GamCare to Fight Gambling Harm in UK Criminal Justice System

Interventions Alliance, an organization focused on offering support, advice, and guidance to people in the criminal justice system, announced its newest partnership with gambling-focused UK charity GamCare. The two groups will help reduce gambling-related harm among UK’s prison populations.

The New Initiative Will Provide CBT Courses for Prisoners

A recent post on the Interventions Alliance and GamCare websites explained the details of the new partnership. The two organizations will provide Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) courses for people in the Criminal Justice System. Participants will be able to participate in eight structured sessions focusing on the impacts of harmful gambling and its links to crime. The program will also support change and positive development.

The cause for the initiative is a 2017 study that discovered that prison populations were significantly more susceptible to gambling harm. This issue is compounded by a lack of treatment and support available to people in the Criminal Justice System and can lead to extreme difficulties in their future rehabilitation.

The program will build on GamCare’s years of experience concerning gambling and will utilize Interventions Alliance’s experience in Criminal Justice support and their shared network of partners. The two organizations will complement their expertise to provide better support and collect further insights.

Interventions Alliance Is an Expert in the Field

Chief social worker and executive director at Interventions Alliance Suki Binning announced her excitement to work with GamCare and help fight gambling addiction in the Criminal Justice System. She noted that individuals suffering from such issues are more likely to commit crimes, and their combined intervention would hopefully be part of the solution.

“This program will offer the structured support that those with a gambling addiction desperately need.”

Suki Binning, Interventions Alliance chief social worker, and executive director

Binning added that the initiative also aimed to improve participants’ mental health and reduce their chance of re-offending. She stated that the Interventions Alliance specialists would help attendees recognize the risks of gambling to themselves and the people around them.

Interventions Alliance is part of the Seetec Group, one of the largest employee-owned public service providers in Ireland and the UK. The organization provides a range of rehabilitation programs for individuals in the Criminal Justice System and assists them with services like education, training, and employment support.

The Partnership Will Aid GamCare’s Fight against Gambling Harm

GamCare CEO Anna Hemmings also added she was looking forward to the joint initiative with Interventions Alliance. According to her, the campaign presented a unique chance to build on the charity’s existing work and utilize the two organizations’ combined expertise.

“We hope this new program will help tackle the stigma and ultimately reduce gambling-related harm in the Criminal Justice System and, by extension, the community.”

Anna Hemmings, GamCare CEO

This most recent cooperation with Interventions Alliance is the newest of GamCare’s many initiatives aimed at reducing the impact of gambling harm. The charity recently invested £2.5 million into an England and Wales-focused prevention and education program on gambling harm. The organization also operates the UK’s National Gambling Helpline.