Recent research has shown that mentoring is an effective tool to combat reoffending and support those leaving prison (Hean & Sæbjørnsen, 2023), (Lowther-Payne et al., 2024). In London, organisations such as Spark Inside, Switchback, and Standout are all using mentoring or coaching to help prison leavers turn around their lives.
Mentoring is effective at supporting prison leavers
While the national average of reoffending following short sentences in 2024 is around 66% (Ministry of Justice, 2026), the rate is only 24% for the mentoring organisation where I volunteer (Change for Good, 2024).
So mentoring works, but such work requires carefulness and sound work practices.
The challenges when someone leaves prison
People leaving prison, face a number of serious challenges. The fact that they were given a custodial sentence might well mean a prisoner will lose their job, their home, and possibly contact with their family. Certainly, this is the case after a long prison sentence, but statistics show a short sentence can be equally devastating (Eaton & Mews, 2019). Practical issues around housing, benefits, drug use, and emotional support are all key factors in a prison leaver returning to prison.
After eight years of working with men in prison and, in retirement, a further two years of mentoring prison leavers in the community, three key issues stand out as important in such work: security, boundaries, and accountability/support, especially when it is considered that this mentoring work is conducted by trained volunteers.
Security during the mentoring meeting
Mentoring would usually take place in a public place such as a café or park bench rather than in a private room. But this creates issues around confidentiality.
I once was with a mentee who was saying quite loudly how his violence in prison had jeopardised his parole. Parents started to escort their children rather quickly from the room.
The limits around confidentiality need to be carefully discussed with the mentee when contracting. A mentee might decide he would like support to visit their probation officer or an AA meeting, for example. In such a case, the mentor would do well to risk-assess how that visit will happen and where it will physically take both mentor and mentee.
Boundaries when mentoring prison leavers
Nobody working with prisoners or prison leavers will share their address or social media with a mentee — it just isn’t done. Mentors will never meet at a mentee’s home or make contact outside of agreed meeting times. Some organisations give their mentor a mobile phone, which the mentee will know, will be available for calls 24 hours before and after a mentoring session. For someone leaving prison, a mentor can seem every bit like a friend who is dependable and trustworthy.
The mentee may want to blur the boundaries between the mentoring and friendship, and it is so easy for a mentor to collude with this.
So, mentoring a prison leaver is usually time-bound to once a week for six months to avoid dependency. A manager will check in with the mentor at three weeks and three months to discuss the mentoring relationship and the resettlement progress. The mentor would do well to rehearse the contracting made at the beginning of the relationship.
Accountability and Support
Usually, a mentor will send a written report after each mentoring session to their manager. Any issues highlighted in this report will be followed up within 24 hours. Volunteer mentors have supervision twice a year along with more informal meetings.
It is not uncommon for a crisis to occur with a prison leaver. They might, for example, arrive at the mentoring venue after self-harming or under the influence. It is important for the mentor to know when to act on safeguarding issues and how to call for support.
I had a mentee who presented as homeless to the mentoring session. For me, this created a host of boundary issues. For example:
- Was it permissible for me to go buy the man groceries?
- How could I just leave the fella after our mentoring session?
- Could I take this guy in my car to the homeless shelter?
I needed some immediate backup, but it was Bank Holiday Monday. Thankfully, the organisation gave me great support later that week, so I could talk through the experience, and they developed an ‘Out of Hours Emergency Contact’ procedure.
Supporting transition back into the community
Given that prison falls far short of its rehabilitation mandate, it is so important that as many prisoners as possible are supported back into the community — after all, they may be coming to live next door to you. Mentoring is not only effective in offering that support; it is an enormous privilege to share this creative space with people who want to rebuild their lives.
References
Change for Good (2024) Change for Good’s Annual Impact Report 2024.
Eaton, G. Mews, A. (2019) The impact of short custodial sentences, community orders and suspended sentence orders on reoffending, Ministry of Justice.
Hean, S. and Sæbjørnsen, S.E.N. et al. (2023) Mentoring after Prison: Recognition as a tool for reflection, British Journal of Community Justice: Manchester Metropolitan University.
Lowther-Payne, A. Whitcomb-Khan, E. et al. (2024) Working in partnership to reduce re-offending and improve prison leavers’ lives: a process evaluation of a prison leaver pilot project, Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 63 (8), pp524-544.
Ministry of Justice (2026) Proven reoffending statistics: January to March 2024, gov.uk.
