News In Focus
23 July 2009
Community-based offender project opens in Paisley
A new project to tackle persistent offending by young men has opened in Paisley.
Offering intensive support over an eight-week period to 10 young men aged 16-30, the Turnaround project will help to tackle the reasons behind their criminal behaviour.
The project aims to break the cycle of short custodial sentences followed by further offending, typical of many repeat offenders, and if successful, could point a way to help the Scottish Government in its aim to end short-term jail sentences.
The result of a partnership between three national voluntary sector agencies – Turning Point Scotland (TPS), Apex Scotland and the Venture Trust – it builds on four similar community-based schemes in Irvine, Kilmarnock, Greenock and Dumbarton.
Structured support
Support will be offered to service users in key areas including offender awareness, substance misuse programmes, confidence and esteem building, and employability and life skills.
Martin Cawley, chief executive of Turning Point Scotland (TPS), said: "We hope that the new Turnaround unit will provide a unique opportunity for individuals to access structured support to tackle their offending, substance misuse and associated behaviours, and ultimately have a positive impact on both the lives of the individual and those living in the local community.
"We believe that people can and do recover from the difficulties associated with offending. We take a person-centred and needs-led approach to help service users consider their offending, its causes, the impact on victims and communities and help them move forward with their lives."
Referrals to the unit will come from the courts, Criminal Justice Social Work and the Scottish Prison Service, and it will serve the North Strathclyde and South West Scotland Community Justice Authority areas.