When a bespoke centre to support sex offenders newly released from prison opened its doors last year, it predictably sparked anger and resentment from victims’ groups.
“Victims and survivors would say there isn’t enough funding to support their needs and they weren’t to blame for what happened to them, so why is time and effort going into helping those who committed these crimes,” says Belinda Winder, professor in forensic psychology and director of the Centre for Crime, Offending, Prevention and Engagement (Cope) at Nottingham Trent University.
As someone who conducts research among male prisoners serving time for sex offences against children and adults, Winder agrees: “Survivors do not get enough support.” But, she adds: “We also need to prevent reoffending to stop further harm.”
About 16% of the UK’s prison population have a conviction for a sexual offence - an estimated 12,300 people. And according to her research, one in nine of those convicted will commit another sex-related crime after release.
Engaging with paedophiles is, to most, unpalatable work. But a professional curiosity and desire to understand behaviour that is, to the outside world, inexplicable, drew Winder to focus her research in this area and led her to be instrumental in the creation of the Nottingham Corbett Centre for Prisoner Reintegration.
“Those who commit burglaries and theft usually have a clear trajectory, including factors like poverty and exclusion from school,” she says. “The trodden path for those who commit sex offences is a lot less clear. They are from all walks of life.”
The portrayal in the tabloid press of sex offenders as “monsters lurking in the shadows” is unhelpful, she says. “The stereotype means people wrongly assume it’s easy to spot a potential offender. But they could be a very nice, otherwise ‘normal’ person who has a preoccupation with sex, a hidden addiction to pornography, or other urges they cannot control.”
The inevitable demonisation of sex offenders also makes it harder for them to reintegrate into society and therefore they are more vulnerable to risky behaviours.
“I understand why there is so much fear, anger and hatred towards them,” says Winder. “It is not about excusing or forgiving the behaviour. These people tend to hate themselves as much as the general public [does]. But by throwing bricks at their windows we drive them into a dark pit of isolation and fear where they are more likely to reoffend.”
Winder co-founded The Safer Living Foundation in 2014 to support sex offenders released from prison. Since its inception, it has supported 160 former prisoners through a range of rehabilitative projects and only one has gone on to commit another sex offence.
Building on its success, the foundation – a joint-venture set up by academics at Nottingham Trent University and senior members of HMP Whatton (where Winder conducts her research among the 841 male prisoners) – opened the prisoner reintegration centre in February 2019. The first of its kind in the UK, it is currently supporting 24 former prisoners through help with finding employment, life lessons such as cooking and gardening, and emotional support through mindfulness and meditation. The results so far have been positive, says Winder, with the men enjoying an increased sense of community. None have gone on to reoffend.
But it’s not just former inmates who need support. With 80% of all sex offences committed by someone with no previous conviction, preventive work is vital, Winder insists. For this reason, the foundation also runs the Aurora project. It is another first – being the only service in the UK offering free advice to those who claim to be attracted to children and worried they may commit an offence. But funding is a challenge; it is not a popular cause.
“Aurora is supporting around 20 people who are concerned they might commit an offence. However, 90 others are on the waiting list but we don’t have the resources to support them,” says Winder.
The Safer Living Foundation has worked hard to keep services running during the Covid pandemic amid concerns that more time spent at home online, especially for those furloughed, means potential offenders are more likely to download illegal images.
Winder received a increase in calls from those seeking assistance following the recent BBC Three documentary Can Sex Offenders Change?
“I spent time listening to those who had committed offences and referred them to our services,” she says, adding that she was relieved not to get any threats this time after her organisation was featured in the programme.
“Sometimes things get personal and I receive nasty emails but the police are good at following up on abuse,” she explains.
Winder understands why people find her research work difficult but argues more awareness is needed around the evidence-based outcomes of rehabilitation.
“The media plays an important role in raising awareness but it can also create fear and panic in people encouraging an ill-informed punitive stance that is politicised, regardless of the realms of evidence around safeguarding the public,” she says.
Earlier this year, the government announced that the most serious sex offenders would spend longer behind bars to better protect the public by serving a minimum of two-thirds of their sentence instead of the automatic halfway release.
Winder believes this latest policy to keep sex offenders in prison for even longer could, counter-intuitively, be less safe.
“When someone has served a long sentence for a violent or sexual crime the ‘risk’ tends to stem from any failure or inability for them to reintegrate with society,” she explains.
Release does not mean the punishment is served, she claims. Once out, most individuals will spend the rest of their lives on licence and will be closely monitored. There are an estimated 60,000 people on the sex offenders’ register.
“I wouldn’t want to define someone by the worst thing they have done. It’s about understanding that part of someone’s character we never want to see again and making sure they put the right foot forward,” she says.
But she is firm that there is no excusing their crimes. “We are all responsible for our own behaviour. If someone was abused during childhood that is sad and tragic but it is no excuse for transferring that pain to someone else. If anything, it is worse because you understand the damage.”
Some wrongly assume that because she can talk to people about their sex offences, she is oblivious to the harm they have caused.
“This is far from the case – it is exactly because of the immense damage I see that I want to invest in work that prevents further victims,” says Winder.
“Sexual abuse is widespread, it is endemic in society and it causes a tsunami of harm – this is why I want to help prevent it in the most effective ways I can. It is beyond satisfying to think how we might have contributed to preventing further pain.”
Curriculum vitae
Age: 53.
Lives: Derbyshire.
Family: Partner and a pet dog (Brussels Griffon).
Education: Colchester County High School for Girls; University of Nottingham (BA Psychology); University of Manchester (Msc Research & Advanced Statistics); Imperial College London (Phd); University of Sheffield (MEd in Teaching & Learning); British Psychological Society (Forensic Psychology: Stage 1).
Career: 2019–present: research director, COPE, Nottingham University (NTU); 2015-present: professor of forensic psychology, NTU; 2010-15: reader in forensic psychology, NTU; 2007-19: founder and head of the Sexual Offences, Crime and Misconduct Research Unit, NTU; 2004-10: senior lecturer, NTU; 2001-04: lecturer in mechanical engineering & head of Industrial Psychology Research Group (University of Sheffield); 1990-2001: various research positions (including at Imperial College London and University College London).
Public Life: 2014-present: co-founder, the Safer Living Foundation; 1992-2014 co-founder and trustee, Trees for Cities.
Interests: Meditation, reading, rock music, travel to sacred places and sites.