Direction is New Plan To Help Offenders Steer Away From Crime

Bedfordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Kathryn Holloway, has outlined her plans for an Offenders’ Hub. The one-stop shop would provide offenders and their families with a support network including an online directory of all services that can help, and a call centre of specialist advisors. Commissioner Holloway revealed these plans at her Offender Focus event at Woodland Manor in Bedford last week. Colleagues working in the field were invited to discuss the new service. It will aim to break the pattern of serial reoffending across the county. It is a priority highlighted within the PCC’s Police and Crime Plan. Attendees included Bedfordshire Police, the National Probation Service, Community Rehabilitation Company (local probation), the Governor of Bedford prison, local councils and offender-focused charities and organisations. The PCC said, “At the moment there is no single place where an individual emerging from prison or any other part of the Criminal Justice system can