Nacro news

Nacro has submitted evidence to the Education Committee’s inquiry on prison education: ‘Education: Are prisoners being left behind?’. It examines how current arrangements support learners in custody and how well prison education delivers the skills needed by employers. The inquiry is considering education for adults, young people and children in custody. In our evidence we…

The latest official monthly statistics1 show a sharp increase of 65% in Covid-19 infections in prisons across the country, and a 51% rise in deaths related to the disease. Leading social justice charity Nacro is calling on the government to ensure that all staff working in prisons are treated as a priority for vaccination. In…

We know through our work in prisons and our campaigning that being released from prison during the holidays or on Fridays can make the already complicated release process more difficult. With many key services closed, those released during these times may struggle to sort out housing, funds and health support. It can feel like a race against the clock….

The Prime Minister has announced a national lockdown as of midnight on 5th January. As a DfE registered local provider of post-16 education and skills, we are committed to ensuring that there is a good offer of face-to-face learning where required and a remote offer including hard copy packs, online learning and regular communication with…

Nacro will be working in partnership with Resonance Ltd – a social impact investment company working with social enterprises and charities – to provide homes to women in London through our Bail Accommodation and Support Service (BASS). Nacro BASS helps people who are homeless but have been granted bail by the courts or are being…

Nacro has recently started to work with Bags of Taste, a not-for-profit organisation which aims to change the everyday diets of people who are either in, or who face food poverty. They promote the regular cooking of healthy, tasty, home-cooked food, away from dependence on highly-processed and takeaway foods, aiming to improve diets and finances. …

From 28th November, changes to the DBS Filtering Regime mean that even more people with old, minor cautions and convictions will no longer need to disclose them when applying for certain roles. These roles include working with children, vulnerable people, working in certain regulated professions such as healthcare, law and senior finance roles and applications…

The Justice Committee, today, has released its report ‘Children and Young People in Custody, Part 1: Entry into the youth justice system’, off the back of its inquiry into ‘Children and Young People in the Youth Justice System’, launched in July 2019. Responding to the ‘changing demands on the youth justice system’, the report highlights…

This year’s ILLY Team of the Year award has been given to Recovery Near You! ILLY are a national case management system that RNY has been using since 2013. The achievement was awarded at the virtual ILLY National User Group where there were presentations reflecting on how the year had gone, and staff from RNY…

On 10 November 2020, the Parliamentary Under Secretary for State for Apprenticeships and Skills, Gillian Keegan MP, carried out a virtual visit to our Education and Skills Centres in Boston and Newcastle, and took part in a virtual lesson. Keegan heard from two learners at our Newcastle Centre. One learner, who has returned to complete…

I have been a Trustee of Nacro since the autumn of 2015 and there has never been a time that I have not felt an immense amount of pride in the work that the Nacro teams achieve. This year, like for everyone else, has been the most strange, weird and frustrating for all of us…

Nacro has been awarded funding by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, to deliver housing for homeless Londoners from Spring 2021. The funding figure is £5m, on top of the original £15m provided by Resonance’s social impact investment property fund. Working in partnership with Resonance, Nacro will deliver 50 homes across London. Campbell Robb, Chief…

Well, here we go…ADHD awareness month; yet the person with ADHD who has offered to share her experience slides in with the blog that she offered to do in order to raise awareness on ADHD…at the last minute!! There is an element of irony there for sure…   This is written from my own personal experience…

Earlier this year at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic we set out some calls to Government to ensure that people in the criminal justice system were kept safe and risk of harm was reduced. As the 2nd wave of the pandemic hits and the country goes into different stages of lockdown, we need to…

These blogs demonstrate how the team have adapted to the challenges of Coronavirus to support service users to continue to engage and to offer much needed support during difficult times. Within the Recovery Near You service, Wolverhampton 360 supports young people and their families with substance misuse issues. Below you can read the accounts of…

In preparation for World Homeless Day on Saturday 10th October, we have been sharing several specific areas disproportionately experienced by those homeless or at risk of homelessness and how we help. Women/domestic violence   Of female rough sleepers, approximately 33% have experienced domestic abuse. Leading up to #WorldHomelessDay, today we want to shine a light…

