Published date: 18 April 2016 |
Published by: Staff ReporterRead more articles by Staff Reporter
Case workers Sian Edwards and Donna Jones with CEO, Gemma Fox.
A PIONEERING scheme to turn round the lives of women offenders in Conwy and Denbighshire and steer them away from a life of crime has been given a massive boost.
The £202,987 in funding to extend the project is testimony to the resounding early success of the Pathfinders Diversion scheme, according to North Wales Women's Centre managing director Gemma Fox.
In North Wales the project, set up by Integrated Offender Management (IOM) Cymru, is run by the Rhyl-based Women's Centre, and works with women from across Conwy, Denbighshire and Flintshire.
Ms Fox said: “I’m delighted the Home Office has seen fit to extend this project until March 2017. We couldn’t have wished for better news.”
Ms Fox, who has worked for 16 years developing the North Wales Womens Centre, said this was one of the most groundbreaking initiatives she has ever been involved with and she believes it has the potential to make a huge impact on the lives of at risk women and their families across the region.
The scheme, helps potential female offenders stay on an even keel by guiding them towards a range of alternative options to solve their problems.
Until the latest announcement of additional funding, it was financed only until September this year.
But such has been its success to date that an application for an extension of funds has been granted to safeguard the project until March 2017.
The Pathfinders Diversion strategy finances part time case workers attending the custody suite at the divisional police HQ in St Asaph where they are alerted about the arrest of women offenders.
Ms Fox added: “It is aimed at women with no previous convictions or women who have not reoffended within two years of a previous conviction.
“We aim to help them work things out, through practical interventions such as rehabilitation programmes for those with alcohol or substance misuse problems.”
see-http://www.rhyljournal.co.uk/news/161048/scheme-launched-to-help-women-offenders-in-conwy-and-denbighshire.aspx
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