PIONEERING work to help offenders break away from a life of crime has won Dartmoor Prison?s Resettlement Unit the title of outstanding public service team of the year.

The unit fought off stiff competition from all types of public service to take the prestigious title at a glittering ceremony in London on Tuesday evening.

It also took the Uniformed Services category making it a double victory for the prison, which was honoured for its innovative and successful approach to enabling offenders to rebuild their lives and become integrated back into society.

?We are delighted to have won both awards,? said Dave Crawford, who attended the award ceremony hosted by top broadcasters Dermot Murnhaghan and Mary Nightingale.

?This is the icing on the cake for what has been a difficult two years for Dartmoor and these awards are evidence that we are delivering a service that the public should be proud of,? he said.

Since the unit was officially opened last year, 23 offenders have gone on to open conditions or back into society with none re-offending.

Once criticised as the prison time forgot, Dartmoor Jail has been promoted from the blacklist of prisons and is entering a new era under the leadership of Claudia Sturt, who at 36 is one of the youngest prison governors in the country.

The Team Awards, collectively entitled the Common Good, aim to recognise and reward teams that have worked well together to achieve a common goal.

Members of the resettlement team work together to tailor an individual strategy to each offender and the unit?s innovative work has been commended by the chief inspector of prisons Anne Owers.

This is the fourth year the awards have been held and are run in partnership with the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, the Cabinet Office and the Office of Government Commerce.

Dartmoor beat impressive contenders such as the joint Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for International Development team which is working towards assisting in the development of a peaceful Sudan, the Bromley trading standards team which tackles doorstep crime, a health team which has made great strides to promote the independence of patients with brain injuries and a housing rents team which has transformed itself from zero rating to two star.

Prison governor Claudia Sturt said if this award had been just between prisons it would have been a big achievement but it was across the whole of the public service.

?It included the health service, police, education, local government, foreign office and when you look at some of the stories it makes you feel quite humble,? she said.

?I think our team was quite a popular winner because the work we do is something other people in the public service have not been aware of before ? it is heart warming because the prison service is not used to being popular.?

She said 3,000 prisoners had been out of the jail on temporary licences to take part in community projects and work placements and every single one had returned.

?For the first time in a long time these prisoners are taking responsibility for themselves and it gives them a purpose in life again.?