Attitudes

It is a person’s attitudes and thinking that governs their behaviour. Many crimes are committed because people either do not, or choose not, to think through the impact of what they are doing. Wiltshire Probation runs accredited programmes to address this.

• Think First - a 22 session general offending behaviour programme which teaches problem solving skills and how to apply those skills to offending behaviour in order enable offenders to stop offending.
• Aggression Replacement Training - an 18 session group work programme which aims to reduce aggressive behaviour through teaching social skills, anger management techniques and improved moral reasoning.
• Drink Impaired Drivers Programme - a 14 session group work programme which focuses on changing attitudes and behaviour in respect of drink driving and other motoring offences.
• Sex Offender Group Work Programme - a programme which runs for up to 40 weeks which aims to reduce the risk of future sexual offending by adult male sex offenders.
• Integrated Domestic Abuse Programme - a programme which works with domestic violence perpetrators and aims to reduce the risk of violent crime and abusive behaviour towards women in relationships by enabling perpetrators to change their attitudes and behaviour

The delivery of Accredited Programmes is based on the ‘What Works’ strategy which is intended to reduce re-offending by ensuring that all probation work is solidly based on evidence of success. Accredited Programmes respond to up-to-date evidence on what works from this country and abroad. We ensure the Programmes are delivered to a consistent standard across Wiltshire and Swindon and are accessible and effective for all groups in the community.

Sex Offenders

The sex offender programme, where properly targeted, can reduce reconviction rates (our best measure of re-offending rates) by up to a third. All community programmes are backed up by stringent court orders, which if breached, could well result in the offender being sent to prison.

The key aims of our work with sex offenders are as follows:

• For the offender to accept full responsibility for their offending.
• Detailed sessions examine what the offender did to create the opportunity to offend and what they can do in the future to avoid offending.
• Relapse prevention - recognition of high-risk situations. The first steps towards committing sexual assaults on children are likely to have arisen from offenders discovering that dwelling on thoughts of sex with children makes them feel better when they feel depressed, threatened, angry, sad or helpless. Offenders report feeling in control, powerful and positive during sexual offending behaviour.
• Raise awareness of the effects of sexual abuse on victims. While they are offending, sex offenders use 'thinking errors’ to psychologically con themselves that their behaviour is acceptable.
• Understanding past patterns of thinking, feeling and behaviour.

The greatest risk from violence or sexually violent behaviour is from people known and often trusted by the victim. Organisations such as the Suzy Lamplugh Trust and the NSPCC can provide you with more information.

< Back to Reduce Offending