EXCLUSIVE - New justice programme 'saved me from jail'
A man, who has spoken exclusively to us, says being on a restorative justice programme has stopped his life spiraling out of control.
The man, who we will call John to protect his identity, found himself hooked on drugs and alcohol, which resulted in him being brought before court.
He was given the chance to complete an Enhanced Combination Order (ECO), which aims to keep offenders who face a short sentence out of prison - and instead offer a community option.
John told us that without the programme and the support he is receiving for his issues, he would probably be in prison and still be addicted to drugs and alcohol.
"I am proud of myself and the support – I wouldn’t have been able to do it on my own, I’m glad I’m on probation because I’ve got so much out of it – I think if it wasn’t for probation I would probably be in jail.
"I was glad I was given the choice – it was made clear that day if I didn’t comply I would be sent to jail. "
**_"I’m so thankful that I’ve completed my community service and I’m not in Maghaberry, now I feel a lot more stable, I was out there doing a bit of work, achieving something, accomplishing something. "_**
As part of the programme, John was given 40 hours of community service to be served over six months.
But he told us that he enjoyed the work so much, he completed it in just six weeks.
"I felt like I was getting up to do something – I felt like I was achieving something. I felt like I was given back to the community.
"Prison you have a lot of regret sitting there – but this gave me a benefit instead of feeling regret. I looked forward to Thursdays getting into the charity shop.
"I only had 40 hours – but I had it completed in a few weeks I enjoyed it so much.
"I got given the ECO as an alternative to jail– and now I feel a lot more stable.
"I want to go back to the charity shop and do some voluntary work with them because I enjoyed it so much."
That community sentence has now been evaluated and it has been found that there was a 40% reduction in the reoffending rate for those who completed the order.
The evaluation also found that the number of prison sentences of 12 months or less awarded by courts involved in the ECO pilot decreased by 10.5% suggesting that ECO was impacting on prison numbers.
Chief Executive of the Probation Board Cheryl Lamont stated: “The Enhanced Combination Order is a demanding community sentence which requires offenders to complete unpaid work, participate in victim focused work, undergo assessment and participate in programmes.
"An important element of this Order is the fact that every person is offered a psychological assessment. Given the high numbers of offenders presenting with mental health and addictions this is key part of the sentence.
“The evaluation conducted by NISRA demonstrates the effectiveness of the Order. It shows a reduction in reoffending rates, a decrease in likelihood of reoffending, and important outcomes for those who participate in programmes.
"We now know that this Order is making a difference in building safer communities."
The Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan added: “I am also very pleased that my judicial colleagues in the pilot areas have been quick to embrace ECOs as a disposal and to appreciate the benefits they can bring, not just to the offender but potentially also to those who were the victims in these cases. The judges who have been directly involved now see ECOs as providing a constructive alternative to short spells of imprisonment. I am confident that judges sitting in other parts of this jurisdiction would take a similar view if ECOs were available to them as a disposal.
“A total of 202 ECOs have been made to date. 55% of these orders have been made in the magistrates’ court and 45% in the Crown Court. This breakdown suggests to me that ECOs are seen as a very credible alternative to prison, rather than as a substitute for a less onerous community disposal. I fully support the continuation of the pilot and I would very much like to see it rolled out further to other areas.”
Chairman of the Probation Board Vilma Patterson concluded: “The indicative costs of ECO’s has been estimated at £9k per annum which on top of the reduced reoffending rate and focus on victim issues indicates this sentence if providing value for money and better outcomes in comparison to short prison sentences. The Enhanced Combination Order has the potential to make a real difference to communities throughout Northern Ireland and assist us to change lives and reduce the number of victims of crime”