Finding a World of Freedom

Perdita Palmer

22/11/2013

Money is freedom – so some say. But how does one define freedom?

Freedom. Think about it. It’s probably one of the most powerful concepts that determines, or in an abstract sense, surrounds politics, culture and humanity. Everyone strives for freedom but what are we actually striving for?

Some argue that education, opportunity, monetary gain in career success equals or enables freedom. But to do what? Travel? See the world? Revel in materialism? Does money provide reliable means by which to find, experience or succeed in love, self- satisfaction or pride? Money may enable one to access many aspects of life that everyone considers necessary or standard in order to conventionally or superficially ‘survive’ but whether one actually feels free or is free with any of these is a different matter. One might have more money than sense, but happiness, love, family, trust, honesty and satisfaction can never be guaranteed.

As the well known saying goes:

“When you are in the final days of your life, what will you want? Will you hug that college degree in the walnut frame? Will you ask to be carried out to the garage so you can sit in your car? Will you find comfort in reading your financial statement? No. What will matter then will be the people”.

You might be thinking: “what has this got to do with User Voice?” Well, a lot. User Voice and the people that have entered my life have taught me one of the most important and enlightening lessons of my life, so far. And I can tell you now that this lesson has changed the direction of my life in a rich and meaningful way that has left me feeling liberated, inspired, ambitious and free.

My journey has gone from conservatism, ignorance and boredom to freedom of thought, satisfaction and appreciation. Having had a very privileged upbringing, it is common of many of my peers to follow the expected timeline of life progression. So, you go from completion of secondary school, to university and into a job that reflects your desire to maintain and replicate the standard of living we are all used to. Yes, privilege, education and financial stability provides opportunity and freedom of choice but how free actually are we? It might sound strange but overwhelming opportunity is actually largely restricting. So much choice equals indecision, confusion and most profoundly dissatisfaction.

I feel as though many of my peers lack in education through experience because of the expected timeline progression. But the opportunities I have said yes to, have led me down a different path that now makes me feel detached from my familiar peers.

My journey began with the shock of someone close to me facing a long stretch in prison. This turned my life upside down and was the catalyst for my desire to become a successful defence barrister but also to enrich my life by understanding and appreciating the lives of others. My personal experience opened up a whole world of understanding but also frustration. The ignorance that fills society about many aspects of the criminal justice system and the people that pass through it infuriates me daily. I used to be one of those conservative bigots who at one stage would have supported an individual such as Chris Grayling. But tragedy happened to me, tragedy happened to my family and it’s not until it happens to you that you can then understand and appreciate other people’s stories.

This society is filled with so much superficial public discourse instilled by the powerful who more often than not have no idea what the people they are there to serve, face. In many ways, I wish I had remained in my bubble and had not experienced such a tragic situation. But in many other ways, I feel as though it has educated me in such a way that makes me cringe at the thought of how I would have lived my life. Before my journey began, I had no idea what I wanted to do but I was money motivated. I had no real passion in life apart from money. Without a specific passion to follow, I was on the brink of entering a career in headhunting/recruitment that would have filled my daily life with aggression, close mindedness and a vulgar desperation for the big pay cheque at the end of the month. How sad. And how lucky I am now to have escaped that.

It’s easy to hear about someone else’s story and have a momentary feeling of sympathy or compassion but how genuine and long lasting is it? My story, however tragic it has been has not even compared to some of the stories attached to some of the individuals I have got to know. But, because of what I have experienced so far, I can truly understand and appreciate the hardship that now inspires me.

Life isn’t about money. Of course you need money to survive but there is much more to life than materialism, the superficiality of relationships, the sick desire to appear a certain way or attempt to embody someone you are not. There are people in this world that have been at rock bottom and faced such tragedy in their life but had the individual strength to acknowledge it, face it, overcome it and carry it with them to save others. Many of these people I have met, I work alongside daily. To come from working in a corporate environment in the city, bored out of my brain, counting down the minutes until the day ends and feeling miserable, bored and so selfish to take for granted the ease and stability of my life compared to where I am now, is amazing. And it’s just the beginning. The moment I walk into my work place now, I can feel the electric passion that unites every single one of us. This is a feeling that I have been lucky enough to experience and learn about; I seek this continuation of satisfaction throughout my career and throughout my life.

Bigots exclude people who have been through the criminal justice system. People even look at me differently and want to dissociate themselves with me because I’m attached to someone in prison. But these individuals, I pity.

