Preparing for a prisoner's release

The Isle of Man Prison and Probation Service and the Department of Home Affairs acknowledge that effective resettlement requires a multi agency strategy for reducing reoffending and providing end-to-end management of offenders during and after imprisonment.

With this in mind, the resettlement team within the prison, is focussing its efforts on building links with outside agencies, inviting them into the prison and encouraging them to be actively involved.

Custody Plans form the mainstay of this process and plan for a prisoner’s release by ensuring that assistance is provided in finding employment and securing accommodation for those that need it.

Offenders are supported through the process of going to court, prison custody, release and, where necessary, supervision in the community.

Everything contained in the Custody Plan, throughout the prisoner’s sentence, should be geared towards improving the chances of living a crime-free life on release. Before a Resettlement Plan is put in place, a review of the Custody Plan is undertaken to consider what targets, if any, have not been achieved. It may be necessary to consider referrals to outside agencies to continue work that has been started or has not been possible to address in custody.

The pre-release plan consists of 7 parts:

1.  Accommodation
2.  Activity
3.  Relationships and dependants
4.  Drugs and alcohol
5.  Health
6.  Debt/finance/benefits
7.  Supervision and licence arrangements