Nacro news

Tick the box at the start of an application that asks about prior criminal convictions and the chances are your job hopes will end up in smoke. So it was a big deal to those of us behind the Business in the Community #BantheBox campaign to hear the Prime Minister, David Cameron, declare on Monday…

“This is a timely and important report because, although the number of children in custody has declined over the years, the evidence is clear that the system is still failing some of our most vulnerable children. “Nacro has been delivering education in hard to reach communities for almost 50 years and we are pleased that…

“We very much welcome the Prime Minister’s commitment to reforming our out-dated prison system which is currently failing victims, communities and offenders. Reoffending rates are too high and it is right to reconsider how the system can work better to ensure individuals make a positive contribution to society on release. “There are lots of individual…

Commenting on Government’s decision to pause a rent reduction cut for supported housing, Jacob Tas, Chief Executive, said: “We welcome the Government’s decision to exempt supported housing from a one per cent rent reduction in 2016-17. It is a small but significant step, which means it has listened to charities like Nacro and will secure vital…

The High Court has decided that the Government’s criminal records disclosure scheme is ‘incompatible with Article 8 of the Human Rights Act’, as a result of claims brought by two people whose careers were blighted by having to disclose minor convictions to employers. Jacob Tas, Nacro’s Chief Executive, said: “The High Court judgement is a…

Nacro, the social justice charity, has today (21 January) launched a free weekly drop-in advice service to help local people worried or affected by alcohol issues. Running from Nacro’s offices in Melville Street, Lincoln, the service named ‘The Hub’ will offer free confidential advice and support. Bridget Sheeran, Nacro support worker, said: “The Hub has…

Joanne Drew, Director of Housing at Nacro, says: ‘We need a joined up approach to regeneration, realising investment made today to create communities that prosper long after funding has been spent’.

“This is a timely and welcome report that draws attention to the many challenges currently facing children in custody. “Given the crucial importance of early planning for release to reduce reoffending and achieve effective resettlement outcomes, the finding that only 41% of boys held in the YOI estate said that they had a training, sentence…

Frances Lawrence reflects on how young people have been viewed in the media and political worlds over the past decades, the achievements made by the Philip Lawrence Awards and the young people it has helped.

“Today’s report highlights the vital importance that housing and work play in recovery from drug and alcohol misuse. “Successful treatment programmes address multiple and complex problems such as homelessness, poor mental health, low education attainment, access to work, as well as physical heath problems associated with substance misuse. “People using our housing services tell us…

Today Totton College officially joins Nacro, as part of its Education Directorate.

Commenting on yesterday’s Comprehensive Spending Review, Jacob Tas, said: “There was some positive news from the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) yesterday. In particular, Nacro welcomes the decision by the Chancellor to reduce the level of cuts feared. We are pleased to see additional funding to mental health, safeguarding of the Big Lottery Fund, protection for…

2016 marks the 50th year anniversary of Nacro, the crime reduction charity. Our special edition 2016 Nacro wall calendars celebrate this occasion and are available to order now. An essential reference guide for the year ahead, it features 2016’s key religious festivals, bank holidays and public holidays. Price – £1 per calendar Postage and packing: 1…

Understanding young people and responding to individual needs is essential to engaging effectively in resettlement after a period in custody, according to two new guides published by Beyond Youth Custody (BYC) a programme, which joins together Nacro, Salford and Bedfordshire Universities and ARCS (UK). Aimed specifically at practitioners who come into contact with young people…

Nigel’s appointment, which starts today (2 November), will comprise a three-year term. Nigel will work closely with the Council of Trustees and Nacro’s Chief Executive, Jacob Tas, to ensure that the charity effectively delivers its business objectives and remains focused on achieving its vision to change lives, strengthen communities and reduce crime. Jacob Tas said,…

“Our research, through our Beyond Youth Custody (BYC) programme, shows the vital importance of engaging young people in purposeful activity. Isolation takes young people away from interventions that will work to help them turn their lives around. The Commissioner is right to call for a full examination of its use and how we can better…

The project sets out to improve future employment opportunities.

Nacro and Beyond Youth Custody (BYC) held a round table event, ‘Throw away the key? Ending the cycle of reoffending’, at yesterday’s Conservative Party Conference. The event, held in the Youth Zone, was attended by a variety of leaders and opinion formers and included contributions from: Andrew Selous MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Justice;…

Wednesday 11 November 2015 | London (half day), free

The ‘Throw away the key?’ panel debate provoked discussion on ending the cycle of reoffending, drawing on the evidence from Beyond Youth Custody programme, which joins together Nacro, Salford and Bedfordshire Universities and ARCS (UK). The event explored how getting resettlement right remains a challenge in the 21st Century. Panellists included: Keith Vaz MP, Chair,…

16:15-17:15 | Tuesday 29 September 2015 | Brighton Conference Centre
Beyond Youth Custody fringe event

22 October 2015 | London, United Kingdom
Chair: Jacob Tas, Chief Executive, Nacro

Nacro responds to an independent review into employment outcomes for people with drug and alcohol addictions.

Nacro is holding a free, half day employer event, focused on employing people with criminal records, for organisations based in Luton and the surrounding areas.

