GOL leads the launch of the new London Resettlement Strategy

Crime committed by ex-prisoners accounts for 18% of all crime and more than half of all offenders re-offend within two years of release. The Government believes that a coordinated response is required to turn these figures around.

The London Resettlement Strategy is the first phase in achieving this and sets out how London’s agencies service providers will work closely to deliver a multi-agency answer to the hurdles faced by prisoners upon release. The Strategy details how London agencies have worked together through a multi-agency Resettlement Board, chaired by Government Office for London (GOL) regional director Liz Meek, to develop a response led by each individual prisoner’s needs. The Strategy is supported by a dedicated team based in GOL. It contains over 120 commitments to action that have been developed through eight strategic reference groups, each focusing on a particular area of offender need.

The first stage of implementation will be to pilot the approach of this pilot in HMP Wormwood Scrubs with prisoners returning to eight north-west London boroughs: project will be with eight London Boroughs Barnet, Ealing, Hammersmith &and Fulham, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow, and Kensington and& Chelsea. The pilot will focus on prisoners who are due to be released from Wormwood Scrubs Prison into these eight Boroughs.


The Strategy will focus on reducing homelessness and rough sleeping, key factors known to ensure effective rehabilitation and reintegration into the community. Fixed accommodation will allow offenders to take part in programmes of supervision and gain employment and training. It also sets out a number of provisions designed to address issues that can lead to repeat offending such as debt, mental health problems and drug use.

Specific groups are also being focused upon as the Strategy recognises that almost half of those released from London’s prisons are from black and minority ethnic communities and include a number of provisions to cater for their needs, such as working with voluntary sector organisations and different faith groups that can play a vital role supporting their resettlement needs.

Recognising the concerns of London’s communities as a whole Baroness Scotland said at the launch:

“This Government is committed to building safer communities…I am confident that the measures laid out in this strategy will enable us to make an immediate start tackling these problems and reducing re-offending in London.”