My life has taken a completely different direction than was expected, working with individuals who originally felt unfamiliar to me, but I’m proud.

I’m proud to be surrounded by people who are educated, ambitious and enriched with a pure understanding of life. There is no individual better than an ex – prisoner to be able to know and understand the true meaning of freedom. The thought of the raw sense of freedom upon release, a feeling that I have not personally experienced, is so powerful and challenges what most people’s definition of freedom is.

Call me pensive but the last two years of my life have awakened me and have made me a better person. The people I work with every day make me a better person. To have experienced such a transformation is heartwarming. A job shouldn’t be undertaken just for monetary gain. A direction in life shouldn’t be pursued just because it is expected of you or because it’s convenient.

I broke my socially expected rules and feel as though I have found freedom to now live my life.

'Our greatest assets are those we seek to give a voice'

Chris Dossett

31/10/2013

‘What’s your story’ the youth wing of User Voice was born in 2011 following a consultation with over 740 young people across England. True to the principles of User Voice, young people themselves took their experiences directly to key decision makers, presenting their findings to Members of Parliament. The organisation has since evolved, engaging with well over 2000 young people with functioning youth advisory groups across the country; most of which I have had the privilege to be involved in. As we enter 2014 there has never been a more important time to give services users a voice and I believe User Voice is the most equip to do so.

The successive government now admits “we did a great job punishing people, we did a great job with crime going down and we did a poor job reforming people. We need to make sure there is mentoring, a buddying system, giving probation the autonomy they need.” – Sadiq Khan Shadow Justice Secretary (2013). Currently, under Justice Secretary Chris Grayling the criminal justice system is being privatised, untested on a scale not seen anywhere else in the world. Therefore, it is now more important than ever to monitor impact on services users. User Voice is the mechanism in which to do so as it exists to bridge the once vacuum between those who decide policy and those that experience it. Offering some of the most excluded people in our society to have a say over decisions that affect their lives.

Having worked across the youth service, youth offending service and on the troubled families agenda, as well as studying participation; never have I seen such genuine empowerment as witnessed since joining User Voice 6 months ago. I contribute this to our model of engagement and that User Voice lives its values as an organisation; employing those who have been through the criminal justice system. This is unique as it is apparent through the entire organisation from the CEO, to management, right to the front line. In doing so User Voice has developed a team with genuine expertise and experience of the problems we seek to solve, creating genuine passion and understanding which lacks in other organisations. 

With a democratic progress of engagement I have witnessed young people empowered and able to offer some of the most insightful understanding to offending I have ever heard. With such strong values through our organisation I see our staff motivating institutions and our many partners within the criminal justice system; enabling them to better understand the experiences of the very people they are employed to work with.

Whilst I remain optimistic, not everyone believes in giving us a voice, nor anyone who has ever offended. Our journey as an organisation must continue as we produce growing evidence that our model works and we continue to challenge the very culture of our institutions and society.

I would like to conclude by stating that our greatest assets are those we seek to give a voice, those who are turning their experiences of crime into positive, beneficial and lasting change for others. I feel deeply privileged to have the opportunity to learn from them every day. 

'We are like a family, we look out for one another and work as a team, helping others have a voice'

Gail Bland

14/10/2013

My name is Gail, I am an ex-offender and I have worked for User Voice since January 2012 as a Programme Manager setting up and developing a service user council within probation. Also, I deliver a peer mentoring accredited training programme to service users who will then mentor other service users.

Employment for people with criminal records is very difficult especially in today’s current economic climate.  Employers seem to shy away from employing ex-offenders, very often their CV’s go straight in the bin; they don’t seem to be able to look beyond the offence.

I committed a crime 12 years ago and received a 12 month sentence suspended for 2 years.  My experience of probation back then was not a very good one, there was help available but the organisations giving this help and support only seemed interested in ticking a box to say that they had worked with an ex-offender, they often classed a conversation as support.  I often think what if User Voice had been around 10 years ago, personally I wish it had.  I have seen a change in probation's attitudes towards service users.

I was fortunate that I was able to keep my job after being given my sentence, my problems started when this organisation went into administration.  I was out of work for 2 years, applying for all sorts of jobs, the rejection was terrible, this left me feeling depressed and worthless.  When I did get an interview they focused on my offence, and then I heard nothing from them.

