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Family matters to young fathers in prison Family matters to young fathers in prison
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I was brought up in the shadow of my father's life as a criminal. I swore I wouldn't follow in his footsteps. A noble, predictably empty promise. There was very little structured support to stop my slide into a life of crime. Coming out the other side, a recovering drug addict and former offender, I decided it was ultimately up to me to break a generational pattern of crime and punishment. My career over the past 25 years has been focused on working in prisons with fathers and with the children of prisoners, who themselves are often young parents.I was brought up in the shadow of my father's life as a criminal. I swore I wouldn't follow in his footsteps. A noble, predictably empty promise. There was very little structured support to stop my slide into a life of crime. Coming out the other side, a recovering drug addict and former offender, I decided it was ultimately up to me to break a generational pattern of crime and punishment. My career over the past 25 years has been focused on working in prisons with fathers and with the children of prisoners, who themselves are often young parents.
In 2013, more than 200,000 children had a parent in prison in England and Wales. This is two and a half times the number of those in care and more than six times the number of those on the child protection register. Seven per cent of UK children will experience their parents' imprisonment before they leave school and a quarter of men in young offenders' institutes are, or are shortly to become, fathers.In 2013, more than 200,000 children had a parent in prison in England and Wales. This is two and a half times the number of those in care and more than six times the number of those on the child protection register. Seven per cent of UK children will experience their parents' imprisonment before they leave school and a quarter of men in young offenders' institutes are, or are shortly to become, fathers.
Invisible Walls Wales (IWW) is a project in Parc prison, Bridgend, that helps to rebuild family ties while fathers are inside. Corin Morgan-Armstrong, head of family interventions at Parc – a private prison run by G4S – started to develop the project in 2010, which last year was awarded £3.1m funding over four years from the Big Lottery fund. "I found that the most effective and sustainable way to engage and motivate offenders was through their children and their families," he says. "Even when prisoners had devastated them through their behaviour they still had that desire for things to be different, to be better."Invisible Walls Wales (IWW) is a project in Parc prison, Bridgend, that helps to rebuild family ties while fathers are inside. Corin Morgan-Armstrong, head of family interventions at Parc – a private prison run by G4S – started to develop the project in 2010, which last year was awarded £3.1m funding over four years from the Big Lottery fund. "I found that the most effective and sustainable way to engage and motivate offenders was through their children and their families," he says. "Even when prisoners had devastated them through their behaviour they still had that desire for things to be different, to be better."
According to Morgan-Armstrong, the main fears fathers have when in prison are "losing contact, ceasing to matter to their families, being forgotten, becoming irrelevant, and being abandoned inside and after release". Fewer than 50% of prisoners have regular visits. Yet having regular family visits reduces reoffending by 38%, according to the Ministry of Justice's 2008 resettlement survey.According to Morgan-Armstrong, the main fears fathers have when in prison are "losing contact, ceasing to matter to their families, being forgotten, becoming irrelevant, and being abandoned inside and after release". Fewer than 50% of prisoners have regular visits. Yet having regular family visits reduces reoffending by 38%, according to the Ministry of Justice's 2008 resettlement survey.
IWW involves the same team of staff – in partnership with the local authority, social services and schools – working with prisoners and their families for one year before release and six months after. If they need it, volunteers from the prison and Barnados will provide a further six months' support. The prisoners and their familes have been assessed through the offender management process as having a higher need of intervention to prevent intergenerational offending. Unusually, they then have a combination of group and individual activities in the prison.IWW involves the same team of staff – in partnership with the local authority, social services and schools – working with prisoners and their families for one year before release and six months after. If they need it, volunteers from the prison and Barnados will provide a further six months' support. The prisoners and their familes have been assessed through the offender management process as having a higher need of intervention to prevent intergenerational offending. Unusually, they then have a combination of group and individual activities in the prison.
"You have to shift the culture from one that views family-focused work as the occasional family day in the visits hall, to one that has embedded the family approach as rehabilitation within offender management, security and learning," Morgan-Armstrong says. "Transform a wing into a family interventions unit that works intensively with prisoners and their families.""You have to shift the culture from one that views family-focused work as the occasional family day in the visits hall, to one that has embedded the family approach as rehabilitation within offender management, security and learning," Morgan-Armstrong says. "Transform a wing into a family interventions unit that works intensively with prisoners and their families."
Away from the intensity of a standard wing, the family interventions unit gives the inmates a chance to take their armour off, and have the space and time to explore the deeper questions around their crimes and the impact they have had on their families.Away from the intensity of a standard wing, the family interventions unit gives the inmates a chance to take their armour off, and have the space and time to explore the deeper questions around their crimes and the impact they have had on their families.
The daily focus is on supporting the inmate to strengthen the bonds with their family. This is achieved through increased family visits as an intervention with a specific purpose, and round-the-clock, one-to-one support. Parc's director, Janet Wallsgrove, says: "Everyone in prison should have a strategy for children and families. Family is the glue that holds all our efforts at rehabilitation around jobs and resettlement and training together."The daily focus is on supporting the inmate to strengthen the bonds with their family. This is achieved through increased family visits as an intervention with a specific purpose, and round-the-clock, one-to-one support. Parc's director, Janet Wallsgrove, says: "Everyone in prison should have a strategy for children and families. Family is the glue that holds all our efforts at rehabilitation around jobs and resettlement and training together."
Several of the 20 fathers on the programme explain how it has helped them. Paul says: "For the first time, I have been open and honest about my past life and also my relationship with my ex-partner and what's going to happen with us when I get out. It has helped me move forward and, without the help, I would have swept everything under the carpet and it wouldn't have worked when I got out."Several of the 20 fathers on the programme explain how it has helped them. Paul says: "For the first time, I have been open and honest about my past life and also my relationship with my ex-partner and what's going to happen with us when I get out. It has helped me move forward and, without the help, I would have swept everything under the carpet and it wouldn't have worked when I got out."
Chaz and Tony say the programme has helped them to face their fears. Chaz says his are "not having enough money, not being able to support my family, returning to my old ways, giving up, finding things too hard and not having anyone to talk to".Chaz and Tony say the programme has helped them to face their fears. Chaz says his are "not having enough money, not being able to support my family, returning to my old ways, giving up, finding things too hard and not having anyone to talk to".
Tony is worried that his children will have a life like his – won't do well at school and won't get a good job. But he says: "My support worker helps me to see things from my child's point of view. I am learning how to be a better father."Tony is worried that his children will have a life like his – won't do well at school and won't get a good job. But he says: "My support worker helps me to see things from my child's point of view. I am learning how to be a better father."
There has been some resistance to the programme. "The biggest challenge was the shift in culture from one that predominately viewed this work as somebody else's problem to one that recognises the huge impact working on the whole family can have in terms of outcomes," says Morgan-Armstrong.There has been some resistance to the programme. "The biggest challenge was the shift in culture from one that predominately viewed this work as somebody else's problem to one that recognises the huge impact working on the whole family can have in terms of outcomes," says Morgan-Armstrong.
As for the cost, he says: "It is about pooling existing resources, identifying the common ground among local partners where mutually beneficial gains can be achieved by working together."As for the cost, he says: "It is about pooling existing resources, identifying the common ground among local partners where mutually beneficial gains can be achieved by working together."
As we leave the wing, I ask Morgan-Armstrong where the name Invisible Walls comes from. He points to a poster that says: "Don't let the wall stop you being a father."As we leave the wing, I ask Morgan-Armstrong where the name Invisible Walls comes from. He points to a poster that says: "Don't let the wall stop you being a father."
• Prisoners' names have been changed.• Prisoners' names have been changed.
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