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For people with criminal records

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The hopelessness of IPP sentences

At the start of 2020 there were 2,223 people in prison serving IPP sentences, despite the fact that they’d been abolished in 2012. A sentence with no end date is brutal and many have taken their own lives due to the hopelessness of their situation. Susan was given a minimum term of 15 months but was still in prison 11.5 years later.

I was sentenced to five years in prison following my involvement in a tax fraud. I’d never been in any trouble with the police prior to this and the conviction came about due to some really bad business decisions I’d made. However, whatever the reason I’d still broken the law and it was right that I was punished.

Nobody can imagine what prison is going to be like, any insight we have we get from TV dramas or documentaries. I was 38 when I went to prison and, as I waited to be ‘processed’ I remember being absolutely terrified. I knew I’d be out in 2.5 years but I didn’t know how I was going to cope and I was convinced that I’d never laugh or smile during that time.

The reality was very different. If you keep your head down and do your time, then it’s bearable. The boredom and being away from my family were the worst things but I made some incredibly special friends; friends that I’m still in contact with to this day. We supported each other and although we all experienced bad days when the tears came quickly and easily we also laughed a lot.

One of the biggest eye openers for me was the amount of young women who were in prison as a result of issues with drink, drugs or their mental health. For some, prison was a godsend, a chance to get clean, to get help and to start seeing hope for the future. Sadly for others, prison meant that their mental health deteriorated even more and self-harming was pretty common place.

It was in prison that I first came across IPP sentences – Imprisonment for Public Protection. These are a form of indeterminate sentence with a minimum jail term but no maximum term. I regularly heard girls refer to them as an ‘In Prison Permanently’ sentence which perhaps gives you some idea of how long people end up staying in prison.

I met Susan (not her real name) on my second day when we were queuing up for dinner. Her first words were:

Don’t get the beef stew, it’s worse than dog food.

I didn’t see Susan again for several weeks. She later told me that she’d been put in the ‘Seg’ (the Care and Separation Unit) after she’d ‘kicked-off’ at an officer. Rows and time in the ‘Seg’ were regular occurrences for Susan as were incidents of self-harming which often led to us all being locked in our cells whilst she received medical attention.

Four months into my sentence and I got a job as a wing cleaner along with Susan. We both worked hard and got through the work quickly which gave us a chance to have a tea-break. It was then, when there were just the two of us that I started to see the real Susan. She told me that she’d been given an IPP sentence with a minimum term of 15 months, but she’d already been in prison for 3.5 years and wouldn’t be released until the Parole Board gave their permission. She’d been addicted to drink and drugs and already had several convictions for shoplifting, possession and violence before her IPP sentence but she was clean and was starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel.

During those tea breaks we spoke about everything and I came to know a bright, funny, intelligent young woman with the same hopes and dreams as anybody else her age.

2.5 years on as I was preparing for release Susan was still in prison. However, she was a lot less positive about the future and her release and she’d started spending a lot more time alone in her cell becoming increasingly isolated.

I wrote to her many times after I’d left prison but never received a response and after 18 months or so, I gave up trying – I wish I hadn’t.

Five years after leaving prison and my life was ticking along nicely. I’d got a job which offered me plenty of opportunity to work overtime and I’d started putting some money into a savings account so I could go on holiday. Having decided on a destination I started trawling the internet for deals when a BBC news item caught my eye. Something about IPP sentences.

I clicked on the link and halfway down the page were three photographs of three young women; one of them was Susan. As I began to read I discovered that the story was about the impact of IPP sentences on women but shockingly, all three women in the photographs had taken their own lives.

Susan’s mum had been interviewed by the journalist and explained how after being in prison for 11.5 years, her daughter had given up all hope of ever being released and couldn’t bear the thought of spending one more year in prison. She’d killed herself in her cell on 31 December.

I couldn’t believe that the bright, funny, intelligent young woman I’d known had felt so abandoned and let down by the system. Susan’s mum couldn’t have put it better when she said:

To live without hope is to cease to live.

By Denise (name changed to protect identity)

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Knowledge and enthusiasm enabled me to appeal my court order

After learning that his indefinite SOPO was extending the time he spent on the Sex Offenders Register and keeping his conviction unspent, Danny knew that the only way to improve his chances of getting back into work was to have it discharged.

