OLWEN LYNER, CEO, NIACRO OLWEN LYNER, CEO, NIACRO

NI European Social Fund Conference 2008

Context• Northern Ireland – 35 years of conflict• Signing of Good Friday Agreement 1998• Society in Transition• Profile of Prison Population changes as

consequence of Prisoner Early Release Programme• Movement from Containment to • Resettlement• Criminal Justice Review (2000) • Resettlement Strategy

EmploymentSocial Status• Long term unemployed (unemployed >

1 year) approximately 12,000• PPS targeted beneficiaries pool

approximately 2,000• Current national employment

programmes not connecting to PPS target group therefore EU funding

• Importance of mainstreaming

Establishing DP (National)• Lead in time of approximately 2 years

• History of bilateral working on other issues

• Innovative – first time formal relationship between organisations

• DP members shared resettlement agenda – time was right

• Small DP – very focused

Relevant Size

AGENCY BUDGET STAFFING

NI Prison Service

112.5 m 2,100

Probation Board for NI

14 m 300

NIACRO 3.3 m 75

Some of the Issues• Consistency of staff personnel in statutory

agencies• Development needs in terms of data capture• Differing cultures/structure• Differing priorities (disturbance/allocation)• Location of decision making• The value of the transnational • experience i.e. forming relationships and

visioning change

Example• Fed into the Resettlement Strategy

2004 and resulted in the recommendation that “The Prison Service takes on board the learning from the NIACRO led Equal

Programme in terms of services

and approaches” Resettlement

Strategy 2004

By the end of Equal I

• Had in place a system for employability assessments which is now carried out by NIPS or other staff (we are not involved)

• Establishments have integrated employability assessment into a

holistic process

COLLABORATIVE AND COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE

Strategic Level: Collaborative Advantage Assist delivery of Agency Mission

Builds inter agency social capital

Contributes to shifting mainstream policy

Catalyst for change

PPS Delivery

Operational Level: Comparative Advantage Exploits a specific expertiseCooperation leads to customised resettlement planContinuity of service delivery within and beyond prison

VOLUNTARY & COMMUNITY (NGO) CONTRIBUTION

• Specialist knowledge, experience and/or skills• Involving the, “hard to reach” people• Independence from existing and past

structures/models of service• Access to communities particularly in

contested/hostile arenas• Lateral response required coordinated, • multi strand, multi sector approach

understood

Cont\d…

• Informed re issues of social exclusion

• Empowerment of beneficiaries key to successful design and implementation of programmes

Strategic Model of Intervention:• (a) effective legislation with respect to

employers and beneficiaries• (b) incentives that encourage both

employers and beneficiaries to engage with employment opportunities

• (c) providing support and education to employers and beneficiaries that ensure sustainability and duration within the

labour market

EVIDENCE FROM PPS/REACHOUT

• 3 Prison establishments integrated employability assessment into holistic process (PPS)

• Approx. 60% of beneficiaries completing programme secure employment (Reachout)

• Reconviction rate for completers 17%, non-completers 20% compared to 45% - general reconviction rate