I was given a break by an old work colleague who knew all about my offence, this made me feel great again; it was with a charity that trained and gave work placements to ex-offenders and those coming to the end of their prison sentences.  At last a job to help others in a similar position, or so I thought.  Some members of staff gave me a hard time, they went to the board asking that I be finished as I had a criminal record how ironic when these were people supposedly helping offenders and ex-offenders, they did not get their way.  I will never ever forget that experience and don’t want to see others experience it.  I stuck it out and I left when I wanted to leave I did not let them force me out.

I am really privileged and honoured to work for User Voice, the staff all have a vast amount of experience, knowledge and passion and the one thing that really sticks out for me is nobody judges you, we are like a family we look out for one another and work as a team, helping others have a voice.  I love my job, and the service users I work with are fantastic, it's great to see them gaining confidence and belief and becoming stronger each day.  

'It's fair to say if you do the crime you do the time, but how the time is spent will determine whether or not they will serve further time in prison'

Tanayah Sam

09/10/2013

For the past 20 months I’ve had the privilege of being a Programme Manager for User Voice. 

I facilitate three Prison Councils, which requires me to work inside those establishments four days a week. The job at times can be challenging but even more rewarding. User Voice Prison Council is not just a means for Prisoners to have their voices heard, but also at times it has enabled prison staff to have their voices heard also. 

It’s been three years since I was released from prison having served a 9 year prison sentence. The irony of it is the jail for which I received the 9 year sentence is the jail I now spend two days a week in facilitating the User Voice Prison Council and its Director was the Governor of one the jails I served time in on that sentence.

Since my release I’ve always had a strong desire to be involved in an organisation that pushed for a service user response within the criminal justice system. Facilitating space for co-production, enabling the service user and service provider to have dialogue to create better opportunities for rehabilitation and showcase desistance. 

It’s fair to say if you do the crime you do the time. But how the time is spent for many will determine whether or not they will serve further time in prison in their future. Only offenders can stop offending so the service user should have a voice in how best services can provide a meaningful service to help them break the cycle. 

Poetic Justice

Shauna Dacres

30/08/2013

One wrong mistake took me out; I felt that I was drowning in the mist of my tears when the judge sentenced me to 5 years imprisonment. I felt this way because I saw my life flash before me. Every second, every minute, of every day, I felt that I wasted the last years of my teenage years being in prison and not doing anything remotely constructive. I remember I was put on a ‘Restorative Justice’ course: Sycamore Tree. I knew nothing about this; the only indication of what was meant by the word ‘restorative’ was to amend.

I started the course thinking that it would not benefit me. However, I found that it had helped me to help myself in dealing with the hurt and pain that I caused my family and me; I learnt to accept.

The course was designed to raise victim awareness and also to bring the offender face to face with the victim so that they could have their questions answered with an apology. This was a unique opportunity for the victim and the offender to communicate so they both could find closure and move forward.

During the course I found useful tools that would help me to understand how my actions can and would affect those around me.  For example, the ‘ripple’ effect, this was demonstrated by the offender dropping a coin in a pool of water which would then create ripples throughout the pool. The coin represented me and the ripples where my actions and each ripple got bigger as the coin sank.

From that day on my outlook on life changed, I had more consideration for others, I cared about what people felt or thought. Most of all I cared about what I had put my family thought. Desperately trying to gain the respect and trust from my family especially my mum, I made a conscious decision that when I left prison I would try my best to help young people from going to prison and wasting their teenage years, as I knew having been locked up day after day, and night after night. This was no life for a young person who hasn’t lived or seen the world. There was more to life than just sleeping, there was more to life than just 4 walls and a small window that I could hardly stick one leg out of. There was more to life than looking at walls with disturbing thoughts of previous prisoners.

I wished and hope for the day I walked to freedom, I wish for the words ‘you’re free to go’. I often thought to myself, once I’m free what as the future got in store for me? Will I ever find employment? Will they accept me for me? Will I ever put the past behind me and will I cope?

Lo and behold I was free, after serving a two and a half year sentence. Upon release I had set myself targets that would help me get back on track and start my life again. I was lucky enough to have the help of service providers who helped me find employment. I had been short listed to go for an interview for a social enterprise scheme CanDo Coffee, who wanted to offer employment to people who had been involved with the criminal justice system. I was happy for the opportunity of employment and because they cared to help those with a criminal conviction, and I accepted the position as a Coffee vendor. Unbeknown to me the work I wanted to get involved with was a stone’s throw away from me, at User Voice! This gave me the pleasure of working on the Youth Team as a Youth Engagement Coordinator. Carrying out the responsibility of this role has enabled me to help young people to engage in positive and meaningful activities. It also allows me to share the journey that I have been on at such a young age. If I can reach out to one individual and make a difference in their day to day life then for me it is job done.

