A beach in Hartlepool was left in an improved condition following a visit from offenders on Community Payback and Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Matt Storey.
Last week, Matt rolled up his sleeves and took part in the Great British Beach Clean (GBBC) alongside those serving community sentences.
The beach clean was organised by Probation Service North-East in the Headland area of Hartlepool, following a nomination by the town’s MP Jonathan Brash.
Community Payback is a community sentence, issued by the court as an alternative to prison. Those who have committed criminal offences take part in unpaid work projects to benefit their local community and make reparations for their offences.
The visit to Hartlepool allowed Matt to find out why participants previously offended, how they plan to move forward positively and how Community Payback programmes make a difference to their lives and communities.
The group gathered four bags of rubbish from the shore, collecting discarded items such as a beach ball, plastic water bottles, empty vapes, broken glass bottles and a wooden spoon.
Matt said: “Community sentences are essential to ensuring that people who have offended get the right sanction that will be most effective in preventing reoffending. This kind of community work gives them a stake in their area and allows them to make a positive contribution to society, serving their community and their sentence at the same time.”
The beach clean is part of Matt’s ongoing community engagement programme, which in addition to meeting with victims of crime, seeks the views of people with criminal records.
His discussions with people on probation or in prison aims to get to the heart of what leads them to get stuck in the dangerous cycle of offending and re-offending.
Matt added: “It is so important to listen to people who are currently in the criminal justice system so we can understand them, and their experiences, and ensure the criminal justice system has the best possible impact.
“The people I chatted with understood they had done wrong and that they only had themselves to blame. They are highly motivated to make amends through this community work.
“They are a great example of how community payback can help people turn their lives around and in my work as PCC I will always support the right sentence to support effective rehabilitation and prevent reoffending.”
His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPP) has been heavily involved with the Marine Conservation Society for the past three years.
Of the 476 GBBC beach cleans across England and Wales last year, 15% were organised by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) – parent body of HMPPS.
Click here to find out how to nominate a Community Payback project