Criminal Justice Charity says work with us

National criminal justice charity Sova welcomes today’s announcement by Chris Grayling calling for a mentor for every prisoner. For more than 35 years Sova has recruited, trained and supported thousands of volunteers to help people steer clear of crime and make better choices.

“When you’re just out of prison with no home, no job and no money you need someone on your side,” explains Sophie Wilson, Sova Chief Operating Officer. “Our mentors provide practical advice, emotional support and a reliable friendly face to help people change their lives for the better.

“Sova is one of the voluntary sector partners delivering the One Service pilot at HMP Peterborough, we provide around 50 community mentors for this project.  

“We know mentoring works, over the years we’ve seen thousands of people turn their lives around.

“Our volunteers come from all walks of life bringing many different skills and experiences – we work with volunteers who are ex-offenders, professionals, students, retired people and victims of crime.  What they all have in common is the desire to make a difference and give people a second chance.  Our volunteers are priceless but they are not free. Getting the right people takes time, effort and money but the return on this investment is safer communities for everyone.

“Volunteering on this scale is not a quick fix, or a cheap one.  We need a firm commitment to invest in high quality training and supervision for mentors to ensure we achieve the right results.  The knowledge and expertise to make this work already exists and we’d like to see the government working with Sova and others like us to make this vision a reality.”