Probation Journal, Ahead of Print.
This practice note presents the results of a participatory evaluation of a coproduced project for care leavers at two young offenders institutions in the North East of England. The project has been delivered by Nepacs, a North East charity that provides family support to those affected by imprisonment and evaluated by Barefoot Research, a social research organisation. We think reporting on our experiences is worthy of sharing because both coproduction and participatory evaluation are unusual in criminal justice settings, particularly custodial ones. Our practice note shows that both approaches have yielded interesting findings relating to the development of young people’s own intrinsic capabilities, their ability to access their entitlements and their feelings of empowerment.