Rehabilitation and Santa Claus; what's the difference?

Zoe Kennerson

19/8/2013

One is a social concept constructed on the understanding that hard work and behavioural change can reap benefit and reward, however is dismissed by many who doubt evidence of its existence…..the other is a fictional character created to encourage compliance.

So do we believe in rehabilitation?  Do we believe in change?

As an ex-offender and an ex-addict I believe! I believe that I am evidence that people can change, and that not only does rehabilitation exist, it is possible.

I began working for User Voice in October 2012 as a Programme Manager on a Peer Mentoring Project. It was during this work that I began to wonder if others shared my belief and recognised the potential in people and the power of change.

Criminal Justice Services seek not only to punish people who break the law, but to aid rehabilitation and support change. Surely for this to be achieved we need to believe it is possible?

So is rehabilitation real or just another myth like Santa Claus?

We often hear people talk about change, reform, desistance and rehabilitation. We see services strive to achieve and sell the benefits of reform. But do they really believe in it, that it truly exists?

Mum’s, Dads, Grandparents, Aunties and Uncles all tell their young children about Santa. “Be good” they say, “Santa is watching!”   They spend lots of money on presents (to hide and pretend Santa delivered) and they prepare for his arrival on Christmas Eve. Like those trying to support people to rehabilitate, a lot of effort and energy is put into Santa, all the right things are said and done, but his actual existence is still dis-believed. A whimsy for children who know no better!

So how do we make people believe? Not just say they believe, but actually believe! We show them. We show them that not only does it exist, it works!!!

Through my work at User Voice I have been lucky enough to meet lots of rehabilitated “ex-offenders” who have made changes to their lives and are committed to helping others to do the same. My role includes training and supporting peer mentors to provide a service to people in the Criminal Justice System. I see rehabilitated people on a daily basis and my observations tell me that rehabilitation is real! I am fortunate enough to be in a position that enables me to see past the statistics.

The people I work with are evidence of change, the living proof! Not only have they been successful in not re-offending, but they offer hope and inspiration to others who wish to change.

It is human nature that if you are going to try something new (always a daunting prospect when hard work is involved), you look to others who have already done it, to give you some advice and guidance. Surely it makes sense that this opportunity should be available for those looking to stop offending.  Having a peer mentor who has rehabilitated and understands the dynamics of change can be so beneficial for marginalised individuals who want to change. I work with peer mentors who on a daily basis make a conscious decision to live their lives in a different way. These people are thoughtful, insightful, reflective, self-aware, sharing and hard working.

Peer mentoring is a powerful service that contributes towards the reduction of reoffending by providing an opportunity for people to share their own experiences and support others who are in situations they have experienced.

Peer mentoring in criminal justice services is the evidence base that change and rehabilitation are possible.

Of paramount importance, peer mentoring is about belief.  I like my colleagues at User Voice and the team of peer mentors I support, all believe in rehabilitation. We believe it, because we have lived it!   And we believe that the people we work with can achieve it too….… 

An insight into two weeks work experience at User Voice

Jude Jubey
12/8/2013

Speaking at the Criminal Justice Convention 2013

Week 1, Monday

I was in a meeting with Bob Ashford, who is running an organisation called Wipe the Slate Clean. They are trying to get people that have committed a crime years ago that was seen to be a minor offence to have it removed from their history. This I felt was very interesting because it’s one thing that is very close to my heart, because I hope one day I could have my own slate wiped clean.

Later that day I was in a preparation meeting about going to see the MP Jeremy Wright on the rehabilitation of prisoners. This was very interesting because the new plans mean that a lot of things are changing, and I felt that it if the government did it the wrong way things could get much worse.  That meeting went on for a long time, I got to meet council members from all over the country and we all realised that most of the time people are facing the same kind of issues just in different places.

Week 1, Tuesday

We went to the Ministry of Justice and we all made our points to the MP. I felt happy that everyone got a word in, and I hope that he took what we said into consideration, only time will really tell.

Then we went to a meeting at London Probation to talk about what happened and how we felt it went. This was very interesting because I was able to see how everything works and develop a better understanding.

