The police and crime commissioner has recently opened a fourth offender rehabilitation house in Hampshire.

PCC Donna Jones is reportedly the only Police Commissioner in England to have commissioned these establishments.

The house, known as an Integrated Offender Management House, opened earlier this year, joins existing centres in Gosport, Portsmouth and Southampton and allows for a total of 28 residents across all four locations in Hampshire.

Between April and June, 26 residents utilised the services offered by these hubs.

More than half of the residents are more than 36 years old with the majority having experienced difficulties related to domestic abuse, mental health and substance abuse in their family backgrounds.

The rehabilitation and recovery programme, run by the charity Society of St James, feeds into a comprehensive weekly schedule.

This covers meaningful activities and essential life skills, including cooking and gardening.

Engagement with courses, training, and volunteering opportunities is also promoted.

Counselling and peer support initiatives, alongside mandatory substance misuse treatment, form a cornerstone in addressing root causes of criminal behaviours.

Residents typically stay for over four months, with several successfully progressing onto family homes or independent living arrangements post-treatment.

PCC Donna Jones said: "IOM is a nationally recognised way of managing offenders. IOM Houses provide a home, offering support and equipping residents with new skills and knowledge. This includes training, volunteering and employment opportunities, engaging with sporting activities, becoming a peer mentor and budget management.

"This approach demonstrates a significant impact on social outcomes including life skills development and paid employment."

SSJ’s operations director, Nicky Wilsenham, said: "We welcome the move to expand IOM accommodation into the north of the county. This unique approach sees SSJ, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary and the Probation Service work in partnership to provide a trauma-informed and strength-based pathway that gives individuals every opportunity to succeed."