Jake

The most challenging aspect of release for Jake was trying to avoid the alcohol and substance misuse which had led to his offending in the first place.

He’d been working with substance misuse workers inside the YOI, and was fortunate enough to be able to work with the same people now he was back at home. This continuity of care was particularly helpful to Jake in his first few days after release.

Jake was living in a hostel whilst he was waiting to get a place of his own. This wasn’t ideal as the other people who were living there would sometimes be taking drugs and getting drunk around him. It was a massive temptation for Jake. It would have been so easy for him to fall back into his bad ways. Attending a resettlement project provided him with a lifeline. The project helped Jake to prepare for work by attending sessions on employability and what to expect in a job interview.

Jake’s success in dealing with the transition from custody to life on the outside was due in part to the ‘through the gate’ approach to resettlement work. Once he had managed to stop using drugs, he was able to start thinking about getting a job and rebuilding his life.

Tagged with the theme: Transition to community