A joint project between the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner’s Early Intervention Team and Northamptonshire Police is supporting young people to build futures free from the impact of parental crime.
Danielle Stone’s Early Intervention Team has launched the Prison Intervention Project to work with severely impacted young people for 16 weeks after their parent has received a custodial sentence.
Danielle’s practitioners will swiftly intervene after the Probation Service and Youth Justice System identify a child who has been exposed to criminality and are found to not be receiving any form of support.
It’s the specialist’s job to step in, offer targeted prevention and a safe place for them to share their emotions, in a bid to reduce the risk of future offending.
The project came about after the Serious Violence Prevention Partnership investigated the top ten reasons, between April 2018 and March 2024, why children faced adverse childhood experiences in Northamptonshire.
Two reasons – a relative being in prison or losing a parent through separation – were identified as critical service gaps.
Danielle said: “Until now, there has been a real gap in the system where children have been falling through the cracks. They need help to identify that just because a parent or sibling has gone to prison, doesn’t mean they will follow in the same footsteps.
“Young people going through such a stressful time at home will tell my specialists that they feel invisible, and my Early Intervention Team is there to help them feel seen and heard.
“This specialist intervention aims to improve the life chances for our young people and reduce future impact on policing.”
The project launched in September and is currently supporting 33 young people who are under 18.
It’s believed to be the first Commissioner-backed project in the country of this nature.
Prison Intervention Project leads: Northamptonshire Police Chief Inspector Oliver Charter and Office of Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Senior Early Intervention Officer Augusta Ryan.
Northamptonshire Police Prevention and Intervention Chief Inspector Oliver Charter said: “The Prison Intervention Project (PIP) is a core part of our Prevention and Intervention approach in Northamptonshire, ensuring we are not just responding to offending – but also working to break those cycles we sometimes see.
“The teams focus on supporting children who have had a parent or sibling receive a custodial sentence – a moment we know is consistently linked to increased vulnerability, emotional instability, and heightened risk of future offending.
“By working proactively with probation, offender management teams and the Youth Justice service, we are identifying children early, ensuring they receive coordinated support at the exact point the risk increases.
“This approach is fundamentally preventative – it stabilises families, reduces demand on policing, and gives young people the support and confidence they need during a difficult time.
“As Chief Inspector for Prevention and Intervention, I see this programme as crucial in breaking intergenerational cycles of harm and demonstrating that here in Northamptonshire, we are committed to not only enforcing the law, but also to safeguarding those most impacted by it.
“I am proud that we are one of few areas in the country to offer such a scheme and look forward to seeing the impact it will have in our county.”