Approximately eight years ago I received a six month suspended sentence for a downloading offence and, along with this came an indefinite Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO).

There are many reasons why people break the law and it’s only natural therefore that people deal with their convictions in different ways. For me, that meant being really clear about the ongoing impact of my conviction including having a good understanding of when I needed to disclose it, how long I needed to disclose if for and what to disclose.

From this research, I quickly learnt that due to my indefinite SOPO, my conviction would never be spent and my time on the Sex Offenders Register (SOR) would be extended. I also learnt that after 5 years I could apply to have my SOPO discharged without needing the permission of the police.

Seven years on from my conviction and I decided to speak to my PPU (Visor) officer about applying to have my SOPO discharged. Although the SOPO conditions themselves didn’t cause me any problems, the fact that my conviction remained unspent and appeared on my basic DBS certificate made finding a job that much harder.

During this conversation with my PPU officer I was really shocked at how little she knew about the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, criminal record checks or SOPO’s. She didn’t seem to realise that basic DBS checks existed and was of the firm belief that a SOPO had to run for a minimum term of 10 years!

Despite pointing out to her that:

  • Without the SOPO my conviction would have been spent in 2016 and wouldn’t appear on a basic DBS; or
  • There was no minimum term for a SOPO.

She told me that I needed to wait a further 3 years before I applied and if I chose to apply before that, she would object.

I’d always adhered to the conditions in my SOPO and had tried to build up a mutually respectful relationship with the police. I’d been quite optimistic therefore of having my SOPO discharged, especially if I had the support of the police. Being told that they would object was a real blow.

I started doing research online and the more I read, I got the distinct impression that SOPO’s should run in line with the duration of the notification requirements. A SOPO shouldn’t be used to extend the time that somebody spent on the SOR.

I knew that I didn’t need to get permission from the police to apply to the court and I took the view that the worst that could happen was my application being refused. If that happened, I’d be in no worse position so I thought it was worth a go.

I put my letter together setting out the reasons why I felt my SOPO should be discharged. I explained how my circumstances had changed since I was first given the SOPO and how I’d had the opportunity to reflect on my previous offending behaviour. I explained that I’d always adhered to the conditions set out in both my SOPO and the SOR. I also quoted a couple of cases from 2011 which I’d come across online which I felt backed up my argument.

My case went to court very quickly and although the thought of attending the hearing was a little daunting, I didn’t have the money to spend on legal representation. Having an awareness of the cases from 2011 certainly gave me the confidence to apply to the court but it wasn’t something I necessarily needed to know. The court were more interested in me and my circumstances which I was well equipped to talk about.

The outcome – SOPO discharged with immediate effect.

Of course, I’m absolutely delighted with this result and so glad that I went through the process. I’d say to anybody that if you find yourself in a similar situation to this, don’t be afraid to go back to court. Having the support of the police will always be favourable but remember, you can apply to have a SOPO varied or discharged without it after 5 years. The advantages for me have been massive and all it cost me was my time and a stamp.

By Danny (name changed to protect identity)

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  • Information – We have practical self-help information on applying to a court to end a court order.
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Fresh starts are over-rated – all I want is a stable job with the same employer

Being a hard worker with some impressive skills, it’s natural that Steve’s employers would want him to work on prestigious government contracts. However, with a conviction from 25 years ago, passing security vetting has been almost impossible for him.

I was convicted of common assault almost 25 years ago after a domestic incident with my then wife.

Very briefly, during the course of an argument my ex she hit me several times with a metal bar that she’d found in my indoor tool box. In self-defence, I struck out and my hand hit her on the side of her head, knocking her over and causing her to fall against our coffee table. Shocked at what had occurred, I grabbed my coat and left.

I stayed at my brother’s house that night and the next morning at the factory where I worked the police turned up and I was arrested. I had sustained from the previous night a fractured thumb, a bad cut to my ear, a deep scratch on my neck and bruising to my upper arm and shoulder blade. I was in pain.

My wife had accused me of beating her and knocking her out. She also alleged that I frequently beat my 6 year old son and was regularly drunk. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, I hardly ever drank at home and never went out to the pub drinking. I worshipped my wife and son and I’d never laid a finger on either of them ever. She’d told the police that I’d been having an affair (completely untrue) which was what had provoked the argument and ‘beating’.

