Focus
Mosaic launches its Young Muslim Offenders Mentoring Programme
6th January 2010
Mosaic, the muslim mentoring programme founded by The Prince of Wales, has launched a new programme for young offenders in the United Kingdom.
Mosaic was founded by HRH The Prince of Wales and convened in November 2007 by Business in the Community, one of The Prince’s Charities, to challenge the growing concern around the issues facing young Muslims living in deprived areas of Britain.
Today Mosaic operates nationally in London, the East and West Midlands, Yorkshire & Humber and the North West, as a set of initiatives championed by Muslims aimed at raising aspirations and providing opportunities. The scheme is gathering increasing international support.
Muslims represent between 11 per cent and 12 per cent of the male and female prison population in the UK – almost four times their representation in the wider population. There is growing evidence of the acute difficulties faced by Muslim prisoners returning to their communities, given the social stigma attached to offending.
This may leave some individuals more vulnerable to negative influences. Mosaic’s Young Muslim Offenders Mentoring programme aims to address some of the most challenging issues facing prisoners as they make the transition from custody to community.
This important programme will be delivered in partnership with Muslim Youth Helpline and Business in the Community’s Business Action on Homelessness (BAOH) campaign. The focused support provided will address issues that relate to Muslims returning to their communities following a custodial sentence and will provide offenders with a trained mentor to work with them in the lead up to release and post-release, and work placement opportunities delivered through BAOH’s Ready for Work programme.
Mosaic Chairman, Princess Badiya bint El Hasan of Jordan, spoke of the need for the prison mentoring programme. She said:
“We are too often distracted by the negatives, at the expense of noticing the potential in a person. Mosaic seeks to bring out this positive potential by providing role models, raising aspirations and giving access to opportunities. For ex-offenders, re-entering society can be particularly difficult; mentoring can help to make this vital process a better one. The mentors who have already volunteered for this important programme are a source of great hope."
Juliet Lyon CBE, Director of the Prison Reform Trust welcomed the prison mentoring programme. She said:
”Supporting programmes like Mosaic’s mentoring of former offenders is vital. Policy reforms alone are not enough. An environment of support from individuals, communities and businesses cannot be underestimated in helping young people to build new, positive lives."