How ex-shoplifter helps businesses to reduce crime after rehabilitation with support of police scheme

“My mum was living in constant fear of getting a phone call saying that I was dead. It got to a point where she told me that she had planned my funeral and what songs she was going to play.”

These are the words of a former heroin user and shoplifter who is in recovery from addiction and has overcome offending with the support of Nottinghamshire Police’s Offender to Rehabilitation programme.

James’ first exposure to drugs came at around six-years-old when someone blew the smoke from a cannabis spliff in his face whilst he was asleep.

He tried his first ecstasy tablet at 11 and by 13 he was using crack cocaine. He later became addicted to heroin.

“As early as I can remember, crime was something that was normal,” James said. “I remember going out with my dad aged four or five when he used to say he was cleaning windows, but in reality, he was burgling houses.”

That behaviour would influence James’ actions as a child. He became involved with a group of older children who manipulated and intimidated him to climb through the windows of houses so they could commit burglaries.

“It was like living in constant fear. Every kid needs a safe, loving environment to grow up and thrive. I didn’t have that,” he said.

James’ drug use spiralled quickly. “People don’t employ heroin addicts,” he said. “I couldn’t maintain a job; all I could do was commit crime. The crimes I would commit would vary – it was all linked to drug use; it was all to fund a habit. It could vary from shoplifting to stealing cars, burgling houses, or selling drugs.”

With the help of the force’s support programme, James is now approaching his second anniversary of staying clean.

The Offender to Rehabilitation scheme aims to reduce crime and rehabilitate prolific offenders who are entrenched in substance misuse and are causing harm to communities through chaotic lifestyle choices.

He said: “My expectations of what rehab was weren’t the reality – I thought I was going somewhere with famous people.

“Rehab is harder than prison to me. Because in prison you don’t have to change your behaviours, whereas in rehab you have to get up at a certain time and stick to a set of rules with consequences. It wasn’t what I was expecting.”

James relapsed after his first stint in recovery and did not engage again for three years, but, he added: “The police officer that helped me didn’t give up on me, they kept offering me help.

“I was out shoplifting one day and a police officer approached me and convinced me that I was worth going into rehab.”

That conversation was enough for James to give rehabilitation a second try, and he used the skills he had learnt previously to help him engage and complete the programme.

Offender to Rehabilitation offers wraparound support to individuals responsible for a disproportionate level of anti-social behaviour and acquisitive crime, such as shoplifting and burglaries, within businesses and communities.

The multi-agency project, which includes the probation service, prison services and clinical specialists, funds an initial 12-week placement at a rehabilitation centre.

It also provides therapy and support services to address a range of severe disadvantages such as trauma, housing, healthcare, and education.

Research indicates that repeat, short custodial sentences prevent rehabilitation and childhood trauma present in this group of offenders exacerbates their addiction issues and ability to engage with services.

This is why the Offender to Rehabilitation approach was developed to reduce violent crime and make communities and businesses safer in Nottinghamshire.

“I’ve now got a life – I can go out and eat when I want to, buy clothes when I want to,” James said. “I absolutely love shopping. Everything I’ve bought in recovery I still have the receipts. That might not mean much to someone, but it means a lot to me because everything I used to own was stolen.”

James explained that an important aspect of the scheme is that those in recovery don’t feel like they are someone else’s burden.

He said simple, everyday tasks that most people would take for granted, such as washing clothes or visiting a new and unknown location, can be overwhelming for those in recovery.

“I used to buy new stuff because I didn’t know how to use a washing machine,” James said.

Officers and staff engage with offenders when they are in prison, after they are released, and in the community to equip them with the skills needed to transition to life outside of offending that they may not otherwise have been taught.

James now works alongside Nottinghamshire Police to visit businesses and retailers across the city and county.

He uses his expertise as a former shoplifter to advise retailers on the best layout of their stores, where products should be placed on the shelves, and security features to deter people before an offence is committed.

After starting his recovery in the West Midlands, James continued his journey in Nottinghamshire alongside other offenders who have also successfully completed the scheme and give back to businesses in both counties to remove them from negative influences.

James also speaks with business leaders, retail staff, and security teams to inform them how their actions can deter shoplifters and what behaviour to be aware of to avoid being harmed.

“I do this to rehabilitate myself. Let them see the human side of me as a former offender and try to make amends. I stole from these businesses for most of my life.”

He also helps other vulnerable offenders who are considering rehabilitation by sharing his first-hand experiences to encourage them to seek support services.

James added: “I want to try and change the stigma of the people who are locked in addiction and cycle of offending and prison.

“I was told the best chance I have of staying clean is by helping people, so I’ve just thrown myself into helping businesses and people who suffer with addiction.

“I’m extremely proud of what I’ve achieved. I do find it really rewarding and it gives me purpose as well.”