Later that week, my wife contacted me asking whether we could meet up to discuss a way forward. The police had told me not to have any contact with her prior to going to court and so I refused. She started yelling down the phone being really abusive and my brother who could hear everything, suggested that I just go and see what she wanted. I met her outside a shop in full public view as protection for both of us.  

It was only then that I found out from her that she was on antidepressants, which had led to some irrational mood swings. She told me that in the 9 years we’d been married, she’d had 2 affairs and was in debt to some bloke that lived in our village. She went on to say that all her friends were single, going out and having a good time and she felt left out.

I was totally clueless about any of this (although I later found out that most of it was common knowledge in our village). I felt sick, devastated and ashamed. I considered killing myself but instead went to my brother’s house, sitting up half the night talking about my marriage and situation – thankfully, he’s a really good listener.

At court a month later I was convicted of common assault, fined £1500 and given 40 weeks community service. I was told that I couldn’t see my son unless there was somebody else present.

After the court hearing I was ostracised by many people in the village who wanted nothing to do with me. They were all of the opinion that my wife was the innocent victim and I was nothing more than a thug. I couldn’t live like that and decided to turn my back on it all.

I moved 400 miles away but continued to pay most of my salary on maintenance to support my wife and child.

For the first 5 years I struggled to get work but somehow managed to survive. Once my conviction was spent it became easier and I found myself a decent job with a good salary. Things were going well until the company I was working for won a contract to work on UK and US air bases. All contract staff had to be security checked and as my conviction was spent and 12 years old, I didn’t think I needed to disclose it. Not long after, I was called into the office and told that I’d failed the security checks and that the company couldn’t keep me on. I was offered the sack or redundancy.

I was a good craftsman who always worked hard so it was disappointing to be unemployed again.   I eventually found another job but came up against similar issues when I needed to work in certain parts of hospitals and schools. I couldn’t face the embarrassment of explaining my conviction so I’d  leave before I had to have any DBS checks done.  

21 years on from my conviction and I’ve been working for the same employer for 5 years now. However two weeks ago I was told that we’d just been awarded a new contract and I’ll have to attend  government buildings. I was given a security checking form to fill out and despite staring at it and half completing it, I knew I just couldn’t go through the rejection again and so I handed in my notice.

I didn’t tell my employer the real reason I was leaving and I know they are really annoyed with me because I’ve had a lot of money invested in me doing training courses.

I’ve started applying for other jobs but I’m not sure whether I’ll be able to get a reference from my last employer and I know I can’t get security clearance all because of my old conviction.  My savings have already stated to dwindle and I reckon I may have to try to move out of the area now for another fresh start.

By Steve (name changed to protect identity)

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The positive power of talking

Having started training to be a counsellor, Stella explores the reasons why she found it so difficult to ask for help when she needed it most.

I received a conviction for fraud approximately 20 years ago which resulted in a 4.5 year prison sentence.

Shocking as it was to go to prison, I believe that it was prison that helped me become a better person – less uptight, less anxious, a person that wasn’t afraid to ask for help and ultimately somebody that was a lot happier in themselves.

To the outside world, my life prior to prison must have seemed perfect. Good job, great salary, lovely home, marvellous holidays abroad. But behind the scenes I was massively in debt, living beyond my means and defrauding the company I worked for. I was a mess.

Over the years I’ve had a lot of time to reflect on what went wrong and what I could have done differently. Without a doubt, I should have spoken to somebody about my problems and asked for help. So why didn’t I?

There’s probably been loads of research on this but for me, it was fairly simple:

  • I was too proud
  • I didn’t want to come across as incompetent
  • I didn’t want to be judged

And maybe, I just didn’t really want to change. If I got help then I’d have lost the lifestyle and habits that I had.

I feel so ashamed writing that, it makes me sound unrepentant and that’s probably how I was at the time. I didn’t want to be told what I needed to hear, it was far easier to keep the status quo.

Twenty years on and I’m in a different place; training to be a counsellor and it’s obvious to me now that talking really does help.

I know from the clients I see in my current work placements that many of us are feeling emotionally overwhelmed. The Pandemic has seen us lose friends and family and lock-down has seen the mental health of many deteriorate. Talking won’t change what’s happened to us but it can help to bring us some relief.

