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2019 has already been a successful year for AI’s Passport project, which supports adults and young people with convictions.

Importantly, Passport has been invited to continue as specialist employability provider on South Lanarkshire Council’s Structured Deferred Sentence programme. It has been a vital part of this programme since 2017.

“Access to Industry provides a person-centred employability approach to supporting young people placed on a court-imposed Structured Deferred Sentence,” explains Ross White, Social Worker with South Lanarkshire’s Justice Services. “Working in partnership with AI has resulted in many positive wellbeing and court outcomes.”

Another success has been new funding for Passport in North Lanarkshire (through the Third Sector Challenge Fund). This will support men leaving HMP Addiewell and HMP Barlinnie who are returning to the North Lanarkshire area. This North Lanarkshire Council funding follows on from a successful first project working within HMP Addiewell, which was the first programme that Passport offered to adult males outside Edinburgh.

“AI’s case worker, Johnny, runs sessions in HMP Addiewell’s Academy for our residents who are looking for support on their liberation,” says Robert Taylor, HMP Addiewell’s Employability Coordinator. “Johnny’s knowledge, enthusiasm and understanding of our residents’ needs is a great asset to our own in-prison employability team. Tackling residents’ housing and employment concerns prior to liberation provides a great comfort to them, and Johnny manages these concerns extraordinarily well.”