Annual Report 2015

CELEBRATING

5Y E A R S

Contents

CELEBRATING

5Y E A R S

1. Director of Services Report 2015 .................................................. 2

2. OverviewofCareAfterPrison ...................................................... 4

3. TheOrganisation:EvolutionandStructure .................................. 6

4. CommunityVoluntaryProject(CVP)Report2015 ........................ 8

4.1 CareAfterPrison’sCommunityVoluntaryProject(CVP) .............. 8

4.2CVPFamilySupportService .......................................................... 8

4.3 CVPCommunityGarden ............................................................... 9

4.4 CommunityFitnessBootcampandYMCAGym ............................ 10

4.5 CVPStatistics2015 ....................................................................... 11

4.6 FeedbackfromKeyworkers......................................................... 11

5. CommunitySupportScheme ........................................................ 12

5.1 OverviewoftheCommunitySupportScheme ............................. 12

5.2 Keyachievements ......................................................................... 13

5.3 MainchallengesCommunitySupportScheme ............................. 13

5.4 ReferralstoServiceProviders ....................................................... 14

6. 2015CSSPrisonStatistics ............................................................ 15

7. CSSServiceUserSpecifics............................................................ 16

8. ServiceUserFeedback .................................................................. 18

Appendix1.Listofmajorsupportersin2015 ............................... 20

Designbywww.melgardner.com1

WearehopefulforthefuturehereatCareAfterPrisonasourservicesexpandanddevelop.Theresultsandstatisticsfrom2015showaverypositivepictureofourworkandofthesuccessoftheprogramme.

Oursuccessfulengagementwithourserviceusersandthepeercouncilhasenabledustogrowasaserviceproviderand75%successrateonourCommunitySupportScheme(CSS) is amarkerof the levelsofour successover2015andindeedsincewesetupin2011.Thiswouldnothavebeenpossiblewithouttheextremelyhardworkofourkeyworking staff, our excellent Board of Directors, HR andAccountsstaffandthefundraisingeffortsthattookplacethroughout2015.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank each andevery one of our dedicated team for all of their hardwork and commitment toCareAfterPrison. I thank theCarmelite Fathers and the Carmelite Community Centrefortheirsupport.Overthelastfiveyearswehavetogetheraddressedtheneedsofacommunitythathasfacedmajorchallenges.Iwouldliketothankthelocalcommunityfortheirsupportandunderstandingwithoutwhichwewouldhavestruggledtomakeapositiveimpact.Iholdaspecialthanksforthemanyvolunteerswhogiveupthetimetosupport our service users and indeed our service usersforhavingCAPinvolvedinthechangestheymakeintheirlives.

IalsoappreciatetheongoingrelationshipthatCareAfterPrisonhaswiththeIrishPrisonServiceandtheProbationService.TogetherwithTheIrelandFundsandKinsaleCapitalManagementaswellasothervaluedsupporters,theyhaveprovideduswithfinancialandstrategicsupportforthepastfewyears.Iamdeeplygratefulfortheirencouragementoftheworkthatwedoandtheirfaithinus. ThankyouallforyourcontinuedsupportandinterestinCareAfterPrison.And,lastbutnotbyanymeansleast,abigthankyoutoallofourfamiliesandfriendswhohaveputupwithsomuchofworkneededtobuildCareAfterPrison.’

Stephen DoyleDirector of Services

1. Director of Services Report 2015I am pleased to present to you Care After Prison’s 2015annualreport.2015sawover600peopleusingourservices,whichbringsthetotalnumberofclientswehavehelpedsince2011toapproximately4,000.Wecontinuetoemployaclientcentredapproach,which,alongsidethepeer-ledelementofourwork,hasprovenverysuccessful.

AtCareAfterPrison(CAP),ourmissionistoreducere-offendingandpromoteapositivelife changeamongour clients.Webelieve that every individual has the ability tomakethispositivelifechangewiththecorrectsupport.Ouraimistoprovidethissupporttoourclientsthroughareassuchaseducationandtraining,employment,housingandaddictionservices.

Key Highlights in 2015

u In the spring of 2015 CAP commenced collaborating with the Irish Prison Service and the Probation Service regarding Thornton Hall. This horticultural project based in North County Dublin is staffed by those on Community Return and a prison work party, as well as two Care After Prison staff members. The project grows crops and vegetables which are then harvested and donated to local charities. To date, this scheme has been a real success and has greatly aided in the rehabilitation and reintegration of ex-offenders.

u Our Community Garden Project also began to grow in 2015 when Care After Prison was granted permission by Dublin City Council to manage and maintain a green space in the O’Carroll Villas complex, Cuffe Street, Dublin 2. This initiative gave our service users a chance to give back to their local community and again greatly facilitated their reintegration and promoted active citizenship.

u The CAP Fitness Bootcamp also went from strength to strength last year as our service users focused on improving both their mental and physical health.

u Our volunteer personal trainer and a number of service users then put their new fitness levels to the test and completed the Run a Muck Challenge in aid of CAP.

