Using the Crime-Pics II evaluation tool, the project sought to gauge offenders' attitude toward crime after going through the programme. The five areas tested include: general attitudes toward offending, victim empathy, evaluation of crime as worthwhile, and perception of current life problems. 

From April 2002 to December 2004, 2,188 prisoners completed the pre- and post-programme questionnaires. Key findings from the study included:

• There were significant improvements in victim empathy for prisoners who took part in the Sycamore Tree programme.
• Overall, there is strong evidence of statistically significant changes in attitudes to offending which can be attributable to participation in the Sycamore Tree programme. 
• There was a statistically significant improvement on all five CRIME-PICS II scales.  This indicates that the Sycamore Tree programme had the desired impact on the participants and changed the attitudes that are known to be conducive to offending behaviour.  
• It is expected that increasing an offender's awareness of the impact of their crime on victims will have a beneficial effect on future behaviour and reduce the likelihood of re-offending.

For more information on the evaluation, contact Prison Fellowship England and Wales enquiries@prisonfellowship.org.uk or www.prisonfellowship.org.uk 

For more information on the Sycamore Tree Project^(R), contact Graeme Taylor gtaylor@pfi.org

August 2005