If you’re a young man in Bristol, U.K., are caught in a life of crime and happen to have made just one mistake, there is still hope for you. You might still go to prison, but you will get some help with getting back on the right track once you’re out.
The new pilot program is called the Call-In scheme, which aims to keep young offenders from reoffending once they’re back on the streets. It’s backed by the Home Office and the police, and offers counseling and training for the young offenders in the hope of starting a career. It also offers them free driving lessons, the BBC reports.
The plan is to give youngsters an alternative to a life of crime, which is something prison can’t do. They could still serve time for their first and only offense, but when they’re done with that, they are presented with career opportunities and ways of relieving aggression and stress. Concrete offers include non-contact boxing sessions, business courses with charity Street2Boardroom, “necessary paperwork and qualifications to work in the construction industry, provided driving lessons and if appropriate, English lessons.”
Offenders must be aged 16 to 21 and not have convictions for violent crimes. Once they’re selected for the program, they will be assessed by a panel and receive counseling once they’re sentenced for the drug offense that got them in trouble.
As Det. Supt. Gary Haskins puts it, the police want to “take a chance” with young dealers before they become hardened to a life of crime. The program starts in February.
One of the biggest supporters of the program is former drug dealer Clinton Wilson, Aka King Aggi, former leader of the Aggi Crew, one of Bristol’s most notorious and dangerous gangs. He is now with the Street2Boardroom charity, which helps offenders channel their street “hustle” into legitimate business endeavors.
The plan is to give youngsters an alternative to a life of crime, which is something prison can’t do. They could still serve time for their first and only offense, but when they’re done with that, they are presented with career opportunities and ways of relieving aggression and stress. Concrete offers include non-contact boxing sessions, business courses with charity Street2Boardroom, “necessary paperwork and qualifications to work in the construction industry, provided driving lessons and if appropriate, English lessons.”
Offenders must be aged 16 to 21 and not have convictions for violent crimes. Once they’re selected for the program, they will be assessed by a panel and receive counseling once they’re sentenced for the drug offense that got them in trouble.
As Det. Supt. Gary Haskins puts it, the police want to “take a chance” with young dealers before they become hardened to a life of crime. The program starts in February.
One of the biggest supporters of the program is former drug dealer Clinton Wilson, Aka King Aggi, former leader of the Aggi Crew, one of Bristol’s most notorious and dangerous gangs. He is now with the Street2Boardroom charity, which helps offenders channel their street “hustle” into legitimate business endeavors.