Our successful engagement with our service users and the peer council has enabled us to grow as a service provider and an 75% success rate on our Community Support Scheme

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2. Overview of Care After Prison Community

Support Scheme

SCHOOLS O

UTREACH

COMMUNITY VOLUNTARY PROJECT

COMMUNITY SUPPORT SCHEME

Com

munity Garden | Fitness Programme | Thornton Hall

Schools Outreach | Irish Prison Service

Victim Support | Ex-offenders Programme

Our Vision: Facilitating change by providing support to those affected by imprisonment.

Our Mission Care After Prison works with those affected by crime and

imprisonment including; current offenders, ex-offenders, those awaiting sentencing, their families and victims of crime. Care After Prison works to promote and facilitate change amongst those who have experienced imprisonment. It does so through the provision of support and, in particular, a referral and linkage service. Care After Prison follows a peer-led and community-based approach.

MOTIVATIONEMPLOYMENT

Mental WellbeinG

TRAINING & EDUCATION

FAMILY

PHYSICAL & WELLBEING

SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS

& NETWORKS

ADDICTION SUPPORTS

FINANCES & benefits

accommodation

Our ValuesCareAfterPrison’sworkisunderpinnedbythefollowingvalues:

u We provide non-judgemental support for those affected by imprisonment;

u We take a holistic approach to the service user’s needs and respect the dignity of each individual;

u We recognise and draw on the experience of those affected by imprisonment;

u We work in partnership with other agencies dealing with imprisonment;

u We will base our work on evidence and be open to evaluation.

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3. The Organisation: Evolution and Structure

Evolution In2011,StephenDoyle,CharlieHoeyandPaulMackayidentifiedthefactthatuponreleasefromprison,manyex-prisonersrequireaccesstoalotofdifferentservicesfromanumberofagencies.Betweenthethreeofthem,the men have different experience of the criminaljustice system: Stephen has lived experience of the

Irishprisonsystem,CharlieHoeyworkedasachaplaininMountjoyprisonandPaulMackayservedontheparoleboardforanumberofyears.

CareAfterPrisonhelpspeopleatall stagesof imprisonment -pre-prison,pre-releaseandpost-release – through providing information, support and referrals to relevant servicesandorganisations.ThetwomainvehiclesthroughwhichCAPprovidessupportarethroughtheCommunityVoluntaryProject (CVP)andCommunitySupportScheme(CSS),whichareexplainedfurtherinthenexttwosections.

WhatCareAfterPrisonhasdemonstratedoverthepastfiveyearsisthatifspecificneedsareidentifiedandmet,thenchangeisnotonlypossiblebuthighly likely. Inotherwords,CareAfterPrison’smethodsareborn of experience,usecommon sense andmost importantlyactively listen to theserviceuser, their familyand friends,victimsofcrimeandthewidercommunitytowhichtheyreturn.

CareAfterPrison’sapproachistoinvolveallstakeholders, includingvictimsofcrimeintheprocessofrecovery,sothatrehabilitationandrecoveryareaccessibletoallofthoseaffectedbycrime.CareAfterPrisoncontinuestousetheexperienceofex-offenderstohelpothersbreakthecycleofoffending,byleadingbyexample,anddemonstratesthatchangeispossibleforallpeoplegiventherightcircumstancestochange.

Care After Prison helps people at all stages of imprisonment - pre-prison, pre-release and post-release – through providing information, support and referrals to relevant services and organisations.

Outline of typical support offered to a service user

Pre-prison Pre-Release Post-Release New life filled with hope and potential

Provide information to people awaiting sentencing

Access a prisoner’s current and future needs

Information, support and referral (face to face, by phone or online)

Provide information to future prisoners’ families and friends

Set up and agree on care plan

Link service users in relevant agencies

Prisoner starts working towards achieving agreed post-release aims and objectives

CAP support worker liaises with relevant agencies, family and friends

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4.3 CVP Community Garden In 2015 Care After Prison was given theprivileged opportunity to undertake aVoluntary Restorative Justice project byDublin City Council. Since June of 2015 anumber of service users supervised by CAPstaff have undertaken the restoration ofplantersandgreenspaceassociatedwiththeO’CarrollVillascomplex.

