David Honeywell - Criminologist, Author, Writer : Beyond Youth Custody publishes literature review

David Honeywell - Criminologist, Author, Writer : Beyond Youth Custody publishes literature review: Beyond Youth Custody (BYC) has released a new narrative literature review today highlighting how resettlement can significantly reduce the...

Beyond Youth Custody publishes literature review

Beyond Youth Custody (BYC) has released a new narrative literature review today highlighting how resettlement can significantly reduce the reoffending of young people leaving custody. It explores how the needs of young people can be effectively addressed when services receive sufficient investment and collaboratively work together with the secure estate. The review also highlights some emerging principles of effective practice and sets out the under-researched areas and unanswered questions that should steer future research.

Beyond Youth Custody is a five year, England-wide youth justice research and evaluation programme. Led by Nacro and funded by the Big Lottery Fund, it aims to improve outcomes for young people leaving custody. Academic institutions ARCS, the University of Salford and the University of Bedfordshire are also partners. The programme will compare and contrast models of service delivery and engage with key stakeholders to raise awareness of best practice, influence policy decisions and bring about lasting change in practice.

BYC’s website has also been launched today and will act as a forum for engaging practitioners and policy makers in debate about the programme’s findings and practice implications.  It will also provide an online hub for publishing findings of the research as well as programme updates, information and resources about resettlement, news and details of events.

Nacro chief executive, Paul McDowell, said:

‘Over the last decade, there has been a decline in youth custody rates, but reoffending rates remain extremely high for young offenders leaving custody - 73% reoffend within 12 months of being released. We must do more to break the destructive cycle of crime that some young people fall into and struggle to get out of.

‘Beyond Youth Custody brings together a wealth of knowledge and experience from these different partners. Together we will challenge, advance and promote better thinking, and ensure that young people are supported in their transition from custody to their community and are finally able to put their offending behind them.’

The Truth about Me

The Truth about Me

Home Group failing the elderly?

And yet another disgraceful example of how local organisations treat their elderly customers. Home Group didn't feel that my mother having all her sinks blocked was an emergency job and that she'd be okay for four days washing and preparing food in the kitchen with a blocked sink full of dirty water, because "she has onother sink in the bathroom" said one of your customer service's people.

(Obviously he never does the washing and cooking in his house and I wonder if his Mrs would have accepted that?). Thankfully I found a local plumber to do what he thought was certainly an emergency and has listed all the faults Home Group has made to my mother's property which caused all this.

I telephoned Home Group' repair line and was told that, "if they did call the job as an emergency and the plumber didn't think it was life threatening, then she would be charged a lot of money."

She is 83-years-old and after already leaving her with no hot water and heating for 13 hours following an emergency call on Wednesday morning, I thought I'd give you the benefit of the doubt and perhaps I was wrong thinking you didn't give a damn about you pensioner tenants! This is going to press (my job) and you're getting the plumber's bill!

Experiences of publishing my autobiography

When I decided to share my life story with the World, soon after I began to realise how much I had underestimated the impact it would have on others - including myself.

I know there was going to be some response - after all it is a criminal biography - and they usually sell - but it was my aim to inspire - not to bask in some sort of newly acquired criminal celebrity status.

In my autobiography, Never Ending Circles, I  told the story as it was and that prison is a mugs game as is crime. I suppose crime has paid for me in one way as I sell books and get paid to give talks. But this all goes towards my PhD which hopefully will contribute towards a greater understanding of desistance for criminology practitioners and others to benefit from.

Apart from the academic side of things though,  I have been pleasantly surprised at the response from the public as my intended audience was students but it seems that it appeals to all audiences.

Unlike your usual criminal biography that 'bigs up' the gangster lifestyle and the big hauls they managed to steal, I have taken readers through the personality changes that occurred in me during my younger days which led me to develop some quite odd traits. I have been honest about my disgraceful stint in the army, my crimes, relationships, prison and how I eventually saw education as a way to turn my life around.

I wont give anyone a load of bull - it's an ongoing journey and I cant see how anyone cant  just completely change as your personality is deeply engrained. I think a lot of criminality is down to immaturity and it's only when you grow up and see what harm to do to others - and truly want to change - that you can try and put things right.

It's also a case of learning to have remorse and empathy and not blame everyone else but yourself for your wrongdoings.

I have been explicit in my description of personal mental health problems from a young age and how they were a significant part of my haywire lifestyle. Far from me trying to make that an excuse for the terrible things I did - it was neverthelesss the root cause.

It's not all doom  and gloom though. I have talked about some funny moments like e when a fellow Durham Prison inmate had to travel home by bus after being releases dressed as Santa Claus.

It must have been a very long journey as it was a hot July and as he had been arrested donned in his big red outfit - that's what he had to go home in.

Many have asked me if it was cleansing writing my life story. Well yes and no. At first I got quite depressed but when I emerged from the pub three weeks later, like a true warrior, I battled on and completed it. It has been cleansing in the end though for me and others.

 I am so happy to say it is now having the effect I wanted it to have. It is helping others who have had similar problems with depression and addictions and I'm pleased to say I have managed to help residents of  homes, individuals who have suffered and many who have had similar experiences but felt they were alone.

It has also got a few thinking of sharing their own stories too. After all it isn't just celebrities who can write their life stories. I still feel there much more I can tell though and now I am on my second autobiography, 'Doing Time After Time'.