It’s all about respect – inside time and insider knowledge

Prison can crush the spirit. In fact, it could very well be designed to do just that, to squeeze into the soul of someone who has broken the rules of society in order to punish him and send him out as a lesser human being, willing to conform to all applicable rules and requirements. by others without challenge.

Yet many enter the giant metal gate having already been trampled by life experiences, and what they really need is the encouragement to believe in their own abilities so that they can realize their legitimate hopes for a decent life and future. Education and courses in prison can help with this, while many positive officers and staff working in our prisons are willing to inspire and encourage that positive approach that will improve society. Here are two recent courses I’ve seen, and people I’ve met, who are striving to achieve that goal.

Shared assets

I saw this in HMP Pentonville, which often invited me to see the excellent work being done in this old, crumbling structure. The two courses share five key elements. Firstly, the commitment and imagination of the staff, teachers or prison guards, who put them together. Secondly, the teamwork of everyone involved in the delivery. Thirdly, the enthusiasm of the participants. Fourth, bizarrely, the involvement of senior parliamentarians in the activities, not – I emphasize – among the prisoners, but as key contributors, much more than just guests dropping by to have a look.

But above all is respect, which is expressed in many ways. The participants become proud of their achievements and thus build their self-esteem in an environment that can suck it out of you. Then there is the respect they show for those who share the course with them, and their mutual support for each other when they succeed. Finally, there is the genuine respect they have for those who made the lessons possible and the appreciation they give for that.

I start in the prison library, where twelve internal students gathered for the very first lesson of a new course on public speaking. They were joined by two prison officials and two other prison system employees. This approach of bringing everyone together may still be unique to education in Pentonville. It works. I recommend it to others.

Introduced by Jose Aguiar, prison lecturer, together with colleague Helena Baptista, editor of Voice of the Ville, this session, and all others, was moderated by Dr. Randhir Auluck from the University of Westminster. As it was a course on speaking, it was delivered by the retired Speaker of the House of Commons himself, John Bercow, the first of the two visitors to the Houses of Parliament. All attendees were asked to indicate what they wanted to achieve with the plan, and said it was confidence in their own ability to communicate. Some said they found it scary to speak in public, although it would have been hard to know after a few hours. Everyone had a different educational background, but that made no difference. One said he didn’t speak English when he arrived in Pentonville, but I would never have guessed that as he had clearly learned quickly and very well.

The course lasts eight weeks and each session has a theme. They cover the importance of communication; tell your own story; effective communication; preparation; and practice makes perfect. On the last day there will be a debate on a theme to be determined, and I will be there. And this is where I found the concept of respect is key.

The group respected each other, whether an officer or an intern, and the mutual support encouraged and enabled the shy members to speak up. Mutual respect radiated from it, and I know it has remained that way ever since. When anyone spoke they all listened with interest to give them the opportunity to express their views fully, and there was no reason for John Bercow to use his trademark phrase ‘Order, order’ (although, encouraged by those present, he had to oblige him). After going through the various sessions, the men’s self-esteem also increased. Speaking in front of others can be daunting. They had destroyed it. And they knew it.

Just rewards

The conclusion of the public speaking course will be a debate in the prison chapel for families to attend, which is where I recently found myself for an awards ceremony for the latest group to experience ‘Time4Change’. I had attended and written about one of these meetings before, but was thrilled to go again. The second MP entered the prison next to me, Baron Hastings of Scarisbrick (Michael Hastings), quite a character. Partners, parents, children and brothers and sisters of those who would receive their certificates also stood in line to get past security, all rightly proud.

Time4Change is for young adults aged 18 to 25. The program includes an intensive series of sessions in which participants discuss aspects of life including misogyny, racism, drugs, knives, educational experiences and much more. There are psychologists and staff to support them, as well as mentors from those in prison who have been through it before. They will be from different areas and different zip codes, so there may have been tensions out there, but here they are working together to overcome previous life experiences that would keep them apart.

