Drug and Alcohol Action Programme’s (DAAP’s) Ealing Drug Education Project is working with Coldingley Prison to help young people to benefit from the Coldingley Crime Diversion Scheme (CCDS).
The CCDS programme is primarily for young people between the ages of 13 years of age to 17 years at risk of offending or those who have started to offend. A team of seven offenders who are trained youth workers and security cleared deliver this interactive programme. Anti- social behaviour such as Graffiti, fighting, drinking, taking drugs, vandalism, street robberies and the like are explored through the use of flipcharts, drama role play, frozen pictures, testimonies, questions and answers. The facilitators encourage young people to express their views and opinions by getting involved in the presentations. They also enable them to empathise with the experiences of victims of crime.
Participants learn about the reality of life behind bars, about how the prison system works and about the impact of a prison sentence on the individual, family, friends and society at large. The overall aim of the CCDS is to guide young people onto a crime free path.
DAAP believes that this scheme is an extremely useful tool providing early intervention in young people's lives. We are including these visits as part of our ongoing programme of education work with young people who are interested in knowing about prison life, those who have been in trouble over drug issues and those who are first time offenders or at risk of offending.
DAAP will take ten young people to the prison every month starting April 2006. Yo0ung people will be given a session before and after the prison visit.
DAAP will also offer the young people who have attended the Coldingley Crime Diversion Scheme the opportunity to train as peer educators.
Any young person wishing to attend or an organisation to refer young people to this scheme, please contact