Week 1, Wednesday

I was at a meeting with the head of London Probation, Mark Johnson and Daniel Hutt. They talked about the benefits that User Voice has been able to bring to the trust through elected council members within Probation. 

Then we went to a Cando Coffee meeting with What If, we were looking at the branding and what kind of message Cando want to give out to their customers. Being a social enterprise they have to be very careful because some people don’t know what it is and will think it’s just another charity.

Then we had another meeting right afterwards with one of the board members looking at the structure of User Voice and how the board works, and this gave me a much deeper understanding of how big User Voice really is and how big it’s grown in such a sort time. This for a charity I think is an amazing thing because it just shows how different they are to many of the other organisations that work within the criminal justice system.

Week 2, Monday

I was at the office helping to map out Southwark to make sure that we understand what things are being offered to young people. I enjoyed it because I was able to learn so much about the different organisations within my area.

Week 2, Wednesday

We went to meet the young people at Tower Hamlets Youth Offending Service and we took them for some lunch, and I had a talk with one of the young people about what she wants to do. I showed her that there are apprenticeships that she could get involved in and I called one of my contacts that work in Channel 4 Apprenticeships and she gave me the link to what was left on offer and I passed the information on.  This I hoped would help her to do something really good with her time. There is something about helping people that I enjoy and I really think is vital in life because when you give you feel so much better.

Week 2, Thursday

I was with Mifta and Shauna at Southwark feeding back to the Youth Advisory Group on what I had been getting up to on my work experience and showing them that it really is an amazing door that User Voice opens to you and it’s always about you being able to show people that you are a capable person.

The week was an amazing insight to how User Voice works and how much change they are making to the criminal justice system, and this I think is an amazing thing because it really does need a change and only offenders can stop re-offending. It also showed me that I had the skills to influence people in a positive way to see how by helping us you will be helping so many more people.

I want to thank everyone for giving me the chance to do my work experience at such an amazing place, it really opened my mind and gave me so much energy and drive being around such wonderful and inspirational people. 

Why learning is fundamental to rehabilitation

Stephen Akpabio (LL.M)
6/8/2013

In June 2002, I was convicted of a drug related offence. Although this was my first conviction, it was serious enough to warrant a long custodial sentence.

My first impression of incarceration was that it was quite simply, a complete waste of time. The exception was if you were able to do something meaningful with that time. There was limited choice available as one would expect but education was available. Knowing I faced at least eight years inside, it seemed worthwhile for me to concentrate my efforts on self-development. After all, being in prison was ample evidence of my failure as a criminal. My focus became self-education and self-development.

I completed my first course in 2003, my first degree in 2008, my first Master’s degree in 2009 and my second in 2010. I recall often being asked by both prison staff and my peers what I planned to do after my studies given that a criminal conviction is a bar to most types of employment. Admittedly, at the time I did not know. What I did know was that the process of learning in and of itself provides benefits which include improving self-esteem and self-confidence, opportunities to network and meet new people, participation in a positive and rewarding activity, and perhaps, employment! 

Quite apart from the qualifications, it is the process of learning that is important. Learning is part and parcel of our daily lives and we learn new things every day. The ability to read is something most people learn at a young age. However, some service users lack the ability to read, often through no fault of their own.

Nevertheless, the consequences of lacking the ability to read can be debilitating and can impact negatively on people’s lives. That is why I am delighted to be involved with a national charity, User Voice, as a Programme Manager. User Voice is a charity that is led in the main by ex-service users (80% of frontline staff) and we are working in partnership with London Probation Trust to deliver a Reading Peer Mentoring Programme, Toe-by-Toe, in the community. We aim to help those who lack the ability to read learn how to read with the aid of a specially developed Reading Plan and the support of their peers. The Reading Plan has been developed over a 25 year period and is currently being delivered in 97% of prisons in the UK. Its success in prisons is one reason why we plan to deliver the Reading Plan (Toe by Toe) in communities across London.

This fantastic project has benefits all round. For the participants, they learn to: read - with all the benefits that brings, while society stands to benefit from reduced reoffending, active citizens positively engaging with their communities, contributions to the local economy due to improved employment prospects for participants, etc. For both ex-service users and society, it is truly a win-win situation.

User Voice has been the key to the windows that are my eyes

Rebecca Page
29/07/2013

User Voice has undoubtedly been the key to the windows that are my eyes!

I spent the best part of my working career which spanned over 13 years in a highly corporate, selfish, closed minded, ugly environment, where you either eat or be eaten. During my time within this industry I believed this environment was second to none. Everyone in it, including myself was superior to all others, and money and power was the answer to everything.

