A criminal can change his ways...

Hardened criminal John Nuttall, 42, has been jailed over 20 times and is considered to be one of Middleton’s most prolific offenders. But now he swears that he’ll never go back to prison.

“I’ve spent 25 years in and out of the nick for committing all sorts of crimes to get money for drugs, but since my latest release I’ve turned my back on crime for good. I’ve got my life back on track thanks to help I received from services in Rochdale.”

When Mr Nuttall was released from Risley prison in Warrington and relocated to Middleton, in a matter of weeks he was put on Rochdale borough’s most ‘problematic, prolific offenders’ list. As a result, many agencies across the borough including the police, council, probation service and drug workers were made aware of his release and sought about making sure he didn’t have the opportunity to turn to his old ways.

The Spotlight Team now operating in Rochdale borough takes a new approach to offender management by bringing together key agencies in the criminal justice system. Their aim is to better monitor prolific offenders and manage their rehabilitation more effectively.

Mr Nuttall says his transformation is a direct result of the help and support he received by all the agencies that make up Rochdale borough’s Spotlight Team and in particular Middleton’s Brentwood Day centre. “This time when I was released it was different. So many support agencies contacted me – they gave me the life line I needed and the help I had wanted for years!”

Mr Nuttall was made to report into his probation officer three times a week. He had to complete a 12 week drugs rehabilitation course and was visited by police on a weekly basis – a lot of the time unexpectedly to check he was not breaching any of his prison release conditions and that he was attending appointments.

“It was clear they were keeping tabs on me. They seemed to know where I was or where I should have been every day. There was no choice, I had to do what they said or be where they sent me else I’d be banged up again straight away – no ifs, no buts! To be honest it was a bit of a nightmare, but it worked! I had no time to commit crime,” he admitted.

“The way all the services worked together meant that they sorted out everything I needed to make a new, crime free life for myself. With a lot of help from the staff at Brentwood they helped find me a flat to rent and helped to organise my benefits, registered me with a new GP and got me off drugs.” he said.

Mr Nuttall  is now a regular volunteer at the Brentwood Day Centre, Long Street, Middleton, and says he’s gained a new respect for all the people who work tirelessly to help some of the community’s most vulnerable people.

The Brentwood Day Centre is run by a highly trained team of paid staff and volunteers who work with other organisations to offer confidential support and advice on many issues including; benefits, debt, housing, drugs and alcohol. People can access health and medical advice from a GP or nurse as well as other holistic treatments such as aromatherapy and relaxation sessions. Plus they provide free meals, breakfast and lunch, on a daily basis as well as laundry and shower facilities.

The centre works closely with the Spotlight Team to help them provide a presence in the community where previously there was a large gap.

Mr Nuttall  said; “The best thing about Brentwood is that it’s open to anyone! People from all walks of life just turn up on a daily basis for lots of different reasons and get the help and support they need to get them through a bad patch in their lives. Lots of elderly people come here for instance, the staff are never judgemental.

"It’s places like Brentwood that can make a real difference to people’s lives and I’ve experienced it first hand.

“My life’s ready for living now, it’s a shame I’m 42 years old!”