Nacro comments

Nacro has long called for a fundamental review of the criminal records regime to make it clearer, fairer and more transparent. Criminal records present a significant barrier to many people trying to move on with their life – including finding employment and housing. There are 11 million people in the UK with a criminal record…

In response to the launch of the Employment and Education Strategy, Nacro Chief Executive, Jacob Tas, said: “We welcome the launch of the Employment and Education Strategy and are very encouraged to see greater focus on employers and prisons working together to provide more work opportunities for people upon release from prison.  A new apprenticeship…

In response to the report, Nacro Chief Executive, Jacob Tas, said: “This new report provides further evidence to show that the government’s Transforming Rehabilitation programme is not delivering its original objectives. “Service delivery charities – from large to small – have long made a huge contribution to supporting rehabilitation and helping individuals and families move…

In response to the British Medical Association, Royal College of Psychiatrists and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health statement on solitary confinement, Nacro Chief Executive, Jacob Tas, said: “We welcome the statement from leading health organisations calling for the use of solitary confinement of children and young people within the secure estate to be…

In response to the Justice Secretary’s prisons reform speech, Nacro Chief Executive, Jacob Tas, said: “With ongoing reports of the increasing problems in our justice system and figures showing little change to stubborn reoffending rates over the past decade, we are encouraged by the Justice Secretary’s commitment to rehabilitation in order to reduce reoffending and…

In response to the publication of the HM Inspectorate of Probation annual report, Nacro Chief Executive, Jacob Tas, said: “Today’s report from  HMI Probation highlights the urgent need to improve the way our criminal justice system works to reduce crime, protect the public and create safer communities. “In recent months there have been almost daily…

Nacro welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Greater London Authority’s (GLA) London Housing Strategy. Nacro is pleased that the GLA has embedded the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 into the strategy as well as explicit references to working with the charity sector. We are also pleased to see references to tackling the root causes of…

Nacro Director of Education, Lisa Capper, said: “We welcome government commitment and funding to ensure that all schools and colleges will have dedicated careers leaders and improved interactions with the employers, as well as the development of 20 careers hubs across the country. This will enable young people to receive timely advice and much needed…

Dominic Headley, Nacro Legal Officer, reflects on Nacro’s work to support individuals with criminal records into work and the employers who can offer them a second chance

We cannot afford to delay urgent action to address youth custody concerns, says Nacro Chief Executive, Jacob Tas. “In recent months there have been almost daily reports of problems throughout the justice system, including the Chief Inspector of Prisons’ annual report warning that ‘a tragedy is inevitable’ due to no youth custody centres being found…

More must be done to cut the number of young people not in employment, education or training (NEET) and equip them with skills for the future. Nacro Chief Executive, Jacob Tas, says: “The latest NEET figures continue to show a trend of little or no change in the numbers of young people (aged 16 to…

Nacro Chief Executive, Jacob Tas, said: “It is welcome to see the Chancellor’s focus on the importance of housing in today’s Budget. We know through our work with some of the most disadvantaged people across the country that having a safe and secure home is absolutely central to someone’s chances and opportunities in life. But…

Nacro welcomes both the principles of the proposals outlined in the consultation paper and the way in which the Minister has encouraged a wide dialogue about the importance of, and approaches to, securing housing and support for vulnerable people. The removal of supported housing funding from the welfare system can be positive for service users,…

We welcome the findings and recommendation from the Justice Select Committee into the disclosure of youth criminal records inquiry published today. Too often criminal records acquired in youth can shackle people to their past and stop them from securing future employment, education, housing, insurance and visas for travel. We support the Committee’s call for reforming…

Nacro Chief Executive Officer, Jacob Tas, took part in a live interview on the BBC Two Victoria Derbyshire programme to discuss the concerns over prison rehabilitation. The full interview can be viewed below:

Nacro Director of External Engagement, Helen Berresford, took part in a live interview on the BBC Two Victoria Derbyshire programme to discuss the treatment of Black, Asian and minority ethnic individuals in the criminal justice system. The full interview can be viewed below.

