About the course

This course aims to help you find answers to a range of concerns about entitlements and prospects for offenders, ex-offenders and their families.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the course, you will be able to provide answers to a wide range of questions, such as:

• What happens to social security benefits if you are arrested or convicted and sentenced for an offence, whether young or an adult?
• What is the impact of being a prisoner on benefits, meeting your housing costs, your national insurance record, or your family?
• Are there constructive options available in prison, or in preparation for release?
• What is the scope to improve employment prospects, and what are ‘PS Plus' programmes and ‘Job Developers'?
• What happens on discharge, when claiming benefits, meeting urgent needs, or seeking work or support?
• What is the impact on benefits of discharge grants?
• What happens with community sentencing or signing requirements - what are the practicalities and are there lessons from changes in pilot areas?
• How can you pay for accommodation and start up costs?
• What are the longer term prospects to access benefits?
• What are the plans to change future entitlements and to expect more by way of visible community punishment?
• evaluation