03 November 2015 | Birmingham City Football Club, Birmingham
Speaker: David Watson, Health and Justice Director, Nacro

Josh Coleman, Director of Education comments on a review of education in adult prisons published by the House of Commons.

Nacro learners in Longton support FareShare food drive and raise awareness about FareShare’s work.

We are looking for small or large organisations that want to become a delivery partner in the provision of treatment and recovery services.

Nacro learners build walls for a local garden project to help a child with muscular dystrophy.

At the beginning of July, Nacro along with Age UK Stockport, FLAG, Relate GMS, Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council, Stockport Homes and Threshold launched the first ever single integrated health and social care alliance in Stockport.

A significant change in the way young and vulnerable people are able to access and use services in Lincolnshire has been launched this month.

Nacro welcomes the announcement made by Justice Secretary, Michael Gove, to overturn the ban on prisoners receiving books from family and friends.

A new report published today from Beyond Youth Custody highlights how reoffending rates remain stubbornly high.

Following the Totton College Board’s announcement today (22 June) on future plans for the College, Nacro has announced that it has been given approval for Totton College to join its education services.

Lesley Jean Davies, Council Member and Education Trustee at Nacro, has been awarded an OBE at this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours.

  Commenting on the new guidelines published by the Home Office on ‘injunctions to prevent gang related violence’, Sally Benton, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at Nacro said: “We welcome steps to provide support to female gang members who are victims of sexual exploitation. For too long, there has been a worrying lack of…

  Hard copies of Nacro’s ‘Recruiting safely and fairly: a practical guide to employing ex-offenders‘ are now available to order upon request. The guide, produced with the support of the CIPD and the DBS, is an essential tool for employers so that they can recruit safely and confidently when appointing individuals with criminal records, enabling…

Reducing the housing entitlement for Britain’s under 21s could leave many young people homeless and at substantial risk of harm – warns the nation’s leading charity on crime prevention, Nacro. Following yesterday’s Queen’s Speech, Nacro is calling on Government to consider the consequences of taking away a housing lifeline for many of the most vulnerable…

Commenting on the OECD report published today on skills and youth unemployment, Jacob Tas, Chief Executive at Nacro says: “Today’s figures come as no surprise. We see every day the challenges that young people face who have struggled to succeed in an education system that isn’t suited to their needs and isn’t working for them….

Nacro has teamed up with the Early Intervention Foundation and over 50 other leading charities in a letter calling for the next government to commit to early intervention. The letter, published in The Independent on 5 May, points out that Britain spends “almost £17 billion a year fixing social problems affecting children and young people”…

Ahead of the UK general election on May 7th, parties have released their manifestos informing us of their policies and aspirations if they get in to government for the next five years. Nacro, the crime reduction charity, responds to the manifestos and considers potential impact on crime reduction, social inclusion and on people living in…

Research from Beyond Youth Custody released today looks at how to address the growing concern of managing gang-involved young people when they are released from prison. The report plugs a worrying knowledge gap on how to support gang-involved young people to exit gangs and move on from crime. The report, Gang-involved young people – custody…

Beyond Youth Custody research released today says young people do not feel prepared for release and lack the support they need to cope with the transition back into the community. The report ‘Custody to community: How young people cope with release’ identifies a gap in knowledge about the way young people experience the transition from…

On 20 January, the Beyond Youth Custody programme held a roundtable to discuss the findings of Dr Tim Bateman and Prof Neal Hazel’s research into gender-responsive resettlement practice for girls and young women. The meeting was chaired by Jacob Tas and heard leading contributions from Baroness Jean Corston and Nick Hardwick CBE. With females comprising…

Kent County Council has identified Kent as an area with a high proportion of young people not in education, employment or training and we are responding to this need by increasing what we offer in Kent. We have been working closely with the key young people’s services in the area including local youth offending teams…

Sodexo, world leader in quality of life services, has won six of the community rehabilitation company contracts in partnership with crime reduction charity Nacro. The seven-year contracts will see the partnership between Sodexo and Nacro manage probation services for low to medium risk offenders. The Secretary of State for Justice signed the contracts today (18…

The High Court has declared that the government’s ban on sending books to prisoners is unlawful. As part of the proceedings, Nacro argued that better, more meaningful access to books was crucial to the self-development of prisoners and that restrictions could be damaging to prisoners’ rehabilitation. Graham Beech, Nacro’s Strategic Development Director, said: “We welcome…

Last Wednesday 30 Nacro learners from a range of projects attended a tailored programme run by the Barclays LifeSkills team at the Barclays headquarters in Canary Wharf. LifeSkills, created with Barclays, is an education programme specially developed with input from businesses and teachers to help young people in the UK get ready for the world…

Nacro hosted Cambridgeshire MEP, Richard Howitt, who is calling for work placements for young people who are not in education, employment or training – NEETs. The Labour MEP was visiting the local Nacro education centre in Huntingdon where he met young mothers and people who are studying on Nacro’s motor vehicle maintenance course – one…

Beyond Youth Custody welcomes Justice Minister, Simon Hughes announcement that women in custody will be given help to maintain vital ties with their families through the introduction of family engagement workers. On Tuesday, Minister for Justice, Simon Hughes, announced that women in custody will be given help to maintain connections with their families through the…