After perhaps 2 years in, the processes, policies, discipline and ‘take no prisoners’ (excuse the pun) mentality which bound me, were indeed almost like chains. At the time of course, I found this to be powerful, and people that worked for me often found themselves at the sharp end of my greed and zero tolerance. All because I wanted / needed / was told that I had to be the best. This ugly trait that was nurtured by this environment which conditioned me seemed to happen without me even realising. At the top and still climbing towards Regional Management – I single-handedly caused myself to fall and to lose everything.

That was just a snap shot of my life – then.  As a woman the journey I went on which brought me to the present day was undeniably shattering, together with insurmountable shame. Behind every offence whatever it may be there is always a deep and complex story which has components of pain, shame and disappointment in equal measures. I definitely felt all of these emotions. For me I literally
accepted my punishment and correction; I had my blinkers on, and perhaps unlike others I did not analyse anything at the time. I did what was required of me. It’s only when that episode of my life was finished that I really analysed and broke down every little detail of myself, my mind and general being, which allowed me to reflect, amend and change. Doing this whilst I was in this nightmare and almost surreal environment would have made me far too vulnerable.

A year and a half on, having been working for User Voice for one year now, I have found all that positive energy and friendly strength which I once knew before my corporate journey. The passion that encompasses every single member of the team (including myself) is electric, and full of warmth and understanding.  Additionally I have been able to transfer a lot of my skills I had gratefully learnt within my previous career (which were acutely identified by my manager Paula Harriott who I find truly inspirational). I like to think I bring a welcomed different dimension to the team, by managing our vastly experienced London based Programme Managers, as well as the delivery and implementation of all our London Projects.  The platform that User Voice provides every single day to people that are ready within themselves, and that do wish to make a difference to their own lives is priceless.

I wake up every day knowing that there is a real possibility that I or any member of the team will help someone to see that re-offending is a dead end, and equally potentially highlight to one of the many services that the time and effort they put in is not a waste. Re-offending can be reduced.

Only by ensuring that service users are involved in the decision making process will enable this to happen.

I wanted to work with young people to allow them to make positive choices which will help them in life

Mifta Choudhury

22/07/2013

I joined User Voice almost 11 months ago working on the Youth Programmes. I deliver the Youth Councils and Advisory Group projects across London and also support staff on the adult community side with Peer Mentoring.

User Voice is unique because of the staff who work here and the holistic support it gives to service users.

I spent the best part of my life in prison. One of the things that I saw was that people kept coming back; I saw people who got out of prison after being inside for two or three years and down the line I would bump into them again, I would think to myself why have they come back into prison?

When we had a catch up and a chat I would ask them about why they were back in prison and they would tell me that they had no help or support outside once they had left jail, they were back on streets doing what they had to do to survive… I remember the same people saying to me, I’m not coming back to jail! In the end it was thanks to those people that I decided to get an education while I was in prison.

I decided that I wanted to work with young people to help them, to support and guide them and allow them to make positive choice’s which will help them in life.  It’s not my job to impose my values or beliefs on the young people I work with, but I use my learning experiences to inspire these young people onto a better future.

I find that the young people I work with at User Voice are innovative, resilient and passionate about making change, once you get to know them!  They see you for who you are and once you have built the relationship with them you get to see this passion and drive. We have some great conversations and other times we have a really good laugh!

The young people I've been working with are now the leaders of their Youth Council/Advisory Groups, and now being accredited as Peer Mentors. They have learned to manage and balance their life to extent where they now turn up for meetings on time and can commit themselves to helping to change local services and the community and look at life in a different way. 

I don’t think this is just down to me; it is by the young people learning, adapting and by having absolute consistency from User Voice staff who provide a holistic, caring approach to working with these young people.

The impact that criminal convictions can have on employment prospects

Bob Ashford
15/07/2013

The first week I joined User Voice I went to a staff business development day. At the start of the day everyone introduced themselves and talked about their previous offences openly. This was unlike anything I had experienced before and when it came to myself I shared my background in Youth Offending teams and the Youth Justice Board from the delivery as opposed to the service user perspective. 

I did though share the two offences I had committed 46 years ago as a 13 year old- producing a mix of astonishment and wry amusement among the people there as the offences were so minor. Did they count I wondered?

