How probation is turning around the lives of ex-offenders in the Portsmouth area

It marked the start of a tumultuous downward spiral he readily admits left him on the ‘wrong side of the law’ for most of his life.

He has served prison sentences for crimes ranging from minor drug offences to attempted manslaughter.

But with the support of probation, he says, he threw aside the crutches of addiction four years ago and set his sights on a life of good.

David, 49, shared his story with The News after being helped by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Rehabilitation Company.

Next year government will scrap CRCs – run by private companies – after having first split the probation service into two in 2014.

This year the Hampshire CRC was criticised as ‘no longer (having) the quantity and calibre of staff to deliver an effective service’. It received a ‘good’ rating.

But for now the organisation supervises 4,100 offenders in and around Portsmouth who have been released from prison on licence, are serving community orders, or have been given suspended sentences.

Its work aims to encourage people like David not only to think on their actions, but to rehabilitate – removing the obstacles that stand in the way of a future free of crime.

For some these include homelessness, unemployment, debt or bad health. David's were penchants for violence and drugs.

It was his probation officer, Becky Gomez, who helped change that by pointing him in the direction of Open Door, where he now volunteers.

The weekly peer support group at St Luke’s Church, in Southsea, sees probation service users and former offenders unite to get advice on how to stop re-offending.

Mr Bayes said: ‘I was on the wrong side of the law for most of my life. I’ve a criminal record longer than the Queen’s arm, but during my last sentence I’ve moved to the good side of life and I’m enjoying myself so much more as a result.

‘The penny dropped when my probation officer asked me to join Open Door and I met the volunteers who explained what the group was about.

‘I’d always hated the idea of telling other people my issues, but the group helped me to work my problems out, to learn how to manage my anger and to stop taking drugs.’

Statistics show up to 27 per cent of the UK adult prison population is made up of care leavers, despite less than one per cent of under-18s being placed into the care of their local authority each year.

Mr Bayes has ‘never looked back’ to crime since going through probation, and relishes the catharsis of supporting others once in his position.

‘I’ve learned that listening to other people and helping them with their problems is the best way for me stay in good shape myself,' he said.

‘I absolutely love helping at Open Door and I’m living proof you can go through an awful lot in life but still be able to come out the other side.’

In its five active years, Open Door alone has helped its services users go on to get qualifications, paid employment and housing.

It was a turning point for former Royal Navy submariner Graham Butterworth, who was caught drunk in his car with keys in the ignition.

The incident in 2015 saw him arrested, charged and landed with a 12-month community order after pleading guilty.

The 58-year-old said: ‘I had no intention of driving anywhere but my life was in chaos, I was a total mess and it was an accident waiting to happen.

‘Probation got me into an alcohol rehabilitation treatment centre and I started to get clean.’

Mr Butterworth previously spent 15 years working on submarines, but faced an uphill battle to adjust to civilian life after leaving the navy a self-confessed ‘binge drinker’.

His addiction lost him his accommodation, after going through two divorces.

‘Anyone who tells you it’s easy leaving the armed forces is lying,' he said.

‘When you are in the military everything is done for you and you are wrapped in cotton wool, so leaving that is a shock to the system.

‘I poured the drink myself, but it was encouraged in the navy. I’d drink solidly for a week and be comatose for two days.

‘My mum was an alcoholic too, I don’t know whether it’s hereditary or not but when it gets a hold of you it can destroy everything.'

Mr Butterworth now volunteers at Open Door, after being directed to the service at the end his community order.

He believes the common ground he can share with the group’s current members has the power to be transformative, for himself and them.

‘Someone has to want to change – but if you do, we are there to help you,' he said.

‘We listen to each other, we help each other, and I think when support comes from people like me it’s effective because I understand what it’s like to go through the mill.’

He added: ‘It’s a positive thing and I’m committed to it because I see the good work it does.’

The CRC is one of five organisations of its kind run by Interserve since government’s Transforming Rehabilitation reforms in June 2015.

It also helps run community payback programmes, initiatives aimed specifically at women and a scheme, called Through the Gate, to help offenders in custody begin to prepare for the adjustment to civilian life.

Work like this has helped those five community rehabilitation companies together reduce re-offending by an additional 1,114 offenders.

But the CRC has been struggling to get experienced probation officers into roles – leading to long waiting lists for rehabilitation courses, including those working with domestic abuse perpetrators.

Kim Thornden-Edwards, chief executive in Hampshire, said: ‘We are committed to reducing re-offending in the Portsmouth area and passionately believe that the best way to achieve that goal is by supporting people on probation to make positive changes to their lives.’

She added: ‘It is true that we also take a rigorous approach to managing risk. We work closely with a range of partners and when offenders breach the terms of their sentence, we swiftly return them to court for re-sentencing or recall them to prison.

‘However, my experience has shown me that the best way to stop people becoming victims of crime is to stop people committing crime in the first place.

‘The powerful examples provided by David Bayes and Graham Butterworth illustrate the tremendous difficulties that offenders can face, but also give a powerful message that lasting change can be achieved.’

An award-winning advocate for the benefits of probation

A COORDINATOR at the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Rehabilitation Company has scooped a national honour for his efforts in organising peer mentor support for people on probation.

Ernie Grendall, 61, won a Butler Trust certificate for his work leading Open Door in Southsea and other schemes across the county.

One of his initiatives, which launched five years ago, sees military veteran volunteers paired with offenders with armed forces backgrounds.

Its goal is not just to reduce re-offending, but to help organise medical appointments, for users, to diagnose post-traumatic stress disorder.

It also helps users to liaise with the Royal British Legion and administrative tasks, including CV-writing.

Ernie's volunteers have worked with 132 people as part of the scheme, of whom only eight have reoffended, with four returned to custody.

He pins the success on the effective use of volunteers in probation, including people like David and Graham at Open Door.

‘Those figures speak for themselves. I am immensely proud of the work HIOW CRC’s volunteers carry out,' he said.

‘I love the job because the volunteers are fantastic and do brilliant work.

‘They bring a different dynamic to what HIOW CRC delivers because our service users know the volunteers are unpaid and that they are therefore working with each individual because they care and want to see them succeed.

‘I’ve seen volunteers have a dramatic impact on service users, sometimes breaking through and supporting them to make positive changes to their lives where others have struggled to make that impact.’

The Butler Trust awards scheme seeks to highlight best practice in UK prisons, probation and youth justice services.

Its patron is the Princess Royal and only 50 winners are named, from a pool of more than 350 nominations every year.

On the value of volunteers, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Rehabilitation Company’s chief executive Kim Thornden-Edwards, added: ‘The probation service was founded by volunteers in 1876.

‘Men and women from the temperance movement volunteered their time to work with the courts to support offenders to tackle problems such as alcohol misuse. The courts sentenced people to work with the volunteers as an alternative to custody.

‘At HIOW CRC we run a number of projects that use volunteers, many of whom have experienced the criminal justice system themselves.

‘This provides an excellent way of working with offenders because it provides role models who are also expertly placed to support people to overcome the barriers they may face.’

Ernie is one of the organisation’s 190 staff.