When I started my counselling training, there were several times when I thought my criminal record might scupper my dreams. I couldn’t see an answer to my problems and started to be consumed with negative thoughts. But for once, I took my own advice and asked for help – I rang the Unlock helpline.

The advisor I spoke to didn’t immediately solve my problems but whenever I presented her with a negative statement, she’d come back at me with a couple of options – one of which seemed to be:

“Do nothing and keep feeling sorry for yourself.

These chats were a bit like re-programming a computer. Slowly all my old thoughts were erased replaced instead by more constructive ones.

As somebody with a conviction that will never be spent, I’m sure I’ll have a few more wobbles along the way but you know what – I’ll keep on talking.

By Stella (name changed to protect identity)

A comment from Unlock

It’s good to hear that our helpline was able to help Stella. If you’re currently struggling with a problem because of your criminal record and need information or advice our helpline is available Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm.

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Koestler Awards 2021 – Open for entries

The 2021 Koestler Awards for art in criminal justice settings is now open.

There are 52 categories to choose from including the Themed Category “Together”. Every entrant will receive a certificate with many winners getting a cash prize (of between £20 and £100).

Every entry is in with a chance of being selected for the Koestler Arts annual exhibition which this year, will be back in it’s usual gallery in the autumn at the Southbank Centre in London.

The closing date for entries is Thursday 22 April 2021, so there’s no time to loose.

For guidance notes and an application form, please visit the Koestler Arts website.

A chance at last – changes to filtering rules will give me a clean DBS at last

The 28 November 2020 saw changes to the criminal records disclosure regime come into force and like many people, Tony was able to see his convictions from over 45 years ago removed from standard and enhanced DBS certificates.

 

 

I was born into a violent, chaotic, impoverished and broken home and it was probably due to my dysfunctional family life that I was constantly in trouble with the police, mainly for theft or vandalism.

When I was aged about 10, Social Services got involved and I was placed into the ‘care of the local authority’ and became part of the care system. Initially I was sent to a very austere Children’s Home ; a cold, unfeeling, loveless place. In addition to an almost starvation diet we were subject to strict petty rules where even the slightest infringement resulted in a hard slap across the face. I generally took this in my stride, probably because I’d been subject to far worse at the hands of my violent, unstable mother.

Eventually I was transferred to a boarding school for maladjusted boys. It sounds terrible but the headmaster and his wife were fantastic. We were treated fairly, there was a happy, caring atmosphere, plenty of food and regular day trips to look forward to. Everything started to improve for me.

However, although I was old enough to know the difference between right and wrong, I was extremely dishonest. I had absolutely no moral compass, boundaries or principles and it was true to say that ‘if it wasn’t nailed down, I’d steal it’.

Up to the age of 15 I committed various criminal acts generally theft and received a conditional discharge or a fine, but never any time in prison. Since then I’ve had a clean record.

I served in the Armed Forces for ten years, worked as a security officer and then spent 10 years in financial management. In all this time, there was never the slightest doubt about my honesty.

Then in 2006, I realised that I wanted to try and put my own personal experiences to good use and work within the criminal justice system. I applied for several jobs but was rejected at either the application stage or as soon as the organisation received my DBS certificate. I couldn’t believe that 30 years on from my last conviction, my criminal record was having such a major impact on my life.

Never one to give up, I applied to have my convictions ‘stepped down’ under the police ‘weeding’ procedure (a similar system to what’s now known as filtering) and the police agreed. All my convictions were removed from my criminal record certificate.

Then in 2013 the law changed once more and hey presto, because I had more than one conviction, they all suddenly appeared again. As a 61 year old semi-retired grandfather my convictions were being disclosed again, 45 years later.

When I read the email that said the law would be changing and multiple convictions would now be eligible for filtering I almost cried. The continued disclosure of sensitive and often irrelevant information is seriously blighting people’s lives and I for one am looking forward to seeing my ‘clean’ DBS certificate for the first time in years.

By Tony (name changed to protect identity)

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Employers, if you’ve got a blanket ban on recruiting people with unspent convictions, just tell us

Despite disclosing his unspent conviction on two occasions, Isaac was amazed to learn that his new employer had withdrawn their job offer due to a blanket ban on the recruitment of people with unspent convictions.

