Custody aftercare and resettlement programmes 

What is it?

Custody aftercare and resettlement programmes aim to help children reintegrate into the community upon their release from custody. They typically involve a case worker who intensively supports the child before, during and after their custodial sentence. This includes assessing children’s needs and risks, providing support, and coordinating other services.

Often children that have received a custodial sentence have multiple complex needs, and most children will receive several services and interventions. These services might include:

• Physical health, psychological health, sexual health, healthy relationships, and substance misuse services, including therapies and trauma interventions.  
• Behavioural, social, and emotional support, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and anger management courses.
• Housing and accommodation support, including coordinating foster care placements.
• Education, training and employment opportunities, including reengagement in school, addressing special educational needs, access to vocational training or job placements.  
• Welfare and family support, including support services for family members from point of arrest and throughout the child’s sentence. These may include family therapy and help to access financial support.
• Mentoring and positive activities like sports or wilderness and adventure programmes, focussed on personal development and improvement of life opportunities. 

On average, last year around 440 children were in custody in England or Wales at any one time during the year. Whilst this is a relatively low number of children, the reoffending rate for children released from custody is about 60%. This is almost double the average reoffending rate for all children in the justice system, at 32%.

It is likely that time spent in custody breaks children’s connections to their community, creating instability in their accommodation, education, relationships with family and friends, work or other activities. Adjusting to life after custody can be difficult, and resettlement programmes help to prepare children for this transition. In addition to meeting needs related to health, housing and education, resettlement programmes aim to increase pro-social attitudes and behaviours, positive relationships with family and friends, and to improve self-esteem and motivation to engage in positive activities and opportunities. Development of a pro-social identity may lead to reductions in antisocial attitudes and behaviours such as aggression or substance misuse and may reduce involvement in violence and offending.

Is it effective?

On average, custody aftercare and resettlement programmes are likely to have a moderate impact on violent crime.

The research suggests that custody aftercare and resettlement programmes reduce convictions by 14%.

However, the research shows mixed findings related to other criminal justice outcomes. For example, the review also found that custody aftercare and resettlement programmes reduced arrests by 3%, and increased custody rates by 11%. These differences in results may be driven by weaknesses in the studies. Most of the studies included small numbers of children and reported challenges delivering the full programme of support. In addition, one study evaluated a secure children’s care home, where less than half of the children involved in the study had committed a serious offence, and many had not committed any offences but were returned to secure care due to complex behavioural and mental health needs.

How secure is the evidence?

We have high confidence in our estimate of the average impact on violent crime.

We did not give the highest evidence security rating to the estimate of impact on convictions. Whilst it is based on 13 studies, only four of these were high quality studies.

The evidence security rating is very high for the impact on arrests because it is based on 14 studies, and it met the threshold for at least five high quality studies.

We have moderate confidence in our estimate of the impact on custody rates because it is based on eight studies, four of which were high quality.

Only two studies were undertaken in the UK. Both evaluated an enhanced resettlement programme, that provided services and support beyond the base provision of the youth justice service. One evaluation in the northwest of England showed a reduction in reconvictions, whilst a second evaluation in the southwest showed an increase in arrests.

Most of the studies in the review were from the United States, and over half of the studies included only boys. Programmes that involved community-based service providers, and those that did not involve a probation officer, showed a greater impact on reducing justice outcomes.

How can you implement it well?

Create and maintain robust information sharing across agencies

Clear communication, coordination, and information sharing processes between case workers and the various agencies involved in provision of support can reduce gaps in service during transition to the community. A dedicated strategic lead is required to bring representatives of key agencies together to collectively address any resettlement issues. Efficient administrative practices should also be adopted that minimise the duplication of form-filling and record-keeping and maximise information sharing across agencies.

Building good relationships with community-based organisations and agreeing pre-specified services of support can improve access to services for children. Involvement of parents and carers can also support children to engage in service provision.

Ensure activities are coordinated alongside existing schemes

Aftercare and resettlement programmes can benefit from schemes that help children build connections with the community prior to release. For example, Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) can facilitate opportunities to attend education taster days, to view accommodation, or to visit community organisations that may provide ongoing support upon release.

Recruit and retain dedicated and caring staff

There are often high levels of staff turnover in custody aftercare and resettlement programmes. Ensure there is visible support from leadership, that staff are well-supported, and that caseloads are monitored to reduce pressure on staff. Relationships between children and case workers should be consistent with minimal change to team members where possible. Relationships should be formed on trust and empathy and should be developed at the beginning of sentencing through to release and resettlement into the community.

Provide ongoing support

Sentence lengths are often short, leaving very little time for transition planning, preparation activities, and securing post-release support. Custody aftercare and resettlement programmes should provide children with immediate support when they transition back into the community. Early and consistent contact from case workers should be made to build trust, identify and update assessments of need and to plan ongoing customised support.

Transitions between youth and adult services can present risk. Services should not have strict age cut-offs and youth and adult services should collaborate to provide continued support during the transition phase.

How much does it cost?

On average, the cost of custody aftercare and resettlement programmes is likely to be high.

Costs are likely to vary because these programmes often draw upon multiple services and interventions to meet the varied needs of children sentenced to custody. The main costs are staffing, including coordinators, case workers, support workers attached to various interventions, and administration.

Evaluations of three resettlement consortiums providing an enhanced offer compared to statutory provision, ranged in cost between £2,800 and £4,500 per child that is supported for one year during custody and after release.

Topic summary

• Custody aftercare and resettlement programmes provide multiple types of support services to address the needs of children sentenced to custody and to help reintegrate them into the community upon their release.
• Programmes include intensive case management and may provide varied support services to address needs related to physical and mental health, substance misuse, housing, education, welfare, and family relationships.
• On average, custody aftercare and resettlement programmes are likely to have a moderate impact on violent crime. However, the research found mixed results. Studies show on average a positive but low impact on reducing arrests, and six studies show an increase in custodial outcomes.
• To implement successfully there should be robust information sharing between case workers in custody and in the community, dedicated and caring staff, and ongoing support for children upon their release back into the community.

Take-away messages

• Offer custody aftercare and resettlement programmes to children that are sentenced to custody.
• Ensure there is good multi-agency collaboration and delivery staff are supported to provide a consistent service to children pre- and post-release from custody.

External links

Constructive resettlement

Resources designed to help implement Constructive Resettlement in practice.

Youth Justice Board Case management guidance

How to work with children in custody and plan for their future. The guidance includes information on how to make resettlement constructive and apply this in practice.

Supporting Children on their Journey: Constructive Resettlement Guidance Document 

The South and West Yorkshire Resettlement Consortium have developed and shared a guidance document with associated templates and resources to support children on their resettlement journey from pre- to post-custody.

Downloads