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In the West Midlands area, there are seven Home Office Approved Premises with 136 bed spaces.
These hostels offer structured short-term accommodation for offenders who are subject to Community Orders with a condition of residence, prison licences, home detention curfews, Drug Rehabilitation Requirements (DRRs) or court imposed bail.
There are two specialist hostels in the region, one for women and one for mentally ill offenders. Both of these take residents from across England and Wales.
Residence in an approved hostel is demanding. The placement offers the opportunity to assess the residents' motivation to change, as well as assessing the risk of them reoffending or causing harm.
All hostels have a common set of rules regarding residents' behaviour. These include a standard curfew between 11pm and 6am. Residents must keep to these rules otherwise they can be returned to court or prison.
The hostels provide an enhanced level of supervision, a minimum of two staff being on duty at all times. Residents are expected to participate fully in the hostel programme and may be subject to additional curfews or restrictions on their behaviour.
Whilst resident, offenders are offered assistance in resolving some of the underlying problems in their life. They are also supported in their attendance at accredited offending behaviour programmes. This is with a view to preventing further offending, protecting the public and enabling safe resettlement into the community.
Relations with the local community are important and due consideration is given to minimising the impact of these offenders on the neighbourhood.
This is facilitated through close relations with the police and strong enforcement of orders. Information is exchanged with a range of agencies to help prevent reoffending and facilitate an effective response to any anti-social behaviour.
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