I met my ex-girlfriend when we were studying for our ‘A’ levels and we were together until the start of my second year at university. By then, I knew that once I’d finished my degree I would be moving to London to pursue a career in management consultancy and I was totally driven in my desire to secure a graduate position with a global management consultancy firm.

Call me selfish but I knew that I would have little time for girlfriends and so, not wishing to ‘lead her on’, I ended the relationship.

It became clear that she’d thought our relationship was forever and she was absolutely distraught when I told her it was over. Like many men, I didn’t know how to deal with her tears or emotion and when she begged me to stay over so that we could talk things through, I couldn’t see how that would make things any better. As I tried to walk out, she clung onto me shouting and screaming at me; I pushed her away and left.

The next day, the police turned up at my house and I was arrested for an alleged assault on my girlfriend. At the police station I had an opportunity to speak to the duty solicitor and I explained everything to him. I was really upset to think that I might have caused her any harm (I certainly hadn’t intended to) and although being charged with common assault seemed harsh, I readily accepted that I had pushed her. The solicitor recommended that I plead guilty. He thought that I’d probably get a fine but importantly, it would mean that my girlfriend wouldn’t have to attend court and we could both get on with our lives.

Sadly, that wasn’t what happened and I walked out of court with a 6 month community order and a restraining order. I finished the unpaid work requirement quickly and before I knew it, the community order had come to an end.

I continued to study hard and went on to get a first.

A year and a half after I’d been to court I applied for my basic DBS check. I had just started applying for graduate positions and wanted to have my blank DBS certificate to share with future employers if I needed to. However, when my certificate arrived it wasn’t blank. I hadn’t realised that the 3 year restraining order I’d received had a rehabilitation order all of it’s own which meant that my conviction was still unspent.

Although this was a huge disappointment, I couldn’t do anything about it and I needed to remain focused on my end goal. So, instead of getting down and depressed I spent time thinking about the best way of disclosing my conviction.

I applied for several graduate posts including one with the organisation I’d always wanted to work for. There were no questions on the application form asking about unspent convictions and at the time, I took this to be an encouraging sign.

I was invited to attend an interview which went very well and when I was asked at the end if I had any questions it felt like the right time to disclose my conviction. The interview panel thanked me for my honesty and told me that if I were successful they would carry out background checks and it may be necessary for me to disclose again.

A month later, I was in receipt of two job offers, one of them being from my preferred organisation. Before accepting the offer, I wanted to know for sure that my criminal record wouldn’t be an issue and so I made an appointment to speak with one of the HR managers. During that meeting, I disclosed my conviction again and was told:

I can’t see it being a problem but we’ll have to wait until the background checks have been done.

Knowing that my DBS would merely confirm what I’d already told them, I felt slightly more reassured and the same day turned down the job offer from the second employer.

The background checks took a while but I eventually received an email stating that the employer now had all the information they needed and would be in touch shortly with a start date. Two days later I could barely contain my excitement when I saw another email in my inbox from my new employer. However, rather than setting out details of my start date, the email stated that the job offer was being withdrawn due to my unspent conviction. The letter went on to say that this decision was final.

I have since had numerous conversations with the employer about their policy in relation to the employment of people with a criminal record and it seems clear that they have a blanket ban on the recruitment of anybody with an unspent conviction. I find it incredible that having disclosed my conviction on two occasions, nobody thought to tell me that my application could not be progressed. I would obviously have been disappointed but I’d have come to terms with that and applied elsewhere.

This failure to be upfront at the start has meant that I’ve turned down a job with another employer who may not have had a problem with my criminal record. I’ve been left out of pocket with my confidence at an all time low.

By Isaac (name changed to protect identity)

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Could 2021 be the year you become your own boss?

There aren’t many people who would consider 2020 to have been a great year. Some will be approaching 2021 with a certain amount of anxiety whilst others will see it as an opportunity for change.

With over 800,000 jobs being lost since the start of the Covid pandemic and UK unemployment likely to reach 2.6 million by the middle of 2021, the outlook for job seekers looks pretty bleak.

But, could this be the time to consider starting your own business? During times of stress and struggle, people can often be forced to think ‘outside the box’ which can lead to new, innovative business ideas.

