News
HRH hosts Breaking the Cycle at Clarence House
5th December 2006
The Prince of Wales hosted a summit to tackle the problem of re-offending prison leavers with Home Secretary Dr John Reid, prison governors, probation officers and 25 former young offenders at Clarence House today.
As President and Founder of The Prince’s Trust, His Royal Highness hosted the event, titled Breaking the Cycle, to enable 25 young offenders to come face to face with senior members of the criminal justice system to explore ways in which repeat offending can be reduced.
Last year, around 3,500 offenders and ex-offenders were supported by The Prince’s Trust. More than two-thirds of the ex-offenders The Trust supported moved into work, self employment, further education or training.
The Prince said he hoped the summit would go some way to helping those in difficulty.
“I think the purpose of today is that there is probably some merit in allowing young people who have had first-hand experience to talk face-to-face with the people who do make the policy and run the criminal justice system.”
"We might just begin to understand how we might break the offending cycle and prevent more of the next generation of young people following unnecessarily and painfully in their footsteps.”
At the summit Dr John Reid, the Home Secretary, signed an agreement with Martina Milburn, Chief Executive of The Prince’s Trust.
The agreement will make it easier for The Prince’s Trust and other organisations to secure contracts with the Government to deliver their services and help young offenders and will hopefully lead to more targeted support for youngsters in or leaving jail.
In a speech, The Rt Hon Dr Reid MP told the youngsters and key policy makers that it wasn’t easy to stay out of trouble.
He said: "It isn't easy. I know it isn't easy to overcome addiction and get out of offending but the greatest quality of all is endurance."
"You have to win through. Circumstances aren't always perfect. Keep heart in it and we'll win through it together."
The Prince and his guests heard from former young offenders including 22-year-old Anna Chambers. Her life became dominated by drink, drugs and violence after a difficult home life.
She spoke of how she had a gun held to her head as a youngster and was eventually jailed after a string of petty crimes when she tried to rob a group of girls with a lighter that looked like a gun for a dare.
Speaking about her time in prison she said: "There was a girl there that put heroin in her baby's bottle and killed her. One girl asked me to pass her a lighter under the door. I did and she set light to her hair."
After leaving prison when she was around 18 she sank into depression but was eventually helped after becoming involved with the Prince's Trust's projects.
She went on a manicure and pedicure course and is about to start as a beauty therapist.
Baroness Scotland, Minister for Juvenile Justice, pledged to improve the situation to help prevent youngsters from re-offending.
"We are desperate to get this right... today is going to be a very important and pivotal day."
Among those who gathered for the meeting were the Attorney General Lord Goldsmith, Chairman of the Youth Justice Board Professor Rod Morgan and Governor of HMP and young offenders institute Styal, Steve Hall.