Doncaster Desistance Study
Dr Katherine Wilkinson, Hallam Centre for Community Justice
August 2009; ISBN 978-1-84387-305-1

This study identifies the transition and sequencing of desistance from criminal activity of a sample of sentence serving offenders who were in custody at HMP Doncaster in 2006. Twenty men who were interviewed twice regarding accessing the DoVeS counselling service were invited to take part in this project. The research team successfully contacted and interviewed five ex-offenders who had been desisting from offending for up to three years.

You can purchase this report online from the Community Justice Portal.

An evaluation of the Sycamore Tree Programme - Based on an Analysis of Crime Pics II Data

Sheffield Hallam University, in conjunction with Manchester Metropolitan University, were commissioned to undertake an evaluation of the Sycamore Tree programme by Prison Fellowship England and Wales, who have been delivering the programme across a wide range of prisons throughout England and Wales over a number of years. This current evaluation builds on a previous report published by Sheffield Hallam University in 2005 which undertook a similar analysis and identified a positive impact on prisoners who had successfully completed the programme.

Prison Fellowship have been delivering the Sycamore Tree Programme throughout 50 penal establishments since 1998 with more than 10,000 prisoners taking part. Prisoners that have participated completed a psychometric questionnaire, Crime Pics II, both immediately before and after the programme, as a part of an evaluation framework designed to measure the programme impact. In 2005 the Hallam Centre for Community Justice reported on the analysis of 2197 completed pre- and post-programme questionnaires. This subsequent analysis reports on a further 5007 questionnaires completed since 2005.

You can purchase this report online from the Community Justice Portal.

The Resettlement of Offenders and Ex-Offenders in Doncaster: Developing an Integrated Framework

The Hallam Centre for Community Justice (HCCJ) was commissioned by Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council (DMBC), to undertake an evaluation of the existing processes and arrangements that underpin the delivery of services to offenders and ex-offenders within the district. From this evaluation a needs and gap analysis was completed which informed the identification of a set of key proposals which underpin the development of an integrated framework for resettlement. A mixed methodology was used including stakeholder and offender interviews; focus groups and an on-line survey; quantitative analysis of case file material; desk top research and consultative workshops.

The final report includes the key findings from the completion of a Gap analysis of offender needs and proposes a set of critical success factors and key recommendations to support the development of an integrated framework for resettlement.

You can purchase this report online from the Community Justice Portal.

They've Been my Lifeline: An Evaluation of South Yorkshire's Specialist Domestic Violence Court Initiative
Katherine Wilkinson and Joanna Davidson, Hallam Centre for Community Justice.
August 2008. ISBN 978-1-8438-7284-9

This evaluation was designed to effectively conduct a 'mapping' exercise to establish the service delivery models of IDVAS services in Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield. An important element of this work was to facilitate service user reflections on the IDVA Services in South Yorkshire. This evaluation also contains criminal prosecution-based perspectives on the effectiveness of domestic violence focused initiatives in South Yorkshire. SDVC data is used to provide an overview analysis of discontinued, cracked, ineffective or vacated domestic violence cases, reflecting on discontinuance rates in South Yorkshire.

You can purchase this report online from the Community Justice Portal.

Changing the Dynamic: an Evaluation of the South West Accommodation Gateway (SWAG)
Professor Paul Senior and Linda Meadows with Dr Hayden Bird, Joanna Davidson, Simon Feasey, Valerie Monti-Holland, Caroline O'Keeffe, Anne Robinson and Jaime Waters, Hallam Centre for Community Justice
July 2008. ISBN 978-1-84387-282-5

This report is an evaluation of a pilot accommodation service for offenders run by NOMS (National Offender Management Service) South West. The pilot consists of three accommodation Gateways whose aim is to provide a co-ordinated accommodation service for offenders through a single referral point.

The aims of the evaluation, which commenced in May 2007 are to: review the implementation of the SWAG project to inform delivery and development of the project and any national roll-out, to explore the profile of offenders referred to the Gateways and the relationship between offenders who receive services from SWAG and improvements in their accommodation status.