Thisworkincludedthepaintingofwallsandplanters which had been unattended forsome time. CAP requested donations fromthe general public, local businesses andGovernmentbodiesandDublinCityCouncil.

To date the garden project has beensuccessful ingiving individualswithcriminalbackgrounds an opportunity to volunteertheir time to a worthwhile project. Serviceusers have described the experience as‘therapeutic’and‘rewarding’tobegiventhechance to enhance their lives, to improvethegreenspacefortheresidentsofO’CarrollVillasandthewidercommunity.

Service users have described the experience as ‘therapeutic’ and ‘rewarding’ to be given the chance to enhance their lives, to improve the green space for the residents

4. Community Voluntary Project (CVP) 20154.1 Care After Prison’s Community Voluntary Project (CVP)ThroughtheCommunityVoluntaryProject,CareAfterPrisonhelpsserviceusersbyprovidinginformation,supportandreferrrals.Throughthissupport,CAPprovidesservicesuserswithhelpwithinareassuchasfindingaccommodation,managingrelationshipsanddealingwithaddiction.CareAfterPrisonhassupportedmorethan151IndividualsoverthepasttwelvemonthsthroughtheCVP.

136oftheseindividualsarefirsttimeserviceusersofCAP.Theseindividualshavepresentedthroughself-referralandreferralthroughexternalservices.CAP’sreputationwithintheprisonsettinghascontinuedtogrow.

TheProbationServicehasalsoengagedwithCAPtoreferindividualswiththeaimthatCareAfterPrison’speerledapproachcananddoesaidinthereductionofrecidivism.

Homeless and addiction services continue to collaborate with CAP to incorporate ourone-to-one key-working into individuals’ support plans. They also seek information andadvicefromCAPstafftopathwaystoeducation,training,entitlements,advocacyandreferralservices.

4.2 CVP Family Support ServiceOurFamilySupportServicehasgrowngreatlysince2014.Typicallyfamilymembersengageforinformationonarangeofissues,fromreleaseplanstoinformationabouthomelessandresettlementservices.Feedbackfromfamilymembershasbeenverypositive.

TheFamilySupportServiceisalsousefulinprovidingfamilymemberswithanexplanationof prisonprocedures andpolicies. CAP’s uniquepeer led approach can also give familymembersagreaterinsightintoprisonregimesfrombothaprisoner’sandfamilymember’spointofviewandthroughanunderstandingofhavingfamilymemberswhoweregreatlyaffectedbytheirimprisonment.

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4.5 CVP Statistics 20154.4 Community Fitness Bootcamp and YMCA Gym

For the past four years Care After Prison hasbeenabletoofferserviceusersuseoftheYMCAGymonAungierStreetaspartofanindividual’scare-plan. In 2015 there have been over 268sessionsinthegym.Feedbackfromsomeserviceusers have explained that it has helped ‘buildtheirconfidence’and‘gavethemsomewheretogosocially’. Our Fitness Bootcamp was a new initiative for2015, with the aim to improve service users’overallphysicalhealth.

CAPrecruitedavolunteerpersonal trainer,whohaslivedexperienceofimprisonment,tousehisskills to aid individuals in building their fitnesslevels. Qualifications gained whilst serving aprisonsentencehelpedhimandattendeesofthebootcampturntheirlivesaround.ServiceusershaveusedtheirnewfitnesslevelstocompletetheRunaMuckChallengeinaidofCareAfterPrisonontwooccasions.

Run A Muck Participants

Interventions 1040

Service Users 151

Prison Visits 60

2015

Free accessible gym continues to be a highly popular and invaluable social outlet for service users, promoting mental and physical health.

“I am proud of the work I have done with Michael over the past year. He is a different person. He also thanked me for the work. He told me the visits in the prison meant the world to him: a familiar face who was aware of his background and never judged him only encouraged him for the better”

“It was a good opportunity to support someone in building on their confidence so that they can do the tasks they want to with some positive encouragement and support.I definitely think that the creation of the peer support programme was a positive step for CAP. I think it helped the service to become more rounded. I think it showed clients, and the community, we’re ready to support people even when they’re not engaged with the prisons”

4.6 Feedback from Key workers

MEN

WOMEN

23%

77%

Gym attendance

Information / Advice

Peer Support

Prison In-reach

Family Support

Education / Training

Addicion Services

Mental Health

TOTAL SERVICE USERS

NEW SERVICE USERS

Accomodation / Homeless Agencies

268

151

136

Male Female

92

44

39

20

19

18

17

6

Common Services Accessed in 2015

Service users have explained that gym going has helped ‘build their confidence’ and ‘gave them somewhere to go socially’.

