1. Results from a national survey of offenders –
why is awareness and use of third
sector services so low?
Dina Gojkovic
Third Sector Research Centre
University of Southampton
Funded by:
Hosted by:

2. Overview of research
• PHASE 3: scoping study of TSOs working with offenders, and an offender
survey of engagement with and awareness of TSOs
• Scoping study: Mapped landscape and extent of third sector agencies’
involvement in the resettlement of offenders; size, number,
geographic area, total income. Used existing datasets (CC and NSTSO)
• Offender survey: builds upon and extends this investigation by exploring
prisoners’ experiences of TSOs involved in resettlement work.

3. Scoping study findings
• Nearly 20,000 TSOs (11%) report working with offenders
• Approx. 1,750 report offenders, ex-offenders and their families as their
primary beneficiary group
• Approx. 5,000 TSOs identify CJ as their area of work
• Issues around defining ‘work with offenders’
• Inter-penetration of CJS and community work, where working with
offenders and their families goes beyond the immediate boundaries of the
criminal justice system

4. % of TSOs by Pathway

5. % of TSOs working with offenders, ex-offenders
and their families, by area of operation
Geographic area Percentage (%)
National 14
Regional 20
County council area 7
Borough/district council/other LA 37
Neighbourhood 21

6. Levels of annual income
Category Percentage (%)
Over £1,000,000 9
£100,000-£1,000,000 26
£40,001-£100,000 9
£10,001-£40,000 13
£10,000 or under 39
Not reported 4

7. Offender survey
• Distributed in 8 prisons across England, as a supplement to qualitative
interviews with prison staff, third sector representatives and offenders
• 8 prisons diverse in terms of the population held, the function of the
prison, geographical location and the prison providers
• Survey included a list of TSOs that reportedly worked with the prison
• For each TSO, prisoners asked to indicate whether or not they had heard
of or engaged with it
• If heard of but not worked with TSO-choice of 6 explanations
• Open-ended questions

8. Respondent profile
• N = 680, age 15-78 years (mean age 32)
• 85% male
• 3% juvenile, 7% young adult
• 59% repeat prisoners
• 60% White British, 12% Black British, 7% Asian, 6% mixed race, 6% White
other
• 19% on remand
• Already in prison for 3 months on average
• Average sentence 14 months

9. Survey findings
• 12% return rate (680 in total)
• 116 TSOs were operating across the eight prisons research sites at the
time of data collection, with many working in more than one
establishment.
• The TSOs classified into seven resettlement pathways
• Number of TSOs per establishment 15-31 (Average =20)
• Prisoners heard of 4 and engaged with 1 on average
• Minor variation between prisons, except for 1 where awareness over 50%

10. % of respondents in each prison who
heard of/engaged with TSOs
100
90
% of respondents 80
70
60
50 engaged with
40
heard of
30
20 neither
10
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Prison ID

11. Awareness of and engagement with
at least one TSO by pathway
100
90
% of respondents
80
70
60
50
40
30
20 engaged with
10
0 heard of
neither

12. Reasons for not engaging with TSOs
1. I don’t think they can help
me
2. I don’t know anything about
them
3. I don’t need any help
4. I put in an application and
never heard back
5. The appointments are at a
time when I am busy
6. I tried to get in touch but
was told that I am not entitled
to their service

13. Highlights from open-ended questions
• ACCOMMODATION
• Range of TSOs providing advice and assistance, but 75-80% of
prisoners never heard of them
• Links needed with HAs which cover areas outside large cities.
• Strict criteria hinder access to people on short sentences, women
offenders with children, people with substance misuse issues and
young people.
• In line with scoping study- under-representation of TSOs offering
services to more vulnerable ex-offenders (BAME, young people
and women prisoners)-3 times less

14. • EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING
• 1 in 4 respondents think that more TSOs are needed that
provide services in this pathway
• Yet, only 1 in 4 report having ever heard of the employment
and training TSOs operating in their establishment!
• The importance of placements emphasised in young and
juvenile establishments and open prisons.
• FINANCE, BENEFIT AND DEBT
• Closed establishments have less opportunities to engage with
TSOs in this pathway
• Some prisons appointed Finance Manager, sub-contracted Co-ops
and credit unions, or housing advisors act as finance advisors as
well.
• Unmet needs of short-sentence prisoners and non-sentenced
prisoners

15. Why is awareness/use low?
• Narrow remit of the TSO services (geography, age, etc)
• For some TSOs this is not an issue as they only offer services to those who
fit criteria-broader awareness not relevant
• Limited resources- one-man bands, Nr of prisoners they can help is low
(likely to be exacerbated by budget cuts)
• Emphasis on formal and informal partnership in the policy-way to secure
funding for TSOs and engage with local communities for prisons
• Services not publicised enough-to prison staff (not able to refer) or
prisoners (reliance on written material)
• Inconsistencies/issues with access
• VCS coordinators needed to improve communication and promote TSOs
services more widely in the prison

16. Panel members
• Ruth Lowe (Platform 51)
• Ali Hooper (1625ip)
• Jackie Gonzales (Relate)