The primary exploratory analysis

will be a cost-effectiveness analysis, especially a cost-utility analysis, using QALYs as the outcome measure and costs incurred in the provision GS-1101 price of the intervention, as well as healthcare resource and social services utilisation as reported by clients. QALYs will be obtained using the CORE-OM data and the mapping algorithm.55 The secondary analysis will estimate an exploratory expected incremental cost per re-offending event avoided due to attending a care farm. Drawing on a review of the evidence, we will also explore the suitability of a cost-benefit analysis of care farms to society incorporating reoffending and crime rates and employability of offenders after attending a care farm. Qualitative sampling and methods There are three main areas to the study which necessitate a qualitative approach. First,

to understand the factors driving decisions to allocate offenders to care farms or other community order locations, qualitative interviews with approximately three probation staff responsible for making these decisions in each of the three Probation Services will be conducted (objective 3). The team will also explore the possibilities of analysing routine Probation Services data to better understand any systematic differences in the characteristics of those allocated to the care farms as opposed to other community order locations. The second area to be explored using qualitative methods is the experience of recruitment and conducting the questionnaire. This will meet objective 4; approximately 12 offenders will be sampled from

care farm and comparator locations. Half of these will be interviewed immediately following their recruitment and completion of the questionnaire and the remainder will be interviewed immediately after their follow-up questionnaire at the end of their community order. These interviews will explore their understanding of the study, the meaning of informed consent, their perceptions of the research team (whether separate from probation), understanding of the quality of life and relatedness to nature questionnaires, satisfaction with and experiences of the follow-up process, suggestions for improvement. Third, in response to objective 6, qualitative in-depth interviews will be used with a purposive sample of offenders attending care Cilengitide farms. A topic guide will be developed based in theories of desistence and green care and will aim to capture their experiences of activities on the farm, impact of weather conditions, any changes their health and well-being and the changes they have experienced during their community order that may have influenced these changes. We will test the feasibility of purposively sampling participants based on change or no change in their quality of life scores.