Reducing reoffending
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:
- People
We focus on creating safe environments where staff can work effectively and prisoners can engage in meaningful rehabilitation. - 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. - Progression
We prioritize involving families and significant others in the rehabilitation process and offer tailored support for specific groups like care leavers, mothers in custody, and veterans.
Female Prisoners
We address the unique needs of women in custody, offering specialised services around domestic abuse, trauma, and sex work through strong partnerships.
HMP Bronzefield has a Mother and Baby Unit (MBU), staffed by both operational and non-operational teams reporting to the MBU and Perinatal Service Manager. These teams manage pregnancy services, MBU applications, resident onboarding, separation support, care planning for children in alternative arrangements, and resettlement planning.
Each MBU has a dedicated Nursery and Early Years Workers who support child development. A Pregnancy Mother and Baby Liaison Officer (PMBLO) at each site contacts all pregnant prisoners to assess their needs. Since 2021, each prison also follows a reviewed annual Perinatal Pathway offering psychological support for women on the MBU and those in the wider prison during the perinatal period.
Women are encouraged to apply to an MBU early, allowing time for transfer before their due date and reducing separation from children. Applications can include babies in the community under 18 months, with careful consideration of separation issues. All women—remanded or sentenced, regardless of offence, sentence type, or nationality—are eligible for MBU placement.