BARRED CITIZENS – VOLUNTEERING AND ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP CONFERENCE

May 1st HMP Leyhill, Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire

A conference being held today at HMP Leyhill in Gloucester will highlight how prisoners who are given opportunities to carry out voluntary work and take on responsibilities within jails are less likely to commit further crimes once released from prison. At present nearly 60 per cent of male prisoners and three quarters of young offenders are reconvicted within two years of release.

This conference, organised by the Prison Reform Trust, the Prisons Community Links Charity, CLINKS, and the Prison Service, will examine how volunteering can help prisoners  improve their self esteem, develop new skills, and increase job prospects. Through community service prisoners also have the opportunity to give something back to the community as well as gaining self respect and a sense of citizenship.

The conference will also provide a special insight into the opportunities available for prisoners within jails to help fellow prisoners. By supporting each other prisoners can assist vulnerable and suicidal prisoners, provide employment and housing advice and help others overcome drug and alcohol problems. The conference will hear from prisoners who are involved in representative bodies at HMP Leyhill that allow them to raise concerns and have an input into the regime.

Research has shown that giving prisoners opportunities to help each other and the community can significantly improve their skills and job prospects and so help them to successfully resettle back into society as law abiding citizens instead of leaving prison to commit yet more crimes.

Speaking today Juliet Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust, said:

‘Given half a chance many prisoners are prepared to volunteer to help others. The work done by Listeners, prisoners trained by the Samaritans to support those at risk of suicide, is a powerful example of this.  Sadly it is far too easy in an overcrowded jail to lose sight of the positive contribution prisoners can make and instead to release them ill prepared to take responsibility in the community.’

Clive Martin, director of CLINKS added:

‘The best way of preparing prisoners for release is to encourage prisoners themselves to take responsibility for their lives beyond the cell door. Volunteering in its various forms makes an important contribution to achieving this.’

The conference aims to:

• increase awareness of the potential for prisoners to become volunteers and active citizens
• call for an expansion of volunteering and community service opportunities within the criminal justice system
• ighlight good examples of volunteering and involvement of prisoners in prison regimes.

Speakers at the conference include:

Prof. Steve Webb, MP for Northavon
Richard Booty, Governor, HMP Leyhill
Members of HMP Leyhill Prisoner Council
Rod Morgan, Chief Inspector of Probation

Notes:

1. On April 25th 2003  the prison population in England and Wales stood at 72,890.

2. The UK has the highest imprisonment rate in the European Union at 139 per 100,000.

3. The number of prisoners in England and Wales has increased by over 25,000 in the last ten years.  In 1993, the average prison population was 44,566.  When Labour came to Government in May 1997 the prison population was 60,131.  This continued to increase, and stood at 66,105 when David Blunkett became Home Secretary on 8 June 2001.

4. The number of women in prison has more than trebled in ten years. In 1993 the average female prison population was 1,560.  Five years ago in 1997 it stood at 2,680.  On 25 April there were 4,454 women in prison.

5. This year prison overcrowding has been at its highest recorded level. In April 2003 90 out of the 138 in England and Wales were officially overcrowded.

6. In 2002 there were 94 suicides in prisons in England and Wales. This is a rise of 29 per cent on the previous year’s total of 73. The dramatic rise in suicides is linked to overcrowding.

7. Recent Home Office projections predict a prison population of anything between 91,400 and 109,600 by 2009. This means the prison system will be under even more pressure, jeopardising the functioning of the entire criminal justice system.

8. One third of prisoners have no permanent accommodation before prison and another third lose their homes when they go to prison. This is despite the fact that stable accommodation can reduce reoffending by over 20 per cent.

9. Over two in three prisoners are unemployed at the time of release – around 13 times the national unemployment rate.  Around two in three of those who do have a job lose it when they enter prison.

10. Prisoners face great difficulties finding employment after release.  Low educational attainment, health problems and a lack of stable housing can make it problematic for prisoners to find a job.