Routes Out of Prison Using Life Coaches to Assist Resettlement

Abstract

Scotland is undertaking one of its biggest penal reforms in a generation and is seeking a fundamental change to its approach to punishment, which is characterised by the use of very short prison sentences. This article discusses some findings from phase one of an ongoing evaluation study of Routes out of Prison (RooP) which uses Life Coaches, many of whom are themselves former prisoners, to support the transition and resettlement of large numbers of short‐term prisoners back to the community. The article examines the way in which these Life Coaches were recruited and managed, how they were viewed by their clients, and the added value that peer or mentor support can offer.

A systematic review of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of peer-based interventions to maintain and improve offender health in prison settings

“…38,121,136,138,139 Nineteen were of moderate quality 25,31,37,101,106,[126][127][128][131][132][133]135,137,140,147,148,151,161,162 and 32 were of poor quality. 23,27,32,36,119,120,[122][123][124][125]129,130,134,[141][142][143][144][145][146]149,150,[152][153][154][155][156][157][158]…”

“…23,25,123,124,126,135,136,138,139,147,151,153,155,156 Peer education was the most studied intervention mode (21 studies). 23,27,101,106,120,121,123,125,126,[128][129][130][131]134,143,144,[158][159][160]162,164 Of the other studies 14 were on peer support, 25,26,32,38,140,[149][150][151][152][153][154][155][156][157] two were on peer advisors, 135,139 two were on health trainers, …”

“…132 In total, 51 studies contained information relevant to review question 1, 23,27,31,32,36,38,101,106,119,[121][122][123][124][125][126][127]164 32 contained information relevant to review question 2 25,26,31,36,38,40,121,127,128,131,133,[135][136][137][138][139][140]143,[145][146][147][148][149]151,[153][154][155][156][157][158][159]163 and 14 contained information relevant to review question 3. 23,25,…”

“…25,31,32,37,38,[135][136][137][138][139][140][141][142][143][144][145][146][147][148][149] Other countries represented were Canada, 26,36,[150][151][152][153][154][155][156] Australia, 157,158 Ireland,159 the Russian Federation, 160 Israel, 161 South Africa, 162 the Republic of Moldova, 163 and Mozambique 164 ( Table 1).…”

“…A total of 16 studies gave details of the underpinning theoretical model for the intervention 38,101,106,126,130,131,134,150,151,[153][154][155][156][161][162][163] In total, 19 studies had a quantitative design, 23,27,101,106,[122][123][124]126,130,132,134,143,144,146,154,[160][161][162]164 16 had a qualitative design 31,38,119,121,125,128,[137][138][139][140]142,147,148,150,159,…”