What leads to offending?
 

Kim Quaintrell is head of reducing reoffending at Winchester Prison.
 

“Many of our prisoners have never felt they have value or been good at anything. Criminal gangs for some give them a feeling of belonging and protection.
 

“Being incarcerated becomes part of a cycle of reoffending which often runs its course over and over again. For those who thrive off the proceeds of crime, time inside is often viewed as part of a criminal lifestyle.

“That's why rehabilitation is a big part of prison life. We help men to break the cycle of drug or alcohol dependency and provide pastoral support, education and training. The biggest challenge is having limited timescales. 

"A high proportion of prisoners are with us for less than six months. Some offenders sabotage their chances of getting released because they prefer prison to life outside.

"Few criminals are out-and-out villains. We see men who are tired of being on the same course of repeat offending and imprisonment and who decide that enough is enough. 
 

“We can’t ‘fix’ people but we can go a long way to providing them with the support to change for the better. And many of them do.”