An Evaluation of Integrated Offender Management across two time phases

Priority and prolific offenders (PPOs) account for a large proportion of crime. As a result, rehabilitation of PPOs, is important for crime reduction. The Integrated Offender Management (IOM) programme, a multi-agency initiative, focuses on the needs of problematic offenders (e.g. substance abuse, housing and employment) during rehabilitation. This report presents our evaluation of the IOM programme. Interviews with offenders and staff at two time phases revealed perceptions of the programme’s efficacy over time. Both groups held positive views of the IOM programme and we found encouraging trends regarding offenders’ attitudes and rehabilitation. We also found areas where improvements may be made (i.e. greater support for housing and offenders’ mental health problems). Importantly, we found that recidivism rates for offenders was lower than the national average. Discussion focuses on the implications of findings for the programme and its impact on the rehabilitation of problematic offenders.