“More than half of all crime in England and Wales is committed by people with previous convictions, and reoffending rates within the young adult prisoner population are the highest. We shouldn’t be surprised. Standard prison life consists in the main of bang up, aggravation and boredom, interspersed with a smattering of so-called offending behaviour courses, teaching subjects such as enhanced thinking skills and victim empathy. The courses work for some but, for the majority, they represent little more than a tick in a box to accompany the crossed fingers behind the back when they go in front of the parole board.
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