We welcome the review of the current legislation and the intention behind the MMPR system and syllabus. However, we believe that there is much that can be done to avoid restraint and to create safe and secure environments that are more rehabilitative for service users and safer for staff.
Our experience working with vulnerable young people (with severe and complex needs) confirms that the number of individuals struggling within our education system is increasing and it follows that the numbers of young people entering the criminal justice system (CJS) is therefore likely to increase. We need a new lens to view this population and a new method of managing their rehabilitation.
If we are to ensure effectively reintegration for ex-offenders into society, we need to reconsider restraint and segregation as methods for rehabilitation. Otherwise, we run the risk of creating an ex-offender population that have reduced social-emotional wellbeing on return to society, and create a greater pressure on our police and health services; as well as struggling to effectively parent with their own children – and the ever increasing spiral of violence and imprisonment continues.
Read our response here:
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