Ex-offender Mentoring | Community Integration

The ex-offenders mentoring programme was developed in response to the increasing numbers of young Muslims residing in prisons in England and Wales. There are currently over 10,000 Muslims in UK prisons representing 12% of the total prison population. The programme was developed in partnership with Muslim Youth Helpline (MYH) and Business in the Community.

Objectives

The period of transition from custody to community can often be extremely challenging, particularly for individuals lacking support. The programme provides focused support and mentoring opportunities to prisoners aged 16 to 35 years old approaching the end of their custodial sentence.

The programme

Mosaic’s trained mentors meet prisoners three to six months before release to establish a long-lasting relationship which continues into the community-integration phase. The mentors offer wide-ranging practical assistance, including helping prisoners to secure housing and employment. With these vital support structures in place, the likelihood of re-offending in the future is significantly reduced.

To qualify for a mentor a prisoner must:

Be a self-declared Muslim
Be aged 18-30 at the beginning of the mentoring relationship
Not be convicted of a serious sexual assault and not be convicted of, or under investigation for any terrorist-related activity.
Be eligible for release back in to the local community and not be liable to deportation

Mentors

The programme involves a one-to-one mentoring relationship for 12 months, with an approximate commitment: of 1-2 hours per month. For more information, download our mentor information pack.

Ex-offender Guidance Panel

The Ex-offender Guidance Panel are a group of individuals with a track record of success in the criminal and youth justice system. They bring their various expertise, talent and contacts to support the development of Mosaic’s ex-offender work. Find out more about the panel

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