A police boss is recruiting staff for a pioneering project to divert “low level” offenders in Gwynedd away from a life of crime and keep them on the straight and narrow.

North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones will be launching the Checkpoint Cymru programme in the autumn in a bid to cut crime and reduce reoffending rates.

According to Mr Jones, a former police inspector, it will also free up more police and court time.

The concept was developed by Cambridge University and it’s already up and running in Durham, where it’s proved highly effective.

Although the figures in Durham still need to be formally evaluated, they show a big reduction in reoffending rates, from 30 per cent down to 18 per cent, with only five per cent of those taking part failing to complete the programme.

The success of the programme in breaking the negative cycle of crime and punishment has already earned it a national award from the Howard League for Penal Reform.

Offenders are offered the chance to avoid prosecution by signing a four-month contract and committing to seeking  help from rehabilitation services.

They will be supervised by a skilled “navigator” – which may include people who have overcome addictions to drugs and alcohol – and will face prosecution if they break the contract at any time.

At the same time, Mr Jones will also be introducing another initiative based on a different pilot project, the Bristol Drugs Programme, which has been equally successful.

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