A team that works with young people who have a parent in prison has been praised for its positive impact by Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone.
Danielle’s Early Intervention Team run the Prison Intervention Project, which works with severely impacted young people – who are identified by the Probation Service and Youth Justice System – once a parent has received a custodial sentence.
Run jointly with Northamptonshire Police, the project allows qualified practitioners to step in and offer bespoke support and a safe space for young people to share their emotions, with the aim of reducing the risk of future offending.
Danielle met with the Prison Intervention Project team to hear about their work and presented them with certificates to recognise the valuable contributions they have made to improving the lives of young people.
Augusta Ryan is a Senior Early Intervention and ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) Support Officer within Danielle’s office. She said: “The project was launched last September as it was recognised there was a service gap in supporting young people who have relatives in prison.
“The impact of being separated from a parent is enormous, and we see first-hand with the young people we work with that they can feel ignored and isolated. We work with them so that they feel heard, supported and can make choices that improve their life chances and reduce the risk of future offending.”
Danielle Stone added: “It was clear from listening to the team that the work they do is vitally important, and that many young people who engage with them wouldn’t know what to do without their support.
“The Prison Intervention Project was set up so that we could identify young people who were previously falling through the crack. They need support, not to feel like their voice has been forgotten.
“Positively intervening at this stage helps them realise that they don’t necessarily need to follow the same path as their parent, and by preventing future offending we are also making sure we reduce demand on policing.”
