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Helping offenders quit crime
14/07/2010
Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill today visited female prisoners within HMP Aberdeen to learn about how they are being rehabilitated ahead of their release.
The women are based in the Community Integration Unit, a facility which helps eligible low supervision female prisoners coming to the end of their sentence to prepare for the change from prison to liberation.
The unit provides suitable candidates with a structured programme of opportunities, such as college or family visits, to aid their reintegration into the community, aimed at reducing the risk of re-offending.
Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said:
"The work done here in the Community Integration Unit is a perfect example of the kind of innovative approach that is needed to support women making the transition from prison life back into the community.
"Here in the north east it is giving female prisoners from the Aberdeen area the opportunity to serve the end of their sentences closer to home. Giving them access to local community organisations who provide work and training placements helps give them the skills they need to adjust to life when they are released.
"It also ensures that they are closer to their families, which is especially crucial in the cases of mothers who will be reunited with their children when they are released.
"This approach recognises the complex rehabilitation needs of prisoners and is setting the standard in helping women offenders who are coming towards the end of their sentences to get their lives back on track."