Disrupting the school-to-prison pipeline for young males aged 12–25 at risk of exclusion or already caught in the youth justice system.
The Problem This Programme Solves
Most school-based interventions address behaviour. They set targets, manage consequences, and manage exits. What they rarely do is ask the young person who they actually are — and help them build an answer that doesn't depend on the peer group, the gang, or the label the system has given them.
That absence of identity is what makes a young person recruitable. It is what makes the street, the peer group, and ultimately the justice system fill the vacuum. The Identity Pathway addresses that vacuum directly.
How It Works
Three elements combine to create an encounter that changes the trajectory.
The programme is delivered in schools, pupil referral units, alternative provisions, youth institutions, and secure units — wherever young men and boys are at the point of risk. TIM meets young people where they are. Note: An initial pilot element of this programme was delivered inside HMP & YOI Brinsford, where young people were brought into the prison. This element is not currently being offered.
Sessions are co-facilitated by young adults with lived experience of the criminal justice system — people who have been through the system and come out the other side. They are trained co-facilitators who share the truth about what brought them there, what it cost, and what they would do differently. That credibility cannot be replicated by a professional facilitator.
Three workshop pillars — Identity, Purpose, and Wisdom — form the content of every session. Young men are helped to examine who they are, discover a sense of direction, and build the practical wisdom to navigate the choices in front of them. All grounded in the I.N.V.E.S.T. framework.
Who It's For
| Young men & boys | Aged 12–25 at risk of exclusion or already excluded from mainstream education |
| Youth justice | Young people engaged with youth offending teams or at risk of entering the justice system |
| Delivery settings | Schools, pupil referral units, alternative provisions, youth institutions, and secure units |
| Schools & PRUs | Commissioners seeking evidence-based early intervention that addresses root causes |
| Local authorities | Seeking commissioned programmes that demonstrably reduce exclusions and reoffending |
| Geography | Currently West Midlands based, expanding nationally — enquire for availability |
Evidence & Impact
Pilot delivered June–July 2024 at HMP & YOI Brinsford. Funded by the West Midlands Police & Crime Commissioner. Independently evaluated by Virtual Elevation. Programme now delivered across schools, PRUs, alternative provisions, and youth institutions.
Bring the Identity Pathway to your school, PRU, or youth organisation.
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