Take Derek Jones for example.

The name may not mean a lot to you but, if you or a family member or friend have ever been in prison you’ve probably come across the business that Derek started, Email A Prisoner – a specialist email service connecting those in prison with their friends and family on the outside.

Derek first got into trouble with the police when he was 11 years old. It started off with minor stuff but, by the time he’d reached the age of 21 he had been in custody 15 times and, his offending soon graduated to car theft and burglary. Derek recognises that laziness was a big part of his offending:

I wanted everything to come easy – I didn’t want to work for it. I wanted to do something else with my life, but I thought that was out of reach.

Although Derek had been in and out of prison, it was whilst he was remanded for 6 months in 2003 that he started to experience problems communicating with his friends and family. Having plenty of time to consider how the problem could be overcome, he had his ‘eureka moment’ – ‘Email’. A system whereby friends and family on the outside could send emails on a regular basis to those in prison which they’d receive quicker than a letter. Derek was convinced that demand would be huge and that it could be done at no cost to prisons or prisoners; the sender outside would pay.

He knew he needed to do further research to turn his idea into a viable business and he visited the prison library at every opportunity to find books on starting a business.

On release from prison, he was determined to stay out of trouble and was passionate about getting his idea off the ground. However, this was easier said than done; some people just couldn’t quite understand the concept and others told him that it was an impossible dream.

Derek contacted a local business support organisation and over the next four months did various business start-up courses. He was able to put a business plan together and managed to get a £2000 grant from a local enterprise agency. As well as the cash investment, Derek was also given a mentor who provided him with help and advice as well as huge amounts of encouragement.

It took Derek 2 years to get his business – Email A Prisoner – off the ground. It was initially trialled at Guy’s Marsh Prison in Dorset, where the pilot proved extremely popular with both the prison and users of the service. Getting other prisons to sign up was difficult to start with but Derek remained positive and has since sold his email service to over 130 prisons.

Derek has always been open and honest about his past and believes that as far as his own business is concerned, his criminal record has been a help to him.

So, do you think you could be the next Derek?

A report written by The Centre for Entrepreneurs found that individuals who had served time in prison displayed many traits which made them suitable for an entrepreneurial career, such as scoring highly on the need for self-achievement, personal innovation and the desire for independence.

If you’re struggling to find work or have been discriminated against in the past because of your criminal record, then self-employment may be something to consider. It’s not for everyone and although having a good idea is a great starting point, there’s a lot more too it. However, thanks to the internet, social media and innovative technology, it might just be easier than you think.

theRecord Editor

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Winning my battle for voluntary Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL)

Whilst serving the final year of her sentence at an open prison in Kent, Karen was volunteering at Unlock as a helpline advisor when the prisons interpretation of a new ROTL policy framework saw all voluntary work placements revoked.

This article originally appeared on The Prison Reform Trust website and is reproduced with permission and thanks.

The Prison and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) recently upheld my complaint after HMP East Sutton Park stopped voluntary work for all residents in October 2019, allowing only paid work placements. I had thoroughly enjoyed my voluntary job as a telephone helpline advisor with the charity Unlock for 10 months and would have happily continued it until release, but this was not to be. As a woman nearing retirement age, I was not seeking paid work on release.

It took five months to go through the whole complaints process. I had complained to the prison staff and governor, the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB), as well as writing to the Head of the Women’s Estate. All returned my complaint forms. So, I asked the PPO to investigate after feeling ignored by the internal prison complaints system.

In March 2020 the PPO upheld my complaint, agreed I deserved an apology and the volunteer role should be re-instated. Covid-19 delayed the reinstatement of the job, before my actual release. I received a written apology from the Governor (who is actually responsible for 2 women’s prisons, so very stretched). I appreciate the apology – and since my verdict, East Sutton Park’s local ROTL policy has been amended to allow voluntary work.

The new ROTL policy framework is meant to enable better rehabilitation and allow more women access to ROTL, but residents continue to struggle to get placements approved. As well as feeling under constant threat of withdrawal of ROTL at any time.

So what lessons should be learned from my experience? Firstly, I’d like to thank both the Prison Reform Trust Advice and Information team and Prisoners’ Advice Service for believing in me and helping to handle the complaint, as it can often feel as though most women prisoner’s complaints are ignored. I had to be very determined and couldn’t have done it on my own.

