Manchester offender turns her life around.
29th Jan 2010
Michelle has spent almost 20 years in jail since she was 19 but now she has managed to get her life back on track.
The 39-year-old was introduced to heroin and crack cocaine by a former partner. To feed her habit she turned to burglary and has only spent two-and-a-half years out of prison since she was a teenager.
After
completing her last jail sentence (seven-and-a-half years for robbery)
Michelle was classified as a Prolific and Priority Offender
(PPO). This meant that that she was prioritised for services and
interventions with the aim of helping her turn things round as soon as
possible.
If she had remained true to form, the
odds were very much that she would be back behind bars in months.
However, Michelle excelled. She was released to Hopwood House (a
Probation Service Approved Premises for women) and spent six months
there before moving to her current address, a semi-supported housing
scheme managed by Manchester City Council. She completed the Addressing
Substance Related Offending Programme (ASRO) and is now no longer using
illegal drugs. Having her accommodation and substance
issues sorted means she can now actively seek employment
Michelle said: “After previous sentences I’d get my money, be told when my next probation appointment was and it was a case of ‘see you later’. This time I’ve had help and I finally feel I’m making lasting change, but I couldn’t have done it without this support keeping me on track.”
Margaret McLoughlin, the Offender Supervisor, said: “From the start I could see Michelle had the potential and the motivation to change. We are all very proud of her and the progress she has made. It’s a big achievement that she is no-longer registered as a PPO, she has come so far since she was released and to finally break the cycle of prison and complete her licence is magnificent.”
