The Twinning project: examining the power of sport in prisoner rehabilitation

This guide has been developed in order to facilitate shared understanding between partners who are working together to develop creative ways to harness the power of sport to change the lives of those in the criminal justice system.

Through the delivery of sports coaching, refereeing and employability-based qualifications to prisoners, the Twinning Project (launched in October 2018) represents the first national project attempting to utilise the power of football as a catalyst for change. The project has been supported by 45 football clubs and prisons in England and Wales.

The Twinning project has three main goals:

1. To engage with rehabilitation services on offer in custody

2. To offer routes to employment on release

3. To reduce reoffending