I entirely believe that officers – and governors – should receive special training for managing female prisoners as their needs are so different than the typical male prisoner. Blanket policies and approaches for women and men are not appropriate. From my own experience, this is especially important for older women. I am now over 60 years old, and still a human being with a life that matters.

Please do pursue complaints with the PPO if you feel your complaint is ignored by the prison. Don’t give up if you have a valid complaint.

By Karen (name changed to protect identity)

A comment from Unlock

Following a long association with HMP East Sutton Park, we were disappointed to see the government’s new ROTL policy being implemented in this way. Although it remains the primary objective of many women to find paid work, for some this is simply not the case.

Karen’s imminent retirement was a valid reason for her not seeking paid work and for those coming to the end of long sentence, or who have little work experience, voluntary work can be a valuable stepping stone back into the community.

Why do I still have to fight for everything when my conviction was almost 4 years ago?

Whether you’re applying for a college/university course or a job, disclosing a conviction could potentially make it more difficult. Is it any surprise therefore that some people with a criminal record never reach their full potential simply because the fight goes out of them.

In 2015 I came to the UK from the Czech Republic where I’d taught 1st grade primary school children. Although I was a university graduate with a Master of Teaching in the Czech Republic, I had to demonstrate that I was able to teach in the UK and not long after I arrived, I was awarded the Qualified Teacher Status. It felt incredible and I was so happy.

I was offered a job working as a general teaching assistant and, only a few weeks into my new job I was given the task of working on a one-to-one basis with a 4 year old boy who was on the autistic spectrum. He was finding it extremely hard to settle into the school environment and needed extra support.

Lucas (not his real name) could be quite difficult to work with; he was aggressive towards the other children and me, and there were times that he would be a danger to himself. As he got to know me, we started to gel but I had never worked with children with special educational needs before or experienced such behaviour and there were times when I found it quite shocking but, I persevered.

Six months after I’d started working with him, his behaviour suddenly escalated to a level that I’d never seen before and I didn’t know what to do, he was totally out of control. As a last resort, I smacked him across the bottom. I realised straight away that I’d made a huge mistake and immediately went to find my manager and tell her what had happened. I thought we’d be able to talk through the situation and then decide a course of action (more training, a warning etc). Sadly I wasn’t given that opportunity, just suspended from duty.

It took 5 months for the school to conduct a fact finding meeting and in that time I was told that I couldn’t go near the school. Colleagues who I’d thought of as friends ignored me. In the May of that year I went to the police station to give a voluntary statement and in the September I was charged – assault by beating. My case went to court in January 2017 and I was found guilty. The magistrate expressed his disapproval at the lack of training the school had provided me with.

After the court case I had to wait another 6 months to find out that the DBS were not going to add me to the children’s barred list and this gave me a glimmer of hope that my career wasn’t finished.

For the next two years finding a full time job was almost impossible and so I cleaned houses whilst also working as a very part-time nanny. As it became more and more difficult to earn a regular income I signed on with the job centre and, after telling my ‘story’ to the work coach she arranged for me to meet with a recruitment agency.

The meeting couldn’t have gone better and the agency took me on. It took 3 months for my DBS certificate to arrive but once it did, I started working as a nursery nurse.

Whilst I’d been doing my cleaning job I’d been accepted onto a level 2 counselling course at a local college. I’d disclosed my conviction and been told by the course leader that it wouldn’t be a problem for the course but may present some difficulties in the future if I wanted to work in this field. I decided to face that bridge when I came to it and so I started the course.

I found it really interesting but also demanding and not everyone that started it managed to finish. However, I felt quite confident going onto level 3. I was surprised therefore to be called in to see the course leader who told me (in an extremely hostile way) that my application to move onto the level 3 course was being refused on the basis of my criminal record.

As part of my course we’d had to work through our own personal issues, be open about ourselves and learn what it’s like to feel vulnerable. Maybe that’s why I’m so surprised and disappointed that a trained counsellor and course leader could have spoken to me and treated me in the way she did.

I want to appeal the college’s decision but I need to mentally prepare myself first. I’d really like to use my own experiences to help others but sometimes you just get dragged down with having to fight for every chance or opportunity.

By Galina (name changed to protect identity)

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