East of England

RECONNECT (East of England)

Support for those leaving prison or Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs) to reintegrate with community health services.

Hybrid service delivered in prisons and in the community across the East of England

Who we help

Our East of England RECONNECT service is available for adults over the age of 18 with a designated healthcare need and who are due to be released from prison or an IRC (Immigration Removal Centre) in the next 12 weeks. We also accept referrals up to 28 days post release. As of 1st April 2025, we now offer this service for those who will be residing in the below areas on release:

Bedfordshire.
Cambridgeshire.
Essex.
Hertfordshire.
Milton Keynes.
Norfolk.
Suffolk.

Make a referral – email our service areas

How we help

RECONNECT is a care after custody service that seeks to improve the continuity of care of people leaving prison or an immigration removal centre (IRC) with an identified health need. We operate a hybrid model of support where we work with individuals up to 12-weeks before their release and up to six months post-release in order to support the transition to community-based services, thereby safeguarding health gains made whilst in prison or an IRC.

RECONNECT aims to improve the wellbeing of people leaving prison, reduce inequalities and address health-related drivers of offending behaviours. RECONNECT offers liaison, advocacy, signposting, and support to facilitate engagement with community-based health and support services. Our services are designed to be client focused and work in a holistic manner to ensure appropriate support is offered to enable our clients to reach their goals.

Further details about RECONNECT

Expand the drop-box menus for more information:

What will RECONNECT do?

Offer release planning up to 12 weeks prior to release.
Support for 6-months post release (or until all needs are met, whichever comes soonest)
Find out more information about RECONNECT on the NHS website.

What does support look like?

Support with registering with a GP
Referrals to Mental Health or Counselling Services
Substance Misuse Support / Relapse Prevention
Dental and/or Optician Appointments
Supporting with attending appointments
Advocacy and Signposting
Access to Peer Mentors

Which prison locations qualify for hybrid support (community and prison)?

Our Teams offer a regular presence at the below prisons in order to sufficiently support those suitable for RECONNECT by offering face-to-face assessments, attending pre-release clinics/meetings & offering dedicated release planning support & workbooks to our service users.

Prisons eligible for RECONNECT support:

Essex – HMP Chelmsford
Suffolk – HMP Highpoint, HMP Hollesley Bay & HMP Warren Hill.
Norfolk – HMP Norwich, HMP Bure & HMP Wayland.

Referrals are also accepted for individuals being released from prison that are returning to either Essex, Suffolk or Norfolk. This may support referrals from prisons not immediately based in the above areas. Use our referral emails to query eligibility.

Eligibility criteria

Potential clients must be: In prison (due to be released within three months) OR recently released from prison within the last 28 days and based in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Milton Keynes, Norfolk, or Suffolk.

Clients should also be at high risk of not engaging with community providers on release but willing to engage with a Reconnect worker in the community.

We only accept referrals for those over the age of 18.

We are unable to work with: Individuals who are referred more than 28 days after their release and those who are able to access other support such as residential rehab. For more information on RECONNECT Nationally, please visit:

How to refer

RECONNECT operates an open door referral system where referrals are accepted from all means providing there is consent from the client. We accept referrals from Probation Services, Friends/Family, Self, Drug & Alcohol Services etc. Please use our contact details below to request a copy of our referral forms or for additional information

Contact us with your referral queries:

Essex Reconnect: Reconnectessex@forwardtrust.org.uk

Suffolk Reconnect: Reconnectsuffolk@forwardtrust.org.uk

Norfolk Reconnect: Reconnectnorfolk@forwardtrust.org.uk

For all other enquiries, please get in touch by calling 0300 303 2035 or sending a message to EoE.Reconnect.SPOC@forwardtrust.org.uk.