Evaluation Title

An evaluation of Clean Break's Back on Track

Type of evaluation

Data type Qualitative and Quantitative

Evaluation Focus Confidence, Impact of programme, Improved model of delivery, Life Skills

Project output Structured workshop programme

Methodologies Data analysis, Focus Groups, Interviews

Research limitations Adaptation of project delivery, Incomplete data

Summary of evaluation

This report aims to evaluate the impact of Clean Break's Back on Track programme's objectives to engage with female offenders at the point of arrest, in order to assess their underlying issues and, on the basis of this mandatory conditional assessment, to offer referrals for appropriate support within Clean Break and at other relevant agencies - those suitable were invited to attend a (voluntary) six week life skills course offered by Clean Break.


Project description

Clean Break was commissioned to deliver ‘Back on Track’; a new project which connects with women in police custody suites using the women’s specific condition, as part of the conditional caution scheme. This project built on the similar pilots delivered in the North West with the Together Women Project, West Yorkshire Police and Merseyside Police (see Easton et al., 2010).

Back on Track was designed to fill a gap in gender-specific community provision available for police referral in the London Borough of Camden. It sought to engage with female offenders, who had not been previously convicted, at the point of arrest to assess their underlying issues and on the basis of this assessment, to offer referrals for appropriate support within Clean Break and at other relevant agencies.
Those suitable were invited to attend a six week life skills course offered by Clean Break. Following this, these women would be encouraged to use the centre’s other facilities, such as education and drama programmes. 

Key Quote

The main areas of Clean Break's service provision the women accessed and found most useful were:

Importantly, the women felt the project was helping them to ‘get back on track’.
 

Notes

A conditional caution is an out-of-court disposal introduced by Criminal Justice Act 2003 providing a way of dealing with the offender as an alternative to prosecution. In September 2008, a new condition was developed for dealing with low-level, low-risk women offenders. This condition is referred to as the women specific condition (WSC) - the Back on Track project aimed to use the WSC to support the diversion of women from the criminal justice system.


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Arts Alliance Evidence Library