Several months later I had to resign as the Police and Crime Commissioner candidate for Avon and Somerset because of those two offences. This was when it hit me that yes those offences did matter, and 46 years later were still capable of stopping me doing something I felt passionate about.

I then remember coming into the office just days after I resigned and was cheered by everyone for being so public and campaigning against the injustice which affects everyone with a criminal convictions.

Last week I found myself sharing the platform at the Criminal Justice Conference 2013 with Jude Jubey, a young man who has been a member of Southwark Youth Advisory Group which has been facilitated by User Voice. The subject was the impact that criminal convictions can have on employment prospects. 

Jude spoke eloquently on his own experiences as a young black guy from Southwark, the problems he had and the aspirations he held. I then spoke, a middle aged, middle class white guy, on my experiences and those of the many hundreds who have contacted me with their own personal stories which have come about as result of their criminal convictions. 

The contrast couldn't have been greater between the two of us, and yet in many ways the thing that joined us together, and the many others who weren't in that room, is the way society sees the offence and not the individual behind that offence. 

That is the real tragedy and why together with User Voice we are challenging and changing perceptions and practice. That’s why it means so much to me to be a part of the team.

I feel the warmth of peer support; these people know my journey and I know theirs.

Paula Harriott
8/07/2013

Between 2004 and 2008 I was a prisoner, serving the majority of my sentence at HMP Drake Hall in Staffordshire, a semi open prison holding around 400 women. I arrived there desolate and angry; missing my five children, and facing long, sad, frustrating, agonising days and nights as I came to terms with the eight year sentence.  Prison for women is like going back to junior school….yes miss, no miss, can I go to the toilet miss….it doesn't do much for your self esteem or self confidence for sure as you soak up the atmosphere of control and correction.

Last month I returned to HMP Drake Hall, not on recall, but working as Head of Programmes for User Voice. I walked around the prison, revisiting memories and my main focus was on a small blue hut in the centre of the prison, called the Signpost. In many ways my journey to User Voice started there in that little blue hut with no heating in the winter (freezing). But what it signified to me and to all my peers was a refuge from the authority of the prison. The Signpost was the first peer support project at Drake Hall. Two prisoners (one of them me) escaped the drudgery of cleaning and kitchens to sit in that hut, unsupervised by staff, and support other women to access education courses, fill in complaints, read their mail, get information about how best to survive in prison and generally just be a welcoming space for those that needed a bit of humanity in the midst of the institutional coldness that is prison. In the Signpost we made tea, talked like free people and generally gave each other support to get through the drama and tension that is prison. 

In two years the number of women undertaking distance learning courses rose to over 60, a first at that prison, and the number of complaints also rose dramatically. At that time complaining was the only option by which to exercise voice; there was no prison council. The Governor soon recognised that the Signpost was a hub of information regarding what was going on in the prison and would often pop in for a cup of tea and a chat about issues, seeking to understand the mood of the prison and using myself and the other peer supporters as a barometer to test out new ideas, proposed changes and generally find out how his staff were doing. He was willing to listen to both good and bad. (I have visited that Governor too, now managing a large male prison, in my capacity as Head of Programmes at User Voice.) Without knowing it I was developing and practising the skills needed in the co-production methodology that underpins the work of User Voice.

So in the Signpost I learnt the value of peer support and how it can benefit prisoners. How it can contribute to a better experience of prison, how it can offer support to those who have only ever been exposed to pain and brutality outside; mirrored in the prison regime, life feels no different to the norm. The informal talking and motivation to look forward, the modelling of compassionate non-judgmentalism to all those who came through the door of the Signpost was a stark contrast to the cultural norm of the institution. It was peer support that got me through my prison sentence, that helped me to understand myself better and challenged me the deepest, because I was not paralysed by fear when communicating; I was keenly aware of the power the prison staff had over my life and did not ever trust the hand they offered along the way. They offered control and surveillance, not motivation nor hope in change.

I came to User Voice, still in pain and anguish caused by that prison sentence, but here at User Voice I have once again found the refuge of the Signpost; a space to be me, to own my failings, to acknowledge my strengths and celebrate my successes. Working in an organisation, staffed by 80% ex-offenders, I feel the warmth of peer support; these people know my journey and I know theirs, not from a book but from personal experience. It’s a pain that binds and in the unity we have strength, build resilience and find freedom. 

Toe by toe has grown, and it has created employment.

