Recycling Lives has been recognised by its peers as the national leader in offender rehabilitation.
Our work in prisons has been handed the Robin Corbett Award for Prisoner Reintegration by the Corbett Network.
We have been commended for our “exceptional results” as we reduce reoffending rates to less than 5% by supporting offenders to secure skilled, meaningful work.
The annual Awards seek to recognise “outstanding” rehabilitative work; set up in memory of the late Lord Robin Corbett, a long-serving MP who campaigned for penal reform.
Our HMP Academies programme, working in 11 prisons, supports up to 250 men and women at a time to undertake meaningful recycling or fabrication work to develop skills, earn an enhanced wage and have support to secure work and housing ready for release.
The programme delivers unrivalled results – less than 5% of participants reoffend while more than 70% go straight into work upon release. By comparison, national figures show that around 67% of offenders reoffend while less than 20% move into work on release.
Alasdair Jackson, Chief Executive of Recycling Lives Social Enterprise, said: “It is always fantastic to win any award. To receive the Robin Corbett Award is particularly special as we are being recognised by experts in the prison field.
“Our team deserve all the credit as they leave no stone unturned to help the people we work with. However, the real winners are those men and women who have turned their lives around. I couldn’t be prouder of them.”
We now plan to invest our £5,000 first place prize in developing support services for the mental health and wellbeing of the men and women we work with.
Chairman of the judges Lady Val Corbett said: “Amongst some outstanding applications, Recycling Lives’ work and exceptional results meant the judges were unanimous in their decision.
“My husband Robin was resolute in his belief that prison should be an opportunity to make positive changes in individual’s lives.”