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Violence involving young adults is often framed through the lens of risk, control and compliance. In practice, this can lead to interventions that focus narrowly on behaviour, detached from the realities that shape it. Our experience – increasingly supported by independent evidence – suggests something different: sustainable violence reduction happens when we work with young adults, not simply around them.
An independent evaluation of the Young Adult Mentoring (YAM) / Violence Reduction Programme delivered by Ingeus at HMP Ranby provides a timely opportunity to reflect on what genuinely makes a difference. For Ingeus, the findings echo what our practitioners see every day across custodial and community settings: trust, credibility and age‑appropriate support are not peripheral to violence reduction – they are fundamental.
Young adults aged 18–25 are not simply ‘older teenagers’ or ‘younger adults’. Neurological development is still ongoing, emotional regulation is still forming, and many are carrying significant trauma, neurodiversity and unmet mental health needs. Add the destabilising effects of custody – separation from family, disrupted routines, uncertainty about release – and the conditions for impulsive or violent behaviour are easy to see.
The evaluation reinforces the value of a Young Adult First approach – one that recognises development, context and potential, rather than assuming fixed patterns of behaviour. Where interventions are designed around this reality, the impact is clear: engagement is stronger, relationships are more constructive, and young adults are better able to manage conflict and pressure.
From our perspective, this is not about lowering expectations. It is about creating the conditions in which responsibility, accountability and change can realistically take hold.
A consistent message from participants was that how the programme was delivered mattered as much as what it offered. Many described disengaging from more traditional prison interventions they experienced as prescriptive, impersonal or disconnected from their lives. Many participants noted challenges engaging with more traditional prison interventions, feeling that these approaches could often be prescriptive, impersonal, or less closely aligned with their lives.
By contrast, the Violence Reduction Programme was seen as credible, human and relevant. Central to this was the role of practitioners with lived experience of the criminal justice system. Service users did not describe these staff as authority figures delivering a curriculum, but as people who understood the journey, spoke honestly about consequences, and modelled the possibility of change.
From a professional standpoint, this matters. Trust created the space for emotional honesty, reflection and challenge – all essential ingredients for behaviour change. Where trust was established, service users reported improved emotional regulation, fewer impulsive reactions and better relationships with staff and peers.
The evaluation highlights consistent positive outcomes across the cohort. Service users reported improvements in managing strong emotions, de-escalating conflict and navigating relationships more effectively. Importantly, progress was not uniform – nor should it be.
Some service users measured success by avoiding incidents altogether; others by learning to pause, step away or respond differently under pressure. A strength based, personalised model allowed these changes to be recognised and reinforced, rather than judged against a single benchmark.
This reflects established desistance theory, which understands change as a process rather than a single event. By supporting identity shift, self-belief and recognition from others, interventions can move beyond short-term compliance towards more sustained reductions in harm.
Custodial interventions are most effective when they connect to what comes next. The evaluation points to the importance of continuity: support on release, access to advice, mentoring and opportunities that reinforce positive change rather than undermine it.
Violence reduction cannot be separated from stability. Supporting young adults to manage pressure, setbacks and relationships in the community is central to preventing future harm. Through‑the‑gate support is therefore not an added extra, but a core component of effective prevention.
The findings from HMP Ranby point to a small number of consistent principles underpinning effective work with young adults:
For Ingeus, these are not abstract concepts. They reflect professional practice shaped by decades of working alongside people in the criminal justice system and increasingly supported by independent evaluation. Where delivery models are built around trust, lived experience and an understanding of development, they are better positioned to achieve sustainable reductions in violence.
For Ingeus, the findings of the evaluation sit within a broader history of working alongside young people to build confidence, capability and positive futures. For many years, our services for young people have been grounded in a belief that early, holistic support is key to unlocking potential — particularly for those facing structural disadvantage. Our focus has consistently been on helping young people develop practical skills, gain qualifications, improve employability and strengthen their social and emotional capabilities.
In 2025, Ingeus supported more than 18,100 young people to build skills and confidence and move towards employment. This sits alongside a decade‑long delivery of the National Citizen Service, where over 176,000 young people took part in experiences designed to foster independence, teamwork and civic contribution.
More recent initiatives, include Ingeus Youth Voice and the acquisition of Change 100. Youth Voice gives young people aged 16–25 a platform to use their voice and to empower them to be better prepared for life and work, actively shaping how services are designed and delivered with youth in mind. While Change 100 creates meaningful routes into professional employment for disabled students and graduates through paid internships, mentoring and employer partnerships.
It is encouraging to see justice‑based interventions increasingly adopt a Young Adult First model. The evolution highlighted by the HMP Ranby evaluation aligns closely with principles that have long underpinned effective youth services: belief in potential, meaningful relationships and support that recognises developmental stages. This alignment strengthens the case for more joined‑up, youth‑informed approaches across the justice system.
These elements are not emerging ideas, but essential building blocks for effective, ethical and sustainable violence reduction. If we want improved circumstances for individuals and stronger communities, we must invest in youth‑centric approaches that see young people not as risks to be managed, but as people with potential to be realised — given the right support, at the right time, in the right way.
This article reflects learning from an independent evaluation of the Young Adult Mentoring / Violence Reduction Programme delivered by Ingeus at HMP Ranby, funded by the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Violence Reduction Partnership.
James Foreman is Ingeus’ Regional Manager for Justice Services in the East Midlands, with over 25 years’ experience working across the criminal justice system. He is deeply passionate about creating meaningful opportunities for young adults, particularly those with care experience, and ensuring services respond to their strengths as well as their needs.
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