Read this blog about how the team from our Recovery Near You substance misuse service proactively sought to engage with rough sleepers during lockdown. Redwings During lockdown Redwings, a hotel in Wolverhampton, started providing emergency homelessness accommodation to rough sleepers. Recovery Near You staff visited Redwings regularly in order to support those staying there who…

Written by Nacro staff member Chris Proctor As I sit writing this on my laptop sipping my morning coffee under the artificial light of my desk lamp, nodding my head rhythmically to the sound of Stormzy on the radio I take a minute to pause as I contemplate the fact that we are surrounded by…

These blogs demonstrate how the team have adapted to the challenges of Coronavirus to support service users to continue to engage and to offer much needed support during difficult times. Below you can read about the virtual mutual aid groups that were set up during lockdown from the perspective of a member of staff, a…

Along with other organisations, we have written a letter to the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, and the Secretary of State for Justice, Robert Buckland, about accommodation for prison leavers and the Comprehensive Spending Review. We all know how important having a safe and secure home is. But for too many people leaving prison this has…

This service user has been attending our Recovery Near You substance misuse service and has been helped onto the path to recovery. These poems really provide a snapshot into the emotions and experiences of someone working to shed their addictive behaviours and move on in life. An excerpt from one poem: To all my friends…

A JUSTICE SYSTEM FIT FOR THE FUTURE: LESSONS FROM THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC TO BUILD A FAIRER AND EFFECTIVE PATH TO RESETTLEMENT COVID-19 continues to significantly impact the most vulnerable in our society, including those in custody and those being released from prison. With prisons only delivering a limited regime; the Early Release Scheme being suspended…

Our students who attend our Education and Skills Centres have achieved incredible results despite personal barriers and the challenges of learning during a pandemic.. we are so proud of their hard work and determination. Those who have to re-sit their GCSE exams in English and maths receive excellent tailored support from our experienced and skilled…

As students across the country receive their GCSE results this week, Lisa Capper, Nacro Principal (pictured above) advises local young people how they can prepare to make the best of results day, whatever their grades. GCSE results day can be nerve wracking at the best of times but this year due to the nature of…

Too many are left homeless without the foundations to build a new life.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Help us to make a change today.

Since we spoke to our education team near the beginning of lockdown, things have changed for our Education and Skills Centres who are all preparing to open 24th August and teach from September. Awarding Qualifications Our staff team have been working with the qualification awarding bodies to identify which qualifications will make use of centre-assessed grades,…

The five senior leaders with extensive experience across government, housing, rehabilitation, policing and education will play a vital role in leading the organisation in its ambition to ensure no-one is left behind and when things go wrong people have the best chance at a second chance. They join new chief executive Campbell Robb as Nacro…

Nacro was a key contributor to the Justice Committee’s session on: Coronavirus (COVID-19): The impact on probation systems. The Committee has released a report on this session and will now launch an inquiry into ongoing reforms in the service. Nacro’s External Engagement Director, Helen Berresford who attended the session, comments: “We are pleased to see the Committee recognise that…

On Thursday 2nd July, 11am-12.30pm, we hosted a remote panel and Q+A event, hearing from key figures in criminal justice: Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Robert Buckland MP, Dame Anne Owers DBE (IMB), Kate Davies CBE (NHS England), John-Paul Marks (DWP), Jeremy Hayles (Nacro). Thanks to attendees and those who submitted questions;…

About Nacro Nacro’s goal is to reduce reoffending and help people both in prison and on release to change their lives and positively reintegrate into society. We operate in 30 prisons, young offender institutions and one secure training centre, offering a wide range of intervention, education, advice, guidance and practical support. In 2018/19 we ensured…

Nacro’s Through the Gate service in South Yorkshire prisons, part of South Yorkshire Community Rehabilitation Company (CRC), has been awarded an ”Outstanding’ rating. Through the Gate services support people as they prepare to leave prison. Our team work in prisons, including HMP Doncaster, HMP Moorlands, HMP Hatfield, and HMP Lindholme, as well as in the…

In response to the Coronavirus outbreak, we have been continuously assessing and adapting our service delivery to respond to the changing situation. Staff, trustees and partners have been working hard to continue to support our service users and learners and support our staff during this difficult time. Below is the most recent update on how…

At Nacro we believe that in these unprecedented times, it is more important than ever to support those caught up in the criminal justice system, both in prison and on release. While there has been much immediate focus on how to manage the prison estate, for those whose release date is coming up, reintegrating into…

