Two awards for Sacro work

Howard League awards recognise schemes for street sex workers and domestic violence

News, 24 July 2007

The community justice organisation Sacro has been recognised for its work by winning two of the Howard League for Penal Reform's 10 community programme awards.

Sacro was presented with the awards at a special reception in the House of Lords today by TV gardener Monty Don, who also works with young adult offenders. The awards recognise outstanding community programmes that help to reduce the seriousness and frequency of reoffending.

Sacro’s work with drug-using street sex workers in Edinburgh, the Another Way service, was recognised as a "scheme of special merit", while its domestic abuse work was also recognised as an "outstanding scheme".

Sacro's chief executive Susan Matheson said: “The Another Way service and the domestic abuse group work programme offer those in charge of sentencing, community options for vulnerable people whose needs are best met by support and provision that address their offending behaviour. We are extremely proud of the success of both these programmes and the awards recognise their effectiveness."

While praising Sacro's work, the Howard League's director Frances Crook also took the opportunity to criticise the UK Government's reliance on custodial sentences.

Ms Crook said: “The new SNP administration in Holyrood has been bold and imaginative in instructing an immediate review of community programmes over prison for those convicted of short sentences.

"In England, the government’s addiction to custody has seen prisons full to overflowing and a system that is truly on its knees.

"Put simply, community sentences tackle the underlying causes of crime. Research shows that community sentences cut reoffending by 14% - and up to 22% compared to a short custodial sentence of one year. In contrast, more than two thirds of prisoners will commit more crimes within two years of leaving jail. There has to be a better way.

"With Scotland pushing ahead on progressive community sentences, it is likely that the Commission on English Prisons Today that we have recently announced, led by Cherie Booth QC as its president, may well visit these two Sacro schemes during a visit to Scotland to discuss key policy and practice changes to ensure the justice system is fit for the 21st century."