Good practice: Martin Schweiger & Melanie Jameson visit the Quakers in Criminal Justice annual confe

‘How can rehabilitation be delivered in these circumstances?’

We gathered at Launde Abbey to explore the elements that make for successful rehabilitation. Daily prison populations are expected to increase to between 94,000 and 114,000 by 2027. How can rehabilitation be delivered in these circumstances? We heard of some glimmers of light. The 12 Step Programme, developed by Alcoholics Anonymous, is one. It is effective for other addictions, with built in support, affirmation and positivity, all of which address the key issue of low self-esteem. Another advantage is that group members can continue the same practice in the community.

Many of us are aware of the Shannon Trust, which uses a peer mentoring approach to tackle poor literacy in prisons, now extended to those in the community. A session on securing housing for those leaving prison left us in no doubt of the effect of homelessness on reoffending. We were also introduced to the prison protocol in Northern Ireland, a model of good practice. The Prison Phoenix Trust offered a workshop on its unique approach to helping people engage with their spiritual lives through breath-based silent practice and yoga.

Good practice was to the fore in a well-thought-out presentation on rehabilitation and reintegration by Fergus McNeill of Glasgow University. His starting point was the disintegrating effect of a prison sentence, breaking up not just the life of the person convicted but also the family and community around them. Many different agencies should be used to give resettlement the best chance.

A vital component in the journey towards release and (hopefully) resettlement is the Parole Board. Our speaker from the Board led us through its remit and workload. The overarching consideration is mitigating risk but, even so, we were surprised that out of 22,082 cases in 2022/23, release was refused in 11,466. Friends with experience of parole commented that anxiety around the outcome of decisions affects family and friends as well as prisoners, as do the limitations placed on licence conditions. 

On the final day we began to consider the issues arising from welcoming former prisoners into Meetings. Moving testimony was heard from those with lived experience of this. Some Meetings have signed up to the Welcome Directory; advice and resources are available to support Meetings through Friends House, which has signed up to the Christian safeguarding organisation, Thirtyone:eight. This a complicated matter to which we shall return during the year, with the aim of producing guidance for our membership. There was much to think about as we returned home.

Visit www.qicj.org.

---

Comments

Please login to add a comment