Switchback supports 18-24 year olds involved in prison catering to develop the confidence and skills to make a positive and sustained change in their lives

75% of young adults leaving custody are back inside within two years. Before their release, they will tell you with determination that this is their last time in prison.

But once they have been released, many find that they cannot succeed when they are left on their own and with just £47 to last for the first few weeks.

Research shows that having a plan of what to do with your time and a route to earning legitimate money makes it easier to make the right choices. At Switchback, we are convinced that there is a narrow window of opportunity to determine the future of these young people.

The concept:

A full-time Switchback Mentor meets a young adult offender who is working in the prison kitchens and begins to build a positive relationship with them and help them plan for the future. After release, the same Switchback Mentor offers intensive support to the trainee as they move through training at the Skylight Café and into paid employment.

The prisons:

We are working with HMPs Rochester, Reading, Feltham and Aylesbury. We take referrals directly from Resettlement, Learning and Skills and Catering departments.

The trainees:

Aged 18-24, they are sentenced prisoners due for release in London. The prison identifies those who are both involved in catering and are seeking a positive change in their lives.

The café:

Switchback has been developed in partnership with the Crisis Skylight Café - a training café in central London run by the national charity Crisis. Switchback is based on site and the café is the first port-of-call for trainees after their release.