‘Unlocking Potential’

‘Unlocking Potential’

Common sense to learn from people who have been at the sharp end of the penal system.

By: Sally Burnell

Prisoners, ex-offenders, and their families should have a say in criminal justice policies, according to a new report by a Taskforce led by national charity Clinks.

The report: ‘Unlocking Potential’ makes thirteen recommendations aimed at improving people’s experiences of the system, as well as improving the system itself using offenders’ unique expertise and knowledge.

It is the product of a year-long consultation with offenders and around 150 organisations involved with the criminal justice system, including the prison and probation services and many charities.

Explaining why the Taskforce was set up, Chairman Rob Allen (Director, International Centre of Prison Studies) pointed to the fact that in every other public service, including drug treatment and mental health services,
the users of that service are consulted and their views are valued.

“In other areas of social policy it is common to engage with people to ensure their treatment and recovery is effective. But in the field of criminal justice, it is as though a conviction removes any chance of having your point of view taken seriously,” he said.

The report did find some good practice, particularly among voluntary organisations, but these examples are few and far between and the Taskforce believes there are a lot of missed opportunities to learn from offenders’ experiences.

Mental health charity Revolving Doors welcomed the report and pointed out that in mental health policy the law already requires service providers to consult with users.

The Taskforce suggests that one reason for the reluctance to extend the culture of consultation to offenders is the fear of being seen as “soft”. It says: “Perhaps the greatest barrier of all is one of culture and mentality. We need to remove the ingrained resistance to the conceptof offenders, former offenders and their families as experts - because in this case, that is what they are.”

The theme of offenders as experts was picked up by charities working with offenders. Paul Cavadino of crime reduction charity Nacro said it was just basic common sense to involve ex-offenders in shaping penal policy: “We must learn from the unique experience of people who have been at the sharp end of the penal system.”

In HMP/YOI Guys Marsh in Dorset they are doing just that. Each year, staff and prisoners elect 25 offenders to serve on a Prison Council. According to the report, the Council “has had a significant impact on prison life, including the introduction of several successful initiatives such as a new alcohol education course and improvements to visitors’ facilities.”

One strong message from the report is that involving offenders in their own sentence and rehabilitation ultimately reduces reoffending by giving individuals a sense of responsibility. The report concludes: “Providing opportunities for greater involvement will begin a process that will move offenders away from being passive recipients of sanctions to having more of a stake in successful results.”

As one 24-year-old female prisoner interviewed in the report says: “Having more involvement gives you more confidence so when you get out you have the confidence to do stuff on your own… the more independence you have the more it is going to help you.”

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice said they will study the report with care.

Sally Burnell is Media Relations Manager for Nacro.

The Report - Unlocking Potential

Research that informed the report