Peter Walker, Prison Fellowship International

Presenting the Evaluation of the Sycamore Tree Programme

What is Sycamore Tree?...

An accredited victim awareness/restorative justice programme based on Christian values

Aims to challenge attitudes to offending behaviour, raise awareness of the impact of crime on victims

and communities, and teach the principles and application of restorative justice

To provide offenders with an opportunity to make an informed choice to change their lives

…..And what it isn’t!

Sycamore Tree is not faith promoting

Staff and volunteers are motivated by their Christian faith to get involved

1. Restorative Justice - What’s That?

2. Taking Responsibility (Ripples)

3. Saying Sorry, Acting Sorry (Victim/s)

4. Reconciliation

5. Taking the Next Step

6. Symbolic Act of Restitution

Programme Sessions

0

2040

60

80

100120

140

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Programme Growth

688 Sycamore Tree programmes run

Sycamore Tree Programme 1998 - 2008

Sycamore Tree running in 68 of 140 prisons(Penetration rate of 48%)

Prisoners starting the programme 10,121

Prisoners completing the programme 9,784(Completion rate of 97%)

Prisons and Prisoners

Ethnicity White = 6Black = 4Asian = 4Undisclosed = 2

Diversity and Prisoner Access to Sycamore Tree (average 16 prisoners)

Literacy levels:L2 = 3L1 = 7E3 = 4E2 = 1

Undisclosed = 1

Trained volunteer tutors 48

Trained volunteers who facilitate small group work 207

Delivery through trained volunteers

✓ Sycamore Tree prisoners’ workbooks✓ Prison Fellowship feedback forms from prisoners, facilitators and victims ✓ Prisoners anecdotal evidence (pre and post)✓ Crime Pics II - a psychometric tool (questionnaire) for measuring attitude change

Success - What evidence is there?

Measuring Attitudinal Change usingCrime Pics

(Psychometric tool)

Independent Evaluation by Sheffield Hallam University

Research Centre for Community Justice

Analysis of Crime Pics II data from 2,188 prisoners from pre and post programme scores from Sycamore Tree programmes between April 2002 and December 2004

Sheffield Hallam Report2,188 prisoners nationwide

“There was a statistically significant improvement on all five CRIME-PICS II scales. This indicates that the Sycamore Tree programme had the desired impact on the participants and changed the attitudes that are known to be conducive to offending behaviour.”

Sheffield Hallam University, Research Centre for Community Justice; March 2005

General Attitude to Offending 50%Anticipation of Re-Offending 24%Victim Hurt Denial 37%Evaluation of Crime as Worthwhile 40%Perception of Current Life Problems 21%

Sheffield Hallam Report2,188 prisoners nationwide

HMP The Mount

Results from programmes run June 2006 - May 2007

Average scores for 9 programmes

Represents 121 prisoners

Prison reports and feedback

ScalePre

ScoreAfter Score

Positive Change

Positive Change

National Average  

G 1.76 0.84 0.92 52% 50% General Attitude to Offending

A 3.05 2.33 0.72 23% 24% Anticipation of Re-offending

V 1.89 1.24 0.65 34% 37% Victim Hurt Denial

E 2.77 1.56 1.21 44% 40% Evaluation of Crime as Worthwhile

P 2.79 1.98 0.81 29% 21% Perception of Current Life Problems

Discussion and Questions

Thank you

Contacts:Lynette Parker – Prison Fellowship International

lparker@pfi.orgAnne Mason – Prison Fellowship England & Wales

annemason@prisonfellowship.org.uk