Nacro becomes Society for Education and Training Corporate Partner The Society for Education and Training (SET) is welcoming staff at Nacro, a national social justice charity with more than 50 years’ experience of changing lives, building stronger communities and reducing crime, as SET members. Nacro has signed a Corporate Partnership with SET – the professional…

A new report from social justice charity, Nacro, reveals that young people believe fear is the main reason behind carrying knives, and that tougher penalties and longer prison sentences do not deter young people from carrying knives. Read our ‘Lives not Knives’ report here. Nacro has today launched the ‘Lives Not Knives’ report in response…

Today, alongside Clinks, we have co-published a response to the Cabinet Office and Department of Health and Social Care consultation – Advancing our health: prevention in the 2020s. The response focuses on the health inequalities faced by a large group of people in the criminal justice system. We want to help ensure that prevention is…

Today, Nacro has published Using an identity lens: Constructive working with children in the criminal justice system. Research has shown that identity, and how you feel about yourself, can be key to moving forward with life and away from crime. Working with the University of Salford, Youth Offending Teams and supported by the Barrow Cadbury…

On launching our manifesto, Nacro’s Policy and Public Affairs Manager, Caroline Drummond, says: This election is an opportunity to make real, impactful changes that will help thousands of people build a better future for themselves and the next government needs to commit to reforms that see no one left behind. You can read our full…

Our 2020 Nacro wall calendar is available to order now. An essential reference guide for the year ahead, it features 2020’s key religious festivals, bank holidays and public holidays and will brighten up any room or workspace.   Price – £1.20 per calendar Postage and packing: 1 copy: £1.20 2-5 copies: £1.80 6-9 copies: £3.00…

In response to recent analysis of youth justice system figures, Nacro Chief Executive, Campbell Robb, said: “These shocking re-offending rates show how broken our youth justice system is. With over 40% of young people that are convicted or cautioned reoffending within one year, it is clear we need to change our approach and recognize there…

In response to the MoJ announcement regarding UK prisons set to receive innovative security investment, Nacro Chief Executive, Campbell Robb, said: “With record high levels of self harm and violence within our prisons, investment to improve security and tackle smuggling is essential, but it is not the only solution we need to truly tackle crime…

Too many are left homeless without enough money for basics or support.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Help us to make a change today.

Blog by the filmmaker, Lilka Szerszynska Watch the film here The phrase ‘Out of Time’ perfectly sums up the race against the clock that many prison leavers released on a Friday experience; they’re out of prison, they’ve done their time, but the path to resettlement, reintegration and security is not always as plain sailing as…

Students from education and skills centres run by Nacro continue to make strides in their progress, with GCSE pass rates increasing for the third year in a row and eight of ten students securing a job, an apprenticeship or a place on a further education course. Nacro students who have to re-sit their GCSE exams…

As students across the country prepare to receive their GCSE results this week, Lisa Capper, Nacro Principal (pictured above) advises students how they can prepare to make the best of results day. GCSE results day can be a scary time but it doesn’t have to be. Whether you receive the grades you hope for or…

Campbell Robb, Nacro Chief Executive, was interviewed on 13 August 2019 as part of a Sky News at Six piece on the Prime Minister’s plans to tackle crime with more prisons and higher levels of security within them. Campbell reiterated that “we all want to see crime reduced and less victims of crime”, but that…

The article contains a case study of Nacro service user, Phillip, who began using our substance misuse project in 2017. He was formerly a prolific offender, who was homeless on several occasions after being released from custody: “If I had come out and gone into a proper place to stay, I could’ve started fresh and…

Well that went quickly… Yet already I feel right at home and could not have felt more welcome. So they eased me in gently! An all-day leadership team meeting, a council meeting, a budget update and 20-odd meetings. Honestly – I have loved every minute of it, getting a feel of the services we provide, the…

Nacro has responded to the release of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs report, which was published here yesterday.  Helen Berresford, Director of External Engagement at Nacro, said: “In Nacro’s experience, being released on a Friday can make an already difficult day almost impossible and increases the possibility of people reoffending. The first…

Helen Berresford, Nacro Director of External Engagement, was interviewed on 28 May 2019 as part of two BBC News pieces. She reiterated our welcome of efforts to increase the use of Release on Temporary Licence (RoTL) in its important role in improving resettlement for people coming out of prison.