Lancashire ex-offender in line for top award (From Blackburn Citizen)

Lancashire ex-offender in line for top award

9:00pm Sunday 18th October 2009

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AN EX-OFFENDER and drug user who turned his back on a life of crime and became a police volunteer has reached the finals of the National Justice Awards.

Jason Nice, spent a great deal of his early adult life in and out of prison before making a decision to change.

Now, he visits schools across Hyndburn running workshops with pupils and talking about the candid details of his criminal past and how he transformed himself into a good citizen.

Mr Nice, a volunteer with the Lancashire Constabulary and Lancashire Youth Offending Team (LYOT) delivering a programme called 'Know Fear'.

He beat off competition from 900 other hopefuls and has been selected as a finalist in this year's prestigious Justice Awards, being held in London next week.

He said: "I am absolutely thrilled to have been nominated for the award, there are almost no words to describe it!

"For someone from my background to be recognised in this way is amazing and I really appreciate the support from people who have got behind me and nominated me for the award."

The awards ceremony which is being held tomorrow (October 20) will be attended by senior government ministers including the Home Secretary, Alan Johnson, Blackburn MP and Justice Secretary, Jack Straw and Attorney General, Baroness Scotland.

A spokesman for the Lancashire Constabulary, said: “He is very open and honest with the young people about his early life and how that led him into crime.

“He highlights the very real consequences of getting into crime and substance misuse and he speaks to the pupils on their level and because of this, they can relate to him in a way which they don't with 'professionals'.

“This breaks down the barriers and makes them stop and think about their own actions and where they might lead.”

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