Impetus is committed to finding innovative solutions to the most pressing - and often most challenging - issues of our time. Reoffending is one such challenge. The UK government spends over £11bn annually for prisons, prisoners, offender management, and reoffending costs. Yet over 60% of adult prisoners are reconvicted within two years of their release.
But this situation is not inevitable: research has shown that the probability of reoffending can be reduced, for example a stable job reduces the likelihood of reoffending by up to 50%.
Clearly more can be done to reduce reoffending. In response to this colossal need, in July 2009 Impetus launched the 'Impetus for Reducing Reoffending Initiative'.
About the Impetus for Reducing
Reoffending Initiative
The objective of the Initiative is to support organisations making
a significant impact in reducing reoffending rates.
The Initiative will identify three to six winning organisations
that have a proven record of reducing reoffending and that have the
ambition to transform their impact. Each of these organisations
will receive up to £350k in strategic funding, over a number
of years. In addition, they will receive hands-on management
support from an Impetus investment executive and top-quality
expertise from other senior professionals to help build capacity
and radically scale up the number of people they are able to
help.
Investors in the Impetus for Reducing Reoffending Initiative include:
- Esmée Fairbairn Foundation
- The Indigo Trust
- The Henry Smith Charity
- J Paul Getty Jnr Charitable Trust
The partners have raised an initial £1.7m to get the Initiative off the ground. It is hoped that the size of the fund will grow over time, with other individual investors and grantmakers contributing both money and experience.
The first four charities in the Impetus for Reducing Reoffending Initiative are: Kainos Community, Prisoners' Education Trust, Prison Radio Association and Shannon Trust.
Read more about these and other innovative charities and social enterprises we are working with.
In philanthropy as well as business, money alone can only do so much; it is money combined with skills and experience that achieve real impact. Impetus Trust is leading the way in creating lasting change through this strategic combination.
Sir Ronald Cohen
Impetus supporter