“We welcome the findings and recommendations from The Lammy Review, published today, into the treatment of and outcomes for Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) individuals in the criminal justice system. There are simply too many people from BAME communities in the criminal justice system and the proven negative bias cannot continue. “We support the review’s…

“The most recent figures from the Youth Justice Board show that in excess of 4% more children and young people aged up to 18-years-old are within the secure estate, in comparison to 2016. With almost daily reports on the growing problems throughout the justice system, as well as last month’s stark warning from the Chief Inspector of…

Nacro Chief Executive, Jacob Tas, took part in a live interview on the BBC Two Victoria Derbyshire programme to discuss the UK prison system and how family ties could help prevent prisoners from reoffending. The full interview can be viewed below.

“We welcome the findings and recommendations from the Lord Farmer Review, which highlights the critical importance of male prisoners engaging with their families and support networks as part of efforts to reduce reoffending and address intergenerational crime. With almost daily reports of the growing problems in our justice system and new figures showing little change to…

“With almost daily reports of the growing problems in our justice system and new figures showing little change to stubborn reoffending rates, we must increase our focus on prevention and rehabilitation. “The latest government figures reveal a 0.9% decrease in overall proven reoffending rates during October 2014 and September 2015 in comparison to the previous…

Nacro Chief Executive, Jacob Tas, took part in a live BBC news interview to discuss concerns about the youth custodial estate.

There must be a relentless focus upon putting resettlement at the heart of a custodial sentence, so that young people can take the important steps they need to move on from crime, identify and achieve their goals, and flourish in our communities.

On Monday 8 May, Jacob Tas took part in a live BBC Radio 5 Live interview, as part of a piece discussing reoffending rates. Jacob provided a national and expert view regarding why reoffending rates have changed very little in recent years and discussed solutions required to help reduce reoffending. You can listen to the…

Nacro fully supports the Court of Appeal ruling which concluded that the current DBS filtering regime is ‘disproportionate’ and ‘insufficiently safeguarded to be lawful’. A number of cases heard as part of the appeal, including that of an individual convicted of ABH more than 30 years ago at the age of 16, highlighted the need…

In response to government plans to build four new ‘supersize’ prisons in England and Wales, Nacro Chief Executive, Jacob Tas, said: “We welcome government plans to modernise prison estates and prevent offenders being held in old, overcrowded Victorian buildings that are not fit for purpose at all. “However, with a duty to rehabilitate offenders due…

In response to the 2017 Budget, Nacro Chief Executive, Jacob Tas, said: “We welcome the Budget plans to invest £500 million a year in developing vocational and technical education, enabling 16 to 19-year-olds to access improved training opportunities and routes into employment. “It is absolutely right that the government recognises the important role that vocational…

Nacro Chief Executive, Jacob Tas and Nacro service user, Kallum, were interviewed about the Prison and Courts Reform Bill White Paper by ITV News.

Ahead of the publication of the 2017 Prison and Courts Reform Bill, Nacro Chief Executive, Jacob Tas, said: “We welcome the Prison and Courts Reform Bill White Paper, in particular the expected government commitment to focus upon preparing prisoners for release through education, training and improved mental health provision, with a duty to rehabilitate offenders…

Responding to the 2017 Housing White Paper, Nacro Chief Executive, Jacob Tas, said: “We welcome aspects of the Housing White Paper, in particular the government’s commitment to increase the availability of affordable homes to rent, ensure longer-term tenancies and reduce rent rates for private renters. However, more thinking is required to ensure that vulnerable people…

Jacob Tas, Chief Executive of social justice charity, Nacro, said: “Nacro welcomes the Law Commission report on the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) filtering system, and fully supports recommendations for a wider review of the whole criminal records disclosure regime. “Around 10 million people in the UK have a criminal record. Many are for minor…

Speaking of the report Nacro Chief Executive, Jacob Tas, said: “We are pleased that the Government recognises that young adults up to the age of 25 have distinct needs to those of children and older adults in the criminal justice system and, therefore, the need for a tailored approach. “In particular, we support the Government’s…

Nacro Chief Executive, Jacob Tas, said: “It is crucial that tailored support for ex-offenders is made consistently available from sentencing and placement into custody right through to release, in order to prevent increases in reoffending. With almost half of the prisoners released each year offending again within one year of being released, a relentless focus upon…

Nacro Chief Executive, Jacob Tas, said:  “Nacro very much welcomes the Government plans to pilot two secure schools and increase health and psychological support. “More now than ever, a focus on education, skills and health is vital to enable young people to succeed and to reduce repeat offending. Consistent education and skills training can make all…

