'We can’t write off ex-offenders - give them a chance'

Chief executive officer, Matt Cannon (left) said HACRO is "not a sexy" charity and trustee Chris Hale (right) wants to see more care and resources for ex-prisoners

A Hertfordshire-based charity focusing on the care and rehabilitation of ex-offenders has called for more support.

For the past 50 years the Hertfordshire Association for the Care and Rehabilitation of Offenders (HACRO) has run more than 60 programmes for offenders once they completed their sentence.

They offer skills workshops, other outreach opportunities and help with accommodation.

Chief executive officer, Matt Cannon, said they had to "fight incredibly hard for money".

He said there was "very little support" for charities like his.

"We’re grant-funded. We have to fight incredibly hard for money - it costs almost £300,000 for a program with 50 participants.

"As a charity, we’re not sexy, we don’t have what people want to donate to but we want participants to become more integrated in society."

Lead mentor, Tony Franklin, has been working for the charity for eight years

Ex-offender, Tony Franklin, who has been working as a charity mentor for eight years, said it had given him a "chance to use negative experiences to help other people".

He feels there is a societal stigma towards ex-prisoners leading them to become "so removed from the community".

"There needs to be more inclusion," he added.

"I found myself with a criminal record, no job qualifications and dyslexia. I didn’t know where to start.

"I was labelled as a druggie and as an ex-offender. This isn’t necessarily the charity people want to donate to but this is important."

Dave leads woodworking and furniture making sessions for ex-offenders

HACRO work with Hertfordshire Constabulary and probation services.

Their programme, Choices and Consequences, offers prolific, persistent offenders a chance at community rehabilitation.

Kay has attended sessions since March 2023 and said he "owes a lot to HACRO".

He enjoys the woodworking classes, has made hedgehog houses and refurbished various pieces of garden furniture which then go on to be sold in charity shop Emmaus, which is based next door.

"They gave me a chance. I jumped on it, both hands. Both feet," he said.

"I’ve struggled with addiction. They have helped get my mind right, offered me a sense of routine and keep me straight.

"They give you skills you can use in other places."

Ben, 20, said the workshops and sessions had "helped with confidence and a sense of independence".

He is working on a mosaic project which will be displayed at St Albans Museum later this year.

"Staff here have given a lot of time to help us. Projects like this will help the youth of today," he said.

Ex-offenders are working on a mosaic depicting how the justice system worked in St Albans in the 1800s

Audrey Montet teaches mosaic art workshops in which ex-offenders are working on four panels depicting how the justice system worked in St Albans in the 1800s.

"They are so engaged. It’s brilliant to see them getting so much out of it," she said.

Meanwhile, Sam, who enjoys the boxing sessions moved into accommodation provided by HACRO, in January.

"My life was so unstable before I got here. I feel fantastic after boxing. It helps my mental health," he said.

Trustee Chris Hale, who was a magistrate before joining HACRO said he wanted to see more care and resources for ex-prisoners.

"We need a change in the way we handle people who come out of prison. If someone has spent eight years in prison, they will not be equipped for the modern world," he said.

"There is a vacuum there, and HACRO is here to help fill that vacuum."