Mark Nash
1/07/2013

I’m an ex-offender and I've done a 6 and a 12 year sentence back to back. I came out in 2011 and have been working for User Voice for two and a half years now. I didn't think I would be doing this sort of job or even working in this sort of environment before I came out of jail, but I applied myself and did a degree in counselling and two diplomas in gang mentoring.

I've gone from setting up community programmes in probation, to setting up prison programmes and teaching them how to write proposals in the prisons. I’m working in mental health now as well and doing peer mentoring for mental health patients- it’s ridiculous to see how many projects I’m working on. I think I've done so well, from what I used to be to what I am now, I've completely turned a page. As for the work I’m doing, it’s so interesting. I work in Haringey Community Council and out of it came the toe by toe concept. I used to do the toe by toe concept in jail where you could teach someone to read and write. You use it as a tool to improve reading and writing skills, so service users can grow in self-esteem get them up to a standard where they feel comfortable to do literacy level one.  A lot of people are older- 30s-40s- they've not learnt to read and write all their life. When they’re in jail they are forced to do things for themselves.

It was a service user’s idea saying we should do it in the community and I went with it, going with what I know, and helped put it together. I helped structure it and got the training done for the service users in the community, and helped them facilitate it in the probation office. Its grown now so that User Voice and probation have hired a programme manager to put it together- you can do toe by toe inside, and when you come outside, you can do peer mentoring. If anyone comes in and wants toe by toe training, I would use my service users who are trained in toe by toe to do the training, so it’s really teach one help one. When they've done that I put them onto someone else in probation to help them write a CV.

It helps service users because they evolve along the way and help themselves. Toe by toe has grown, and it's created employment- it’s an ex-offender who has got employed as a programme manager- and I don’t know a lot of companies hiring ex-offenders, so I think it’s a good thing. I never thought I would be doing a job like this now- I didn't think I would be the person providing this material and using my brain to put it all together.

Change can and will take place if we all work together hard enough for it.

Garry Waller
25/06/2013

I think first and foremost it is essential for me to highlight that User Voice has been fundamentally instrumental in the growth and skills that I have acquired over the past 2 years.

On saying that, the reason I joined User Voice was that I thought- looking at the model they used- it is simplistic and very holistic. Subsequently, it looked like the rewards that were potentially on offer for service providers and service users were, from my experience, totally unimaginable.

With my background, having spent the best part of 15 years engulfed in the criminal justice system, I was quite sceptical. Based on my own experiences I was doubtful of just how much of an impact the service users that we engage with could actually have on organisations such as London Probation, whose policies have been built around red tape and bureaucracy.

How wrong could I have been; the changes that have taken place and continue to take place on a daily basis are fruitful and appetizing.

More importantly, for me the energy that has been stirred up within the service user community has been the most satisfying to watch; equipping themselves with the adequate skills to become active citizens.

I have worked with well over a hundred service users; lots of them have successfully completed their orders for the first time, lots more have moved on to gainful employment and lots continue to work voluntarily on councils as members that represent some of the most marginalized groups of people in the country. Now that is what it is about for me.

Change can and will take place if we all work together hard enough for it.

"Truth is on the side of the oppressed" - Malcolm X.

User Voice: The voice to help you help yourself

Eddie Karwhoo
17/06/2013

User Voice have been an inspiration to service users around the UK by giving people a voice and saying to them that we have been there before, we understand your problems, we will give you the voice to help you help yourself.

It happened to me and I have met over hundreds of people that are in the same position as me.

I started with User Voice in Maidstone prison in 2010. Since then I have been a volunteer both in Kent and London.

Where User Voice play a big role is helping service users to change their perception about probation. They make you feel that you have a working relationship to improve your life - it gives you confidence that if others can make it then you can. 

It gives you the opportunity to express yourself in a positive way.

In all, User Voice is a big family that holds hand together and when anybody is drowning they extend their hands to take you out.

Testimonial to User Voice

Venrika Kelly
05/06/2013

User Voice is one of THE most awesome, reliable and helpful charities I have seen set up over the years that are for service users like myself. There is nothing like it; the level of work and determination that goes into setting up focus groups, delivering surgeries across all the LDU's and making sure that all parties are involved, and voices are heard in a safe, fair and non-prejudicial environment is immeasurable.

Trust me when I say that as charities go, User Voice is second to none and will play a key part in making our community safer and bridging the gap between our judicial system and the people that use them, for many more years to come. I am honoured and feel very privileged to be a part of something like this and will be forever grateful for the opportunities I have received  since volunteering.

User Voice you ROCK!