Service users by gender

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5. Community Support Scheme Annual Report 2015 5.1 Overview of Community Support Scheme The Community Support Scheme (CSS), an Irish PrisonService funded project, has successfully continued into itssecondyearwithCareAfterPrison.

ServicesprovidedbytheCSSincludethecasemanagementofclients,frompre-releasetotheendoftheirsentence.Clientswithasentencebetween3-12monthsarereferredfromthefourprisons inwhich theprojectoperates;Mountjoy, TheDochasCentre,WheatfieldandCloverhillPrison.

Pre-release support begins with the collaborativeidentification of an individual’s needs and strengths atthe time of assessment. As the name suggests, utilisingcommunity resources in the pre-release stage is vital toensuringthebestsupportnetworkforapersonuponrelease. ThosewhoaresuccessfulingettingTemporaryReleaseareprovidedwitha community supportworkerwhodevelopsa personalised care plan for each client. CAPworkers areencouragedtopromotethepersonalandsocialdevelopmentof individualsthroughbeingsupportiveandunderstanding

of their unique needs and best interests. If a client presentswith specific needs that arebeyondthescopeofourservice,thentheyarereferredtoanotherservice. WesaidfarewelltoanumberofstaffincludingTomKearnsinNovember.TomcameonboardasthesecondCommunitySupportSchememanagerintheautumnof2013.HehelpedinthedevelopmentandimplementationoftheprojectandhelpedmaketheCSSwhatitistoday.

utilising community resources in the pre-release stage is vital to ensuring the best support network for a person upon release.

5.2 Key achievements Community Support SchemeManyoftheshortterm,re-offendingprisonerstheCSSserves,havealonghistoryof imprisonment and therefore, institutionalisation presents challenges for thesepeople. This is compounded by social, economic, mental and health relateddifficulties.MuchoftheachievementstheCSShashadareinrelationtoinstanceswhenanindividualhasgainedsomeindependence to stand on their own feet.

TheCSSstrivestoinstilasenseofresponsibilityontoex-offenderssothattheycanidentify,engagewithandreflectupon thebarrierswhichstop themfrom leadingcrimefreelives.WiththesupportoftheircommunitysupportworkersinCAP,barrierssuchasaddictioncanbeaddressedandoftentotallydismantled,thenworkedoninasafeenvironment,atthepacewhichtheclientsets. The working relationship between the Integrated Sentence Management, IrishPrisonServiceandCAPcontributetotheon-goingsuccessoftheprogramme.Thereis a consistent respect between all three of these agencies and a trust has beendevelopedwhichallowsforopenandhonestcommunicationalongsidecollaborativedecisionmaking.

5.3 Main challenges Community Support SchemeSomeofthekeyworkingstaffhascontributedreflectionsontheirachievementsandchallengesthroughout2015.Thesereflectionsarticulatethecare,commitmentanddedicationtobothCareAfterPrisonandourserviceusers.

Onechallengefacedbystaffareserviceusers’perceptionsthat the CSS is just another arm of the criminal justicesystemthatistryingtocontroloroppressthem.Breakingdown these barriers presents a major challenge andunfortunatelysometimesthisdoesnothappen.

Thischallengeextendstostaffwhentheyarecompelled,throughtheprotocolsoftheCSS,toissuewarningswhena client’s engagement is waning. Staff members havespoken about the difficulty they face at times as theyfeel they are reprimanding a cohort of individuals whohaveoftenbeenrebukedformuchoftheirlivesbymanyelementsinsociety.

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Although a prerequisite for being consideredsuitable for the CSS includes having stableaccommodationuponrelease,manyofourclientsfacedifficultieswithregardtotheirlivingsituation.IrelandandDublininparticularareexperiencingaprolongedhousingandhomelessnesscrisis.

Peopleaffectedbyimprisonmentareoftenfromsocio-economically disadvantaged backgroundsand thus very vulnerable to losing theiraccommodation.

People affected by imprisonment are often from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds and thus very vulnerable to losing their accommodation.

“A success would be seeing the success in the services users. Sometimes those released into our care on Temporary Release can present unmotivated, unambiguous, or only present as a result of being conditioned to work with us. However over time the trust and relationship builds and their confidence in themselves and who they want to be and can be progresses and builds. And you can’t help but feel proud being part of that process, of seeing their belief, ability and their achievements”

CSS Staff

“It’s an achievement and a challenge in one, but a good challenge. And it shows why the CSS scheme is working - the need to have a support system sticking with them, for them. The success is seen in the progression from 1) something they have to do with you, 2) to wanting to work with you and 3) to their own empowerment to continue to do”.

