Rehabilitation and reducing reoffending are at the core of everything we do across Sodexo’s prisons. Our two-year 'Reducing Reoffending' strategy focuses on clear, tangible outcomes that will be visible to prisoners, their families, and our staff. Everyone has a role in helping us change lives for the better.

The strategy is built around three key principles:

1. People
   We focus on creating safe environments where staff can work effectively and prisoners can engage in meaningful rehabilitation.
2. Partnerships
   Rehabilitation requires collaboration. We work closely with Probation services, HMPPS, throughcare providers in Scotland, and education, skills, and work partners in England to support prisoners' reintegration.
3. Progression
   We prioritise involving families and significant others in the rehabilitation process and offer tailored support for specific groups like care leavers, mothers in custody, and veterans.

A wide range of training is available across the prison, which provides learning and skills in a range of activities covering literacy, numeracy and IT as well as vocational training in a range of trades within industrial workshops.  For example, prisoners in Engineering, Textiles and the Kitchen are gaining NVQs in manufacturing and catering.  High quality training that enables the prisoner to do their job effectively and also recognises and accredits the skills that they have learnt and developed is a crucial component part of the working prison model.

HMP Northumberland workshops

There are a number of workshops in place at HMP Northumberland producing quality products and services for external clients. This includes the Textiles workshop, producing wide range of Cut Make and Trim (CMT) garments.  Current products are catering coats, food service aprons, shirts, bedding and towels.  Find out more about becoming a client and working with us.

Improved employment opportunities on release and reduced re-offending

Providing work for prisoners at HMP Northumberland contributes towards the prison's focus on providing a real working environment.  This will help improve offenders’ skills and experiences to ultimately lead to improved employment opportunities on release and reduced re-offending.

As part of our Corporate Social Responsibility commitments for every shift that prisoners work additional funds are generated for community reparation to help provide additional support for victims and improved resettlement services.