Hundreds of women helped to stay away from crime in West Midlands
Hundreds of female offenders from across the West Midlands have turned their back on crime through intervention, police chiefs have said.
Around 700 people across the region have been helped through the New Chance programme which helps women to rebuild their lives.
It has been funded by the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner – with the £270,000-a-year scheme backed until April next year.
The initiative has helped a woman from Birmingham find a "route to safety" after she was trapped in a violent and controlling relationship.
She was only helped after her partner stopped giving her money to feed her children – leading to her shoplifting, where she was caught by police.
The woman, referred to as "Jacqui", said: "In early adulthood I was a successful, confident young woman with everything to live for.
“I then started a relationship with a man who became very controlling and violent - mentally, physically, sexually and financially.
"With no money and no way of feeding my children, I regret to say I took to stealing food from shops.
"Before long I got caught. But that was the best thing that ever happened to me. I explained to the shop manager and the police officers what was happening at home and before long I was receiving the right kind of help from police and the New Chance programme.
"Without the help of the New Chance programme I would have either ended up in prison or dead."
Pleasing
The scheme, which launched in 2016, is run by a number of organisations including Anawim, Black Country Women's Aid, Fry Accord Housing and Changing Lives.
An evaluation by the University of Birmingham revealed women with mental health issues, who were enrolled on New Chance, were up to 37 per cent less likely to re-offend.
West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson said: "It is so pleasing to hear a success story like Jacqui’s.
"I’ve been funding the New Chance scheme for four years because we know it’s making a difference to the lives of hundreds of women, breaks the cycle of crime and saves the taxpayer money.
"Many female offenders are actually victims themselves and have been subject to untold abuse. New Chance works because it tackles those underlying problems.
"This initiative is helping to reduce crime, our prisons are less full, hundreds of women’s lives have been saved and fewer victims have been created."
The success of the service has led it to be nominated for a Howard League for Penal Reform award, which is handed to projects which encourage people to stay away from crime.
Sarah Gallagher, service manager at Anawim which helps to run New Chance, said: "New Chance has enabled us to work with West Midlands Police to provide early intervention for women who have received a conditional caution.
"It is important to provide the support at the right time before they become entrenched within the criminal justice system.
"The outcomes have been fantastic, from supporting women financially, dealing with childhood trauma, domestic violence and sexual violence to supporting women into employment."
