Our Impact

RAISING AWARENESS

Many people currently experiencing the prison system experience mental health challenges leading up to prison and during their sentences, such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders, self-harm, and suicide ideation. By raising awareness, we can reduce the stigma surrounding this and encourage individuals to seek help without feeling ashamed or judged.

BUILDING RESILIENCE

A prison sentence is a challenging time for individuals as they need to adjust to a new environment, less contact with loved ones, manage new social relationships and anticipate potential threats to their safety. By fostering mental health awareness, people can learn coping strategies, resilience-building skills, and healthy ways to manage stress and adversity. It also awakens many to the impact their mental health has had on their life choices, which ultimately led them to prison.

EARLY INTERVENTION

Promoting mental health awareness allows for early identification of potential issues. It empowers individuals to recognise warning signs in themselves and their peers, encouraging them to seek help promptly. Early intervention can prevent problems from escalating and improve long-term outcomes.

REFORM & REDUCING REOFFENDING

Studies consistently show a strong link between mental health issues and criminal behaviour. By providing mental health training, we can address some of the root causes of criminality and reduce the likelihood of reoffending. Those who receive education and support are more likely to reintegrate successfully into society.

COMMUNITY BENEFITS

When people in prison receive mental health training and support, they are more likely to become productive members of society upon release. Upskilling helps them to develop better conflict resolution skills and coping mechanisms, leading to fewer incidents of reoffending and/or causing harm. This benefits the community at large, as it reduces the risk of criminal activity and supports the reintegration of individuals into their families and neighbourhoods.

How we’ve helped so far

Since our inception at HMP Hollesley Bay in 2020, we’ve helped over 570 people in prison learn more about mental health, how they react to situations, and why their paths have led them to prison.

Chris Doughty, Head of Safety, Diversity and Inclusion at HMP Hollesley Bay, talks more about how the project has impacted their prison in the last four years.

Feedback from our mental health training

  • “It has taught me to observe what is working well for me and what is not. It has also reminded me to stay neutral and to stop and think about what is happening, before I act or react.”

    Project participant, HMP Wandsworth

  • “It's helped me to understand my way of thinking and showed me that the decision I make might not always be the right one. It's also helped me to notice when other people may need help.”

    Project participant, HMP Dovegate

  • “The training has helped me understand from a clear perspective of mental health can deteriorate, and how and what one can do to establish a defence mechanism towards threats and problems. This training has been very useful to me in helping me understand some of my scenarios.”

    Project participant, HMP Fosse Way

  • "I have definitely learned how detrimental negative thoughts can be to our mental health and the same with negative experiences. I also learned how we can re-train our brain with neuroplasticity to recognise we are in "high alert" or "bully" mode, to think more rationally, to stop spiralling into a depressive train of thought possibly preventing mental illness."

    Project participant, HMP Warren Hill

  • "It makes you aware that you can react to what you think is a big deal in a completed different way. I've thoroughly enjoyed this mental health and wellbeing training and would 100% do it again. It was delivered fabulously, thank you very much."

    Project participant, HMP Wandsworth