Greater Manchester Probation Trust

Offender Spends First Christmas At Home For Years, With Help From Probation

SARAH has spent almost 20 years in jail since she was 19, but has now managed to get her life back on track.

The 39-year-old was introduced to heroin and crack cocaine by a former partner. To feed her habit she turned to burglary, and has only spent two-and-a-half years out of prison since she was a teenager.
After completing her last jail sentence, seven-and-a-half years for robbery and assault with intent to rob, Sarah was classified as a Prolific and Priority Offender (PPO), and was assigned to Cheetham Hill’s Intensive Contact Team.

If she had remained true to form, the odds were very much that she would be back behind bars in months. However, Sarah has excelled, has accommodation, is actively seeking employment and is now on a stable methadone prescription.
She said: “In the past I’d be released from prison, do more offences on licence, and end up back inside.
“This time I came to the point where I wanted to change, but being a PPO has really helped me to do that because I’ve had a great deal of support.
“After previous sentences I’d get my money, be told when my next probation appointment was and it was a case of ‘see you later’. This time I’ve had help and I finally feel I’m making lasting change, but I couldn’t have done it without this support keeping me on track.”
Sarah was released to Hopwood House, GMPT’s Approved Premises for women, and spent six months there before moving to her current address, a semi-supported housing scheme managed by Manchester City Council. She has also completed the Addressing Substance Related Offending Programme (ASRO), and is no-longer a PPO.
She said: “Prison didn’t help rehabilitate me. For some it’s a deterrent, but after all the time I’ve spent inside it’s long since stopped being a deterrent for me.
“I’ve found completing my licence far harder than being inside. It’s because it tested me all the time, even regarding my temper, and there were times I didn’t think I could do it.
“I think being at Hopwood also helped as it provided some stability.”
Sarah has shown considerable dedication to meet her licence’s terms. Based at Hopwood House, in Heywood, she had a two hour bus journey for each of her four weekly probation appointments in Cheetham Hill, added to 22 visits to Minshull Street to complete ASRO.
She said: “It was very demanding and I felt as if I lived on the bus!”
Margaret McLoughlin, offender supervisor, said: “From the start I could see Sarah had the potential and the motivation to change. We are all very proud of her and the progress she has made.
“There have been some minor hiccups, but she has risen to all the demands made of her and never missed an appointment. That is quite something when you consider she had to set off at 8am for each meeting and get two buses.
“It’s a big achievement that she is no-longer registered as a PPO, she has come so far since she was released and to finally break the cycle of prison and complete her licence is magnificent.”
Sarah has also been supported by PCs Mark Murphy and Matthew Agnew, who visit her to offer assistance.
She added: “I’ve only spent a couple of Christmases out of prison since I was 18, I’m really looking forward to this one and the new start I have made.”