ACOOP (Age Concern Older Offenders Project) offers social care, advice and support to older prisoners. Although based in south-west England, they are nationally recognised as a model of excellence and were recently given a commendation in the Una Padel Awards. From small beginnings, with one employee, in December 2007, they have grown to a team of dedicated workers and volunteers. They currently run activity, groups and forums for people over 50 and set up the first pensioners forum for prisoners at HMP Leyhill.
They have enabled older prisoners to have a voice in their local establishments and also nationally, as they have facilitated two prisoner council responses to government consultations. The first of these was on the dementia strategy and the second on the government proposals to fund social care.
Here Ken Humphries talks about their innovative new resettlement work.
About three years ago I retired having been in business for 40 years of my working life. Unfortunately this retirement was forced upon me as I became detained at Her Majesty's pleasure. Whilst I am not proud of what I did to have found myself in this situation the experience made a terrific change to my attitude to life after the blinkered experiences of business life.
Whilst 'inside' I became involved with work on behalf of the prison chaplain and met visiting members from Age Concern and Help the Aged. This in turn led to me becoming the chairman of the first Prison 50+ Forum. These times opened my eyes to the plight and problems of others and in particular to those in my age group and made my own problems pale into insignificance.
On my release last year I remained in contact with Liz Davis from Age Concern (ACOOP) and on her suggestion made some notes with reference to a resettlement programme that she wanted to pursue on behalf of ACOOP. Over the months this has developed into a detailed course paper that is ready to be presented to the prison population through different sources that are currently being investigated. It was given a trial run to members of HMP Channings Wood at the end of January which was well received and we will be back there in March to enlarge on its contents.
The course contains information and help on hopefully all aspects of life and problems that prisoners will encounter on release. These include in particular housing (including hostels), pensions, benefits, insurance, health and fitness, finance and taxation and many more. It has been produced in such a way that items can be selected and discussed on the day of presentation to suit the problems of those present.
I do not profess to be an expert on any of these subjects but want to use this course to make existing prisoners aware of the problems that do and will exist on their release but also to assure them that help is available no matter how great or small they are and to point them in the right direction.