About Us

The Safer Living Foundation (SLF) is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation that has been set up as a collaboration between Whatton prison, Nottingham Trent University, the National Probation Trust (East Midlands), and Nottinghamshire Police. The organisation was initiated by the Governor of HMP Whatton, who felt that there was a gap in the ‘through the gate’ care for prisoners, and particularly for the most excluded group of ex-prisoners, those who have been convicted of a sexual offence. HMP Whatton is a Category C prison and is the largest sex offender treatment prison in Europe, housing 840 adult males convicted of a sexual offence. Many of these individuals are high risk, but lack social support both inside prison and when they leave. However, unsurprisingly, convicted sex offenders face numerous challenges in creating healthy relationships on release and adverse media coverage often forces many into new communities or hiding. Individuals who can find release particularly difficult are elderly and Intellectually Disabled (ID) prisoners. The population at HMP Whatton has an age range of 21 to 75 (mean age of 42), with approximately 40% over the age of 55 and 25% with an intellectual disability.