From The Times and the Sunday Times, this is The Story. I'm Luke Jones.

You probably don't need reminding how much of a mess our prisons are at the moment.

When they're not being accidentally released, our prisons are full of inmates.

They're short of staff. they're in a physical state of

disrepair. And so much so, the Commons Justice Committee says all of this is having a, quote,

profound impact on the ability of prisons to deliver rehabilitation. In England and Wales,

a third of prisoners go on to re-offend once they're released.

How then do we get that number down?

I knew when I came out of prison where I wanted to go,

I didn't know how I was going to get there.

One charity, working closely with prisoners before and after release,

is achieving it.

Their offending rate is down to under a 10th.

I mean, if Switchback wasn't here, I don't know if I would be here now. After I came out,

I engaged with them. They helped me get a job. I didn't like that job and they help me get into fitness. I've got a very successful fitness career. Switchback is one of the charities supported

by this year's Times and Sunday Times

Christmas Appeal. And they help ex-offenders with a number of hurdles they've got to clear once

released back into the world. Housing, work, finances. When you leave prison, you're given a discharge

grant of £89.52. And you're told to make life work. You're not given a phone, you're not given

data, you haven't been able to apply for benefits yet because you can't submit an application

until the day you leave prison and there's a six-week processing period. Today we'll hear

how the charity has helped one ex-prisoner in particular.

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