Money management for young offenders
In partnership with Scotland’s Colleges
Focus group members
APEX, Calyx, James Watt College, Learning and Teaching Scotland, Scottish Prison Service, SERCO.
Aim
To engage students at James Watt College to produce a DVD of scenarios on income and expenditure issues aimed at young offenders and those at risk of offending in order to improve opportunities for ex-offenders and deter potential offenders.
Background
Poor money management is a fundamental barrier to rehabilitating and reintegrating offenders into the community, and a criminal conviction can often affect ex-offenders’ financial circumstances. Lack of money management skills can also be a contributing factor that leads to offending or re-offending.
Action
The focus group organised a workshop with students and staff from James Watt College with the potential to work on the DVD. The students took ownership of the next stage of development, by researching topic areas and creating short scenarios.
These were presented to the focus group members both in script and as acted pieces, drawing comment and amendment from focus group representatives.
The group then worked collaboratively to produce the DVD. Drama, media and visual production students at James Watt College created, acted and filmed the scenarios. Scenes included a role-play in which a candidate interviewing for a job – suitable in every respect for that job – was turned down for the position after revealing she had a criminal record, highlighting the impact of a criminal record on employability prospects and earnings.
Outcome
The resulting DVD was used with both young offenders and those at risk of offending to illustrate the long-term impacts of holding a criminal record, and therefore act as a deterrent. The resource has increased the financial capability awareness not only of the learners it was made for, but also the students who researched and created the film.
More scripts and a tutor guide to using the filmed scenarios have been produced as a money management resource for staff working with this target group of learners.
Testimonials
Literacy tutor working with young offenders
“The DVD helped to illustrate to offenders the long-term effects that crime would have upon them, for example around employability. It made them consider issues around their own money that they hadn’t previously thought of.”
Katherine Lang, student, James Watt College
“I now have a greater understanding of money and the help that you can receive on the topic.”
