The information enabled Lincolnshire to identify some of the remote areas in the county that had not benefited from the Community Payback programme - and to try and generate work in these locations for local offenders. The exercise enabled Lincolnshire not only to meet local needs, but also reduced travelling times for offenders to work projects.

Among the on-going projects in Lincolnshire are painting and decorating at local schools, a Multiple Sclerosis therapy centre, and at an old grandstand that is managed by the city council. The Forestry Commission works in partnership with Probation to provide opportunities for environmental work.

The Probation Area is involved in a furniture recycling venture that provides opportunities for offenders to renovate and repair items of used household furniture that are sold at reduced rates.

PROJECT REVIEW: GROUNDWORK
SOUTH WYNDHAM PARK
Teams of supervised offenders have been working at the Grantham Park for more than 18 months. Local businesses contribute to an improvements fund that has financed the park's new and improved amenities.

The park covers a large area and has a river running through the middle. There are tennis courts, a boating lake and bowling greens. This is a partnership project with the South Kesteven District Council, which has enabled the Unpaid Work teams to prepare the foundations for the new children's play area, and repair fences and clear footpaths. New work includes painting the wooden fences to give them a face lift.

PROJECT REVIEW: PAINTING AND DECORATING
MORTON HALL
Lincolnshire Probation Area and the Prison Service have formed a unique partnership that sees an Unpaid Work supervisor managing a group of female prisoners in the community.

The joint project has been running for more than six months and initially involved one work party once a week, but this has now been extended to two days a week.

HM Morton Hall houses high risk women prisoners who have served quite long prison sentences. The women are released for Unpaid Work assignments when they are near the end of their sentence, and are allowed to work in the community as part of the rehabilitation regime.

Senior Probation Officer Tony Connell explained that the prison-probation partnership meets the varying needs of both agencies.

"We had wanted to work with the Prison Service for some time and this initiative is an excellent opportunity," he said. "The Governor knows that the selected prisoners are being properly supervised while they are working outside the prison.

"The project enables us to have a sustainable female work group that meets the specific needs of this group as well as offering skill development opportunities, thus increasing the employability of out-of-work offenders."

The project also generates income for the Probation Area, as Lincolnshire invoices the Prison Service for the supervisor's time and transport costs.

PROJECT PROGRESSION
Unit Manager for Lincoln Mick Byrne explained: "The prison-probation work parties have recently completed a long term decorating project at a primary school on the outskirts of Lincolnshire. Even though there was no contact with the children, all the offenders were risk assessed to ensure that work in such an environment was appropriate."

The next project involves decorating a Viking Centre at Claxby which is used by visitors who are on hiking trips.

Supervisor Kelly Watkins commented: "This is a worthwhile project to be involved with, and I have really enjoyed it. Some of the women have served quite long prison sentences and this is their first opportunity to be in the community.

"I think it helps the female prisoners to mix with male offenders. There have been no problems. Some of the women have been quite heavy drug users, and they like to talk about how they have now sorted out their lives. We get the chance to praise them on their achievements, and on the work they are doing.

"I know of one female prisoner who is planning to enrol on a college course to gain a qualification because she so enjoyed the decorating work we have done. She felt confident that she could achieve something positive in her life."