It is estimated that some 100,000 people, representing some 10 per cent of active offenders, commit half of all crime in England and Wales (Home Office 2001). The national Prolific and Other Priority Offender (PPO) strategy targets an even smaller “super prolific” group of around 5,000 offenders nationwide thought to be responsible for some nine per cent of all crime. Several local prolific offender schemes had begun to work intensively with participants prior to the launch of the national strategy. One such scheme was launched in Bristol in April 2002 under the auspices of the Bristol Crime and Disorder Partnership and was subsequently extended throughout Avon and Somerset. In common with other prolific offender initiatives, this scheme, referred to as ASPOS, focused on a small group of offenders who were responsible for a large volume of acquisitive crime - predominantly household burglary - and whose offending was frequently driven by the need to support a Class A drug addiction. The principle aim was to reduce offending through a combination of intensive supervision, support and surveillance. ASPOS was from the start a three-way partnership between the Police, Probation and Prison Services.
A team from Bristol University was commissioned by Avon and Somerset Constabulary in 2002 to conduct an evaluation of the Bristol component of ASPOS. Our examination of processes and service provision drew on the experience of staff from all three agencies. Interviews were conducted with managers and front line staff soon after the scheme was launched and again a year later. A second strand of the evaluation explored the progress and perspectives of 17 offenders targeted by the scheme. All had histories of acquisitive crime and drug addiction. The majority had spent a large proportion of their adult lives in prison and identified multiple associated with their drug misuse.
The evaluation highlighted both strengths and weaknesses in the way in which the scheme operated in custody and following the release of targeted offenders. Lessons are drawn from the ASPOS experience for future work with those brought within the ambit of the national PPO strategy.
Executive Summary: Bristol Prolific Offender Scheme: An Evaluation (PDF, 48kb)
Final Report: Bristol Prolific Offender Scheme: An Evaluation (PDF, 400kb)
Julie Vennard gave an early presentation of the findings at a Butler Trust seminar on prolific offenders, held at University of West of England on 5th November 2004.
Julie Vennard drew on the evaluation in a presentation at a British Society of Criminology conference on the subject of prisoner resettlement, held at the University of Leicester on 7th December 2005.
J.Vennard, ‘The resettlement of prolific offenders: policy and practice’ in A Hucklesby and L Hagley-Dickinson (eds) Prisoner Resettlement: policy and practice (forthcoming 2007) Cullompton: Willan.