Wayne Goulding (real name) was convicted of over 50 offences in fifteen years ranging from theft and public order to possession of drugs and driving offences.
In that time the 32-year old served a number of prison sentences totalling around three years. On release from the most recent sentence Wayne became part of Surrey & Sussex Probation Trusts Priority and Prolific Offender (PPO) scheme.
While he was in Lewes prison a Thinking Skills programme was put in place to support Wayne; counselling to address childhood abuse and bereavement issues and work to detox from prescribed and illegal drugs.
Wayne successfully met the objectives and completed an NVQ in Counselling Skills. And in Lewes he maintained enhanced prisoner status and had a position as wing orderly. This helped in the decision to transfer him to Ford open prison in January 2010 to serve the remainder of his sentence.
On release from Ford he entered residential rehabilitation with Brighton Housing Trust which supported him in tackling his drug addictions. And as well as weekly probation appointments Wayne also worked with the Drug Intervention team at CRI.
He completed this programme in January 2011 and was able to move into more independent accommodation.
In June 2010 the Regional Director of Probation met Wayne during a visit to the Brighton office and was so impressed with his motivation that he personally put him forward for a mentoring project run by Lewes prison and The Princes Trust.
Wayne also expressed an interest in working with young people at risk of offending and he started voluntary work on a Life Skills programme in March this year. He has been so successful at this that he is now being considered for paid sessional work.
Wayne attends several Alcohol Anonymous (AA) meetings per week and has benefited from the positive social interaction and support network that this offers.
The structure that Wayne with the help of SSPT has put into place has been pivotal in helping him integrate back into the community, move away from his offending past and tackle his long term drug dependency.
He said: "I'd been to college, got four NVQs and was going to be a psychiatric nurse. Then I got into cocaine and alcohol because I felt rejected I was an angry young person.
"I'd been in care from the age of two til I was 18, then two years later I was in prison. I was failed by society as a child.
"I moved to Brighton from Liverpool when I was 19 and it felt very different here. But my drug addiction it was insurmountable.
"Being an addict means its repetitive, it runs your life. Many of my crimes were drink related. I never drank because I liked the taste, I drank to get horizontal, to forget.
"For a long time probation was a hindrance, seeing my probation officer every day got in the way of my criminal life. Now I work with them it's surreal. I'm still on licence but it makes me feel worthwhile.
"I'd spent 15 years trying to be a perfect criminal. The police were a pain but now I have clarity in my life I see them as a service.
"I've always been forward thinking and able to express myself but I couldn't see who I was meant to be."