The hard agenda has been devised and created by prison officers, especially CM Dyer, who in my opinion should be cloned because he possesses all the skills and abilities that officers need. He sympathizes with those he leads and ensures that they adhere to the rules by providing clear explanations of what is and is not allowed. This time I had more time to speak with those who had not only attended the classes, but had also seen him working in the wings, and everyone respected him as an officer and respected the experiences he had created with these classes. I expected this reaction, but what was more than impressive was the respect everyone had for Lord Hastings.

Knowing he’d be there, I looked him up, and it would probably be quicker to list the work he’s never done or the most important organizations he hasn’t spent his time on than what he’s accomplished. In summary, he has taught, worked on government programs for city center renewal, been a journalist and TV presenter, been a trustee at Vodafone and represented KPMG as Global Head of Citizenship. He was a commissioner on the Commission for Racial Equality. He is Vice President of UNICEF UK. He is listed as one of the 100 most influential black people in Britain and was number six on a list of 100 black business leaders. After initially declining membership of the House of Lords, he accepted the position in 2005, having been awarded the CBE in 2002.

However, it was his commitment to the rehabilitation of those in prisons that brought him to Pentonville. He is the co-founder of My Brother’s Keeper, which promotes networks that deliver better results for insiders. After giving a powerful personal speech about the potential he knew was present in all present, he introduced three young men who had recently been in the position of all present on the day, and who had moved on with their lives . They shared their life experiences and their plans for the future.

One was Godfrey Poku, whom I interviewed for Inside Time and who moved from prison to teaching at a school that told children why they should avoid crime, as well as training new prison guards and counseling families whose family members had died in prison. Another of these young adults shared how he had lost a close friend who had been killed in combat, and while in prison, encountered a friend of the man who had taken his friend’s life. He discussed his feelings about this encounter, and how they both moved past it to acknowledge each other as individuals, realizing that continued hatred harms everyone. Spilled blood only leads to more blood.

One of the three speakers had actually been released from another prison where he was completing his sentence and was allowed to be present to talk to the group, which was a very positive act by the other prison and by Pentonville to make this possible. It is entirely right that groups are addressed by people with knowledge, but when they listen to others who are or have been in the same position as them and have made the decision to move on, it hits home. Hearing from these, their peers, had an impact. As for Lord Hastings, the absolute respect shown to him shone clearly. It was moving and inspiring.

Part of this morning was watching some short TV films made by the participants, all in different styles. Monologues, dialogues, rap, they all represent a part of prison life, with its ups and downs. It was fun, but most impressive was that it was made possible by ‘TV not Time’, a project set up by a semi-retired person who wants to give back to society by supporting work in prisons. That in itself is a positive project. In fact, those who worked as volunteers on the program offered to provide media career advice to the young men who participated when they eventually left prison.

A pleasant surprise

Pentonville Governor Simon Drysdale attended and presented everyone who successfully completed the course with a £20 contribution to their prison canteen fund. I see this as an excellent way of giving prisoners a practical incentive to take part in courses and classes – as does the allocation of points for participation that would lead to a reduction in their sentences, as recently proposed by the Government. . Telling people in prison that education will help shape their future is a bit vague. Practical, immediate benefits can inspire people to get involved. The twenty pound was very popular and they had no idea it was happening. The next cohort to sign up certainly will!

So since he was responsible for this positive action and is a strong supporter of Time4Change and other innovative and successful projects in his prison, I will leave the last word to Governor Simon Drysdale, who told me afterwards: “The Time4Change program is our unique approach to helping individuals who have complex histories and experience conflict issues. The approach is highly individualized and really gets to know the men, understands their complexity and promotes joint resolution of their problems and differences.

“It brings together groups of individuals who historically would have had problems, and this is a testament to the men of the program and the unwavering commitment and dedication that the staff running the programs put in every day. We do everything we can to involve families and significant others in the men’s lives because we know the positive impact this can have, and it’s great to see these external support networks for the men at the graduation ceremony.”

I wish everyone who participated in both courses the best of luck in their future lives. They are working to achieve that. I am confident they will succeed, and it always cheers me up when I meet people like those who create these courses, teach them, provide support to improve them, and those who come along to encourage and to inspire.

Also those who donate £20 to the canteen fund for the successful, knowing that a practical reward is a strong incentive for others. I respect them all.