Responding to the 2016 Autumn Statement today, Nacro Chief Executive, Jacob Tas, said: “We warmly welcome the government commitment to fund 2,500 more prison officers. But while this will take time to embed, now is the time to really concentrate our energies into reducing the numbers of people being sent to prison in the first…

Nacro Chief Executive, Jacob Tas, said: “We welcome the interim findings of the Lammy Review, which shows worrying rates of bias against BAME groups at many stages of the criminal justice system from arrest through to prosecution in Magistrates and Crown courts. “It is clear that more work needs to be done to understand why…

Nacro welcomes the Justice Committee’s report of its inquiry on Young Adult Offenders and supports the Committee’s recognition of the distinct needs of 18-25 year olds in the criminal justice system. Speaking of the report, Jacob Tas, Nacro Chief Executive said: “We applaud the Committee for its recognition that young adults up to the age…

Earlier this week, a senior HR adviser of a large national employer contacted me. She had just completed interviews for an office-based sales role she was recruiting for and the preferred candidate had disclosed a motoring conviction. She wanted to know whether the conviction was ‘spent’ or ‘unspent’; I advised that the conviction would not…

You are an HR Adviser for a Local Authority and part of your role is to oversee recruitment for trainee teacher placements within a primary school. Peter Foster is in his final year of his PGCE (post-graduate teaching qualification). He has successfully completed a number of placements at various primary schools during the course of…

Responding to the Joint Inspection Report by HMI Probation on Accommodation of homeless 16 and 17 year olds working with Youth Offending Teams, Nacro’s Director of Housing, Joanne Drew, said: “The report outlines a concerning lack of suitable accommodation for vulnerable young people in our communities. When a young person is caught up in the…

Jacob Tas, Chief Executive of Nacro, said: “As Ministers enter their new government departments, we wish them well. It will be a challenging time for any Minister operating across Health, Justice, Education and Housing. Some immediate decisions will be made that impact Nacro, our service users and the communities we work in. These include: the…

Nacro chief executive, Jacob Tas, today welcomed government announcement that it will fund the roll out of liaison and diversion service across England by 2020. “This is momentous news. Liaison and diversion is a critical early intervention. It works to address, at the earliest opportunity, the complex problems that so many people in the criminal…

You work in the HR department of a university. You arrive at your desk one morning to find an email from an anonymous source, containing a link to an online newspaper article from the Warrington Post. The article is dated February 1998 and details how a 28-year-old male, Alan Michaels, was convicted of the manslaughter…

Nacro wholeheartedly welcomes the Laming review on the life chances of children in care. Too many young people in the care system come in to contact with the criminal justice system. Too often this is unnecessary and can be responded to in less harmful ways. Nacro’s own research on looked-after children concurs that too many behaviours…

Nacro wholeheartedly welcomes the announcement of prison reform, says Nacro’s Chief Executive, Jacob Tas. Inspection report after inspection report tell us that the system isn’t working. Despite the hard work of many people working in custody, they are rarely places of rehabilitation and can be defined by inactivity and hopelessness. The changes announced are welcome. Autonomy…

News of the Prime Minister’s proposed changes to the care system is very welcome, particularly news that the Queen’s Speech will legislate for a care leavers covenant. The Prime Minister is right to say that too many care leavers are let down by a system which fails to break the cycle of disadvantage that starts…

Speaking on the Home Office Crime Strategy published today, Nacro chief executive Jacob Tas, said: “We welcome the government’s focus on crime prevention announced this morning. It is very positive that preventing crime is prioritised and connected to the Prime Minister’s Life Chances agenda. “We are pleased that the Home Office has prioritised opportunity, the…

Commenting on the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission’s research on social mobility, Josh Coleman, Education Principal, at Nacro said: “This research is an important piece of work. There has been a forced separation of academic and vocational education since the 1950s and, for the first time, this tracks disadvantaged young people through their education…

As thousands of young people across Britain await their GCSE results today, Nacro calls on local authorities and schools to work with them to identify any young people for whom mainstream education has not worked.

Nathan* is 28 years old. He was released from prison in September 2013 having served 18 months of a 3-year sentence for Burglary (Domestic). It was his second conviction for Burglary and his 10th conviction overall. Nathan is estranged from his mother, having left home at the age of 14. He suffered mental health issues…