Awards 2011 Big Tick Logo - Building Stronger Communities

Work Inclusion, Highly Commended

Chapelfield Shopping Centre – Custody and Community Project, Breaking the cycle of re-offending

Norse Commercial Services Work Inclusion Award
Highly Commended 2011

...almost half of all adult offenders released from custody reoffend within a year. Evidence shows that having a job is a major factor in preventing future offending.

The Government’s recent Green Paper – ‘Breaking the Cycle’

Launched in June 2009, the Chapelfield Custody & Community Project is a partnership with HMP Norwich.   45 prisoners have completed the programme, with 80% of them securing employment as a result. 

The Story

Crime cost UK retailers £1.1billion in 2009/10.  Despite an overall reduction in offences over the past year, the cost of retail crime has stayed constant because retailers are investing heavily in protecting their premises and people. 

Rather than dealing with its symptoms, Chapelfield has taken a proactive approach to addressing the impact of crime on its business.

Launched in June 2009, the Chapelfield Custody & Community Project: 

  • provides practical, real life work experience and training opportunities for serving prisoners
  • helps offenders secure permanent  jobs whilst on licence; so they have a real alternative to crime on release
  • acts as a catalyst within the Norfolk community; encouraging other businesses to consider employing offenders.
  • breaks the cycle of crime in Norfolk by reducing the level of reoffending amongst prisoners from Norwich prison.  Benefitting the shopping centre and the community.

With HMP Norwich, they set up an eight week work experience programme for offenders.  Work Experience Prisoners (WEPs) work normal hours alongside Chapelfield staff in areas such as maintenance, customer service, recycling and cleaning.  With specialist partners, including City College Norwich, Chapelfield facilitates professional training both on and off site, in hard and soft skills.

The Chapelfield team act as advocates for WEPs and wholeheartedly promote the benefits of the project to colleagues in the wider business community.  As a result they are embracing the project and ensuring its sustainability by offering jobs to offenders.

Top tips

  • Ensure you have a senior level advocate; a strong leader and decision maker who is passionate about the project
  • Have clear objectives; both for your business and community.  Be innovative but pragmatic.
  • Involve your staff; they need to be ambassadors for the project too
  • Develop a strong relationship with the body that represents your target audience; engage with them and trust them to help you plan your project
  • Take a long term view; is your project sustainable?  If not, what do you need to do to secure its longevity?

Impact

  • In 21 months, 45 serving prisoners from Norwich Prison have completed the programme
  • 80% of them have secured employment as a result (nationally, under 26% of prisoners leave prison with a job)
  • 91% of the 23 WEPs released have not reoffended

See also

Chapelfield Shopping Centre
Awards 2011 Big Tick Logo - Work Inclusion
Custody and Community Manpower initiative

The Custody and Community Manpower initiative was developed by Chapelfield and HMP Norwich, as an extension of the Chapelfield Custody and Community Project. On 17 February 2011, seven offenders helped transform a warehouse into a furniture retail outlet for The Benjamin Foundation.

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