POLICE and council bosses heard how cash to fund services for offenders has helped them reintegrate into society after leaving prison.

Led by Blackburn with Darwen Council but operating across East Lancashire, the Reducing Reoffending scheme recognises how important a place to live is for people who are trying to turn their lives around, with relatively small amounts of money helping make access to housing more accessible.

Those who receive assistance through the scheme are then asked to engage with support services to help them avoid a return to criminality. Through relatively small amounts of money, ex-offenders are assisted in avoiding a return to criminality and engage in the community, saving money overall through emergency service response and additional prison time.

Commissioner Clive Grunshaw met executive member for adult social care and prevention, Cllr Mustafa Desai, and director of adult social care and prevention, Sayyed Osman, as well as representatives from the National Probation Service and Together Housing.

He said: "It has been a great opportunity to hear how my Reducing Reoffending Fund has made a real difference in people's lives and a positive impact across the county, including here in East Lancashire.

"By thinking differently and investing relatively small amounts of money we are able to make a real impact by avoiding offenders returning through the criminal justice system, and make our communities safer places to live and work.

"Policing alone cannot prevent people reoffending and that is why I continue to support initiatives that break the cycle offenders all too often find themselves trapped in, moving them away from a life of crime."

Cllr Desai said: “This funding has made a positive difference.

"People who have paid their debt to society do need support when they come out of prison to reintegrate back into the community and complete their rehabilitation.

"A small amount of funding to get people decent accommodation but with an expectation they will engage with services has been proven to have wider benefits for society. We have seen it has been instrumental in preventing several ex offenders from offending again.”