Police Commissioner continues to lead the way to reduce re-offending

The Police and Crime Commissioner, Donna Jones, has officially opened a fourth Integrated Offender Management (IOM) House for former inmates to rehabilitate and support their journey towards crime-free lives.

The IOM House opened in Basingstoke earlier this year and is the fourth one in Hampshire. The other three are located in Gosport, Portsmouth and Southampton.

IOM Houses are primarily for offenders leaving prison with substance misuse needs. The transformative and trauma-informed programme works in partnership to reduce re-offending, promote safer communities and support the residents to live free from crime and substance abuse.

The Police Commissioner funds the homelessness and substance misuse charity, Society of St James (SSJ), to deliver the specialist support in collaboration with the Probation Service. She is the only PCC in England to commission IOM Houses in this way.

Residents take part in a weekly timetable of meaningful activities and engage with mentors to help them tackle underlying causes of offending. All residents engage in mandatory substance misuse treatment within the first week.

PCC Donna Jones said: “IOM is a nationally recognised way of managing offenders. IOM Houses provide a home, offering support and equipping residents with new skills and knowledge. This includes training, volunteering and employment opportunities, engaging with sporting activities, becoming a peer mentor and budget management.

“This approach demonstrates a significant impact on social outcomes including life skills development and paid employment.”

SSJ’s Operations Director is Nicky Wilsenham: “We welcome the move to expand IOM accommodation into the north of the county. This unique approach sees SSJ, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary and the Probation Service work in partnership to provide a trauma-informed and strength-based pathway that gives individuals every opportunity to succeed.

“With a proven track record in Southampton, Portsmouth and Gosport, we are confident the new property in Basingstoke will fulfil an unmet need in the locality and give individuals every chance to achieve, and sustain, a crime and substance free life.”

In total, up to 28 residents can be accommodated at any one time across the four IOM Houses in Basingstoke, Gosport, Portsmouth and Southampton.

Between April and June this year, 26 residents were supported across the four IOM Houses. Thirteen individuals were aged 26 to 35 years old and the rest were aged 36 or over. Of those in residence, 30% had grown up around domestic abuse, 46% had grown up with family members who had mental health issues, and 38% had grown up with family members with substance use issues.

The residents accessed a range of support services with 11 engaging with courses or training, 15 undertaking voluntary work, 15 learning life skills such as gardening, cooking and DIY, 12 in peer support lessons and 18 involved in sporting activities.

The average length of stay across all four IOM Houses was 4.3 months. Five residents successfully left the programme to live with family, while two residents went onto independent living and one resident went into supported housing.

PCC Donna Jones added: “Reducing re-offending is a central part of my remit as Police Commissioner. Some offenders have been committing crime for a number of years. The IOM Houses are a vital step to stop the cycle of offending by giving people the opportunity to turn their lives around.”

Case Study
David, not his real name, moved into one of the IOM Houses at the start of 2019 and stayed until July that year. He began volunteering almost 40 hours per week and then progressed onto part-time work with the SSJ as a life skills and activity coach. He also secured his own flat.

He has now been employed full-time with the SSJ since 2021 working with the IOM team across Hampshire and alongside criminal justice partners.

He said: “I received a four year jail sentence for a number of offences including fraud and burglary. In prison, I had two choices – continue my downward spiral or actually work on myself and use my time in jail effectively. I changed my thought process and embarked on a victim awareness course which was a ‘light bulb’ moment for me.

“Hearing victim testimonies was gut wrenching and upsetting. It really hit home the impact these crimes can have on people, and how long the effects of crime can last.

“I continued to use my time in prison effectively, upskilling myself and due to my progression I became a mentor for Saints4Sport as well as preparing others for their release. This is how I came to hear about the IOM Houses.

“Upon my release, I was accepted into an IOM House. My offences were committed nearly eight years ago now and everyone’s journey is different. The IOM programme has the proven ability to ensure that every individual is given all the support and the tools they need to make positive steps towards a brighter future.”

Top Image L-R
SSJ IOM Project Manager, Mark Gray, PCC Donna Jones, SSJ Operations Director Nicky Wilsenham & SSJ Chief Executive Tania Marsh