The Can-Do Custody Diversion programme

The Can-Do Custody Diversion Programme is an intensive course that has been specifically designed to tackle offending behaviour in persistent and/or serious young offenders. The young people usually attend as part of a supervision order set by the courts. The programme was developed by the Surrey Youth Offending Team. It is operated by the YOT with selected and trained prisoners from the Crime Diversion Scheme.

The programme has been solidly based on the highly regarded ‘what works’ research, and designed strictly in line with Youth Justice Board guidelines on effective practice. Can-Do directly tackles key areas in offenders’ lives that research has demonstrated to be ‘criminogenic’. It challenges offending through accentuating the positive, non-offending alternatives to criminal behaviour. In each of these areas, the experiences of the prisoners will be drawn upon to confront some of the young people’s attitudes and assumptions and enable them to think about aspects of their lives.

Like ETS, the Can-Do programme is based around the use of cognitive behavioural methods. It also makes use of social learning theory such as modelling and reinforcement in order to learn new behaviours. Drama and role-play techniques are used alongside other methods of delivery.

Can-Do is co-facilitated by Youth Justice Officers who select a team of offenders from the Crime Diversion Scheme. The offenders go through a thorough interview process and their selection is mainly driven by the needs and requirements of the young people attending. All team members go through pre-programme training to prepare them for the workshop.