CSS Staff

5.4 Referrals to Service Providers (2015)

In2015,121individualssuccessfullycompletedtheCSSprogramme.96oftheseweremale,and25werefemale.135referralsweremadeinsupportofimprovingtheindividual’sprospectofsustaininglifeoutsideofprisonfreefromcriminalbehaviour(Insomecasestwoormorereferralsweremadeforthesameindividualaswillbereflectedinthestatisticsbelow).Thesereferralscanbebrokendownasfollows:

have been linked in with Addiction Services (Drugs & Alcohol)

full and part time Education &Training

have gone on to Employment, full-time & part-time

have been referred to Housing/Homeless Services

to Counselling & Mental Health Services

participated in CAP's Bootcamp or Community Garden

to Health related services

to Travellers' Services

Family Support

Gym

50

28

16

12

13

5

5

2

2

2

2015

successfully completed their programme121

CAPCommunitySupportWorkersmakeregularcaseassessmentswhichleadtocaseplansbeingcollaborativelydevelopedwithclients.

In2015,121outof162peoplereleasedonTemporaryReleaseundertheCommunitySupportSchemethatCAPworkedwithsuccessfullycompletedtheirprogramme.’

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7.Community Support Scheme Service Users Overview

WOMEN MEN21% 79%

IRISHOTHER 5% 95%

ON AVERAGE, WOMEN ACCOUNT FOR 3.5% OF THE TOTAL PRISON POPULATION IN THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND IRISH PENAL REFORM TRUST, 2016

OUR CLIENT BASE IS MADE UP OF 95% IRISH NATIONALS, VERSUS 83% OF THE OVERALL PRISON POPULATION IRISH PRISON SERVICE, 2014

HOmeless

HOUSED

Supported Accommodation

EmergencyAccomodation

STAYINGWITH FRIENDS

14%

14%

6%

5%

61%

PRIMARY

ANY 2nd level

ANY 3rd level

60%

13%

9%

Leaving Cert Applied Leaving Other 2nd Level

NOTDISCLOSED 18%

GENDER

NATIONALITY

HOUSING STATUS

Highest level of education obtained

WORRYINGLY, OVER 1 IN 3 SERVICE USERS REPORTED THEIR HOUSING STATUS AS VULNERABLE.

3 IN 5 CSS CLIENTS FINISHED THEIR FORMAL EDUCATION AT PRIMARY LEVEL.

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W

8. Beyond Stats - Service Users Feedback “Helpful, supportive,

focused, excellent service, staff were very helpful and professional”

Cliona

“I am very happy to have had the support and I am thankful for everything”

Wayne

“CAP was good and helpful. Without CAP I would have broken my TR as I had in the past”

Daniel

“I enjoyed working with CAP, I think it is a good service that is needed and should have been around years ago. I believe that if so, not as many people would have gone back to prison. I think that it’s a good service because it works with prisoners together not just letting them out to do what they want”

Kevin

“CAP helped to motivate me not to do what I was doing before”

Stephen

“It was the most helpful experience I have had, I really can’t fault CAP”

Mike

“It was good to have someone to talk to and to listen to me”

Ashley

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Thanks to our fundersThefollowingfundersprovidedfinancialandothersupportin2015enabledCareAfterPrisontocarryoutourwork:

u CarmeliteCommunityCentre

u CourtService

u DublinCityCouncil

u IrishPrisonService

u KinsaleCapitalManagement

u PeterKinnyandLisaSandquistFoundation

u PortakabinIreland

u TheAmericanIrelandFund

u TheIrelandFunds

u ThirdSpace

u CityofDublinYMCA

Andtheindividualsupporterswhoorganisedeventsandraisedfundsonourbehalf.

Aspecialwordofthanksgoestoourvoluntaryboardofdirectors,whogiveuptheirtimetogoverntheorganisationinaprofessionalandefficientway.

Wearedeeplygratefulforthesupportthatwehavereceivedin2015.

Youcanfindour2015financialreportonwww.careafterprison.ie.

CELEBRATING

5Y E A R S

This report was written and edited by Meadhbh Ni Lochlainn, Claire Roundtree and Rosalinde Schut, with kind input and support from the

CAP team and board of directors.

Sourceswww.iprt.ie/women-offenders

www.irishprisons.ie/wp-content/uploads/documents_pdf/snap_nationality_

profile_-2007_2014.pdf

A special word of thanks goes to our voluntary board of directors, who give up their time to govern the organisation in a professional and efficient way.

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Care After Prison (CAP)Located at the Carmelite Community Centre (CCC)

56 Aungier StreetDublin 2

Phone: 01 472 0973

Email: info@careafterprison.ie