Officials from the MOJ, Jenny Earle from the Prison Reform Trust, Kate Paradine from Women in Prison and Joy Doal MBE from Anawim will join the Rt. Hon. the Baroness Corston at the Re-Unite breakfast reception in October.

 

To mark the launch of the Re-Unite Ten Year Review report, The Rt Hon Fiona Mactaggart, Chair of Commonweal Housing, will be hosting a breakfast reception on the 11^th October at Bircham Dyson Bell’s head office in Westminster.

The reception will raise awareness of the Re-Unite model and the 10 recommendations at the heart of the Re-Unite Ten Year Review report. A panel of expert speakers will also be attending to discuss how best to support mothers in the Criminal Justice System and those exiting custody.

Commonweal Housing are delighted to confirm that The Rt. Hon the Baroness Corston will be attending the reception to deliver an address reflecting on progress made since the publication of the Corston Review.

Re-Unite, was developed by Commonweal Housing and Housing for Women from an original partnership including Women in Prison in response to the problems faced by women in rebuilding a stable family life when released from prison. Inflexible rules often make it difficult for women to access housing and other services. Re-Unite worked intensively with women to steer a course through various obstacles, supporting them to overcome personal challenges; and successfully live together again with their children.

The report, Re-Unite: Ten Year Review collates the key findings and conclusions Commonweal and their partners have learnt over ten years as the project evolved an adapted in response to a series of evaluations. At the reviews centre are a series of conclusions and 10 recommendations for further action which reaffirm Commonweal’s vision that projects such as Re-Unite should be unnecessary.

The reception will also welcome a panel of experts including Kate Paradine, Chief Executive, Women in Prison, Jenny Earle, Programme Director, Reducing Women’s Imprisonment, Prison Reform Trust and Joy Doal MBE, Chief Executive, Anawim who will reflect on the importance of the Re-Unite project and the current policy landscape surrounding female offenders ahead of the publication of the new female offenders’ strategy.

The reception will discuss a range of topics including:

• What has been achieved since the publication of the Corston Reivew and the first Re-Unite pilot ten years ago?
• Whether the negative impacts on children of female offenders been reduced both nationally and through Re-Unite?
• The level of support available to women in the justice system improved to better support to help them not to re-offend?
• The problems female offenders and their families continue to face and what programmes such as Re-Unite can do to solve them?

Places at this reception are strictly limited. To confirm your place please visit the events page.

For further details on the reception and the Re-Unite Ten Year Review report please contact Edward Lowe at EdwardL@Commonweal.org.uk

UPDATE 02/10/2017: Commonweal are delighted to confirm that Madeleine Percival, Deputy Director, Early Interventions, Women and Vulnerable Offenders Policy, The Ministry of Justice will be joining the panel discussion.