Download executive summary (PDF 181KB)
Download full report (PDF 581KB)

The Answers are Within Me
Paula Hamilton, Dr Katherine Wilkinson and Linda Meadows with Nicola Cadet, Hallam Centre for Community Justice
March 2008. ISBN 1-84387-272-2

This report is the second year evaluation of the person centred counselling service for male victims and perpetrators of domestic violence at HMP Doncaster in 2006/7. This report follows on from the previous year's evaluation, Raging Anger Within Me, which evaluated this project in 2005/6. Initiated by the Doncaster Rape and Sexual Abuse Counselling Centre (DRSACC), the second year of counselling service delivery was also funded by Lloyds TSB and the Tudor Trust.

The report provides a background to the service offered, details the key factors in the service's success and makes recommendations for the future sustainability of this innovative service. The report also contains a particularly interesting section detailing how the appropriateness of the service is perceived by experienced prison staff.

You can purchase this report online from the Community Justice Portal.

From Morality to Rights: Debating Sex Work and Sexual Exploitation
The Symposium on Women, Human Rights and Prostitution, July 2007

The report of the Symposium on Women, Human Rights and Prostitution is published at a timely point in the autumn of 2007 as new legislation around soliciting offences is being considered and with much public attention on sex trafficking.

Between September 2006 and June 2007, the Symposium brought together a wide range of stakeholders from the prostitution field, including European partners, with a view to changing the terms of the often divisive and polarised prostitution debate and to test out the potential for finding consensus about constructive ways forward.

The Symposium held five meetings focused on different relevant topics and the final report summarises the conclusions of debates across the series of seminars.

Download this report (PDF 69KB).

The DAWN Project Evaluation 2007
Professor Paul Senior, Hallam Centre for Community Justice, and Professor Julian Buchanan, Sally Baker and Martin Evans, NEWI
August 2007. ISBN 1-84387-258-7

The DAWN Project is an umbrella organisation that brings agencies together across North Wales and beyond to develop joined up services that are supported by satellite venues from existing partnership facilities.

This paper provides a full evaluation of the project, and details the methodology behind the evaluation.

You can purchase this report online from the Community Justice Portal.

Raging Anger Within Me
Dr Katherine Wilkinson and Caroline O'Keeffe, Hallam Centre for Community Justice
June 2007. ISBN 1-84387-257-9

This evaluation of the person centred counselling service for male victims and perpetrators of domestic violence was conducted at HMP Doncaster in 2005/6, It was initiated by the Doncaster Rape and Sexual Abuse Counselling Centre (DRSACC), a member of the Doncaster Domestic Violence Working Party (DDVWP), and funded by Lloyds TSB and the Tudor Trust.

The report provides a background to the service offered, details the methodologies employed in the conducting of the research, and makes recommendations for the future development of the service.

You can purchase this report online from the Community Justice Portal.

A Visible Difference: an Evaluation of the Second Phase of Police Community Support Officers in West Yorkshire
Dr Matthew Long, Anne Robinson and Professor Paul Senior, Hallam Centre for Community Justice
September 2006. ISBN 1-84387-240-4

This evaluation was commissioned by West Yorkshire Police in 2004 to review the second phase of PCSO deployment in the West Yorkshire force.

The report - including a foreword by the then Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police, the late Colin Cramphorn - details the research undertaken in this evaluation and links to the evaluation undertaken of the first phase of PCSO deployment in West Yorkshire.

You can purchase this report online from the Community Justice Portal.

Enhancing the Role of the Voluntary and Community Sector - A Case Study of the Yorkshire and Humber Region
Professor Paul Senior, with Linda Meadows, Simon Feasey and Janet Atkinson, Hallam Centre for Community Justice
November 2004

This report was commissioned by the Chief Executive of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) to evaluate at ground level, using the Yorkshire and Humberside region as a case study, what is currently being achieved by the Prison and Probation Services in working with the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS); and to identify and provide analysis of perceived barriers and make recommendations to improve the engagement of the sector.

This report is not available to download. To purchase a hard copy at a cost of £10 each (including P&P) please e-mail hccj@shu.ac.uk.

Pathways to Resettlement: Regional Framework for Yorkshire and the Humber

This document was written by Professor Paul Senior, Director of the Hallam Centre for Community Justice, and published by The Home Office in June 2003

Download executive summary (PDF 1MB)
Download full report (PDF 4.11MB)

The Yorkshire and the Humber Regional Resettlement Framework - Pathways to Resettlement is an important piece of work bringing together statutory and voluntary agencies across the region in a model of joined-up practice which builds on the national agenda developed in the Social Exclusion Unit Report 'Reducing Re-Offending by ex-prisoners'.