside the organisation
Do The Right Thing
A local campaign by the police and crime commissioner is hoping to bring attention to the issues of misogyny, sexual assault and violence against women and girls. The campaign began last December and you may have seen the it advertised on the side of busses. However, the message is just as important now as it was 3 months ago. People willing to learn more about it are encouraged tosign up for face-to-face sessions or watch the training online on the Safe Space Sussex website.
Read more here: www.safespacesussex.org.uk/do-the-right-thing
Extra support for victims
The Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities has announced a furth 125 million to councils. The money will be used to create safe accommodation spaces, such as refuges and shelters, and ensure they provide victims with vital support services including healthcare, social workers and benefits.
Read more here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/more-support-for-domestic-abuse-victims-to-rebuild-their-lives
Open Prisons: apprenticeship opportunities in vital industries
The government has announced a pilot scheme to allow inmates in open prisons to apply for apprenticeships in vital industries such has hospitality and construction. The scheme will initially be offered to 100 people before being rolled out on a larger scale. It’s hoped that these opportunities will allow people to make inroad into a professional field that they can capitalise on upon release.
Violence in preventable, not inevitable
On Wednesday 4 March the Sussex’s Violence Reduction Partnership (VRP) hosted a conference in Brighton. The conference brought together police, local authorities, criminal justice partners, the NHS, public health and community organisations to tackle violence and protect children and young adults. Collaboration Against Child Exploitation group (CACE), a group whose members have lived experience, attended and described the support they were receiving. Furthermore, early results of the VRP are promising, with a reduction of 24% in knife crime in Sussex compared with 10% nationally last year.
Arresting the entry of women into the criminal justice system
International Women’s Day was held of the 8th of this month. However, for many there is no cause for celebration. Almost 5000 receptions of women into the penal system took place last year alone with over 50% of those cases being women on remand. Most women in prison have a history of childhood abuse or trauma, they need a safe space and support not a jail cell. The Howard League for Penal Reform work closely with police forces in England and Wales to reduce the number of arrests of women, supporting good policing practice which keeps women out of the criminal justice system.
Read more here: https://howardleague.org/our-work/women-in-the-penal-system/arresting-the-entry-of-women-into-the-criminal-justice-system/
Stay safe from all at Sussex Pathways.
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