On Monday 9th December, we were thrilled to spend the evening participating in Clinks’ “Insiders’ View” event. Clinks, who support the voluntary sector working in the criminal justice system, sought to inspire its attendees by showcasing some of the amazing work going on within the prison and probation service.
Essence was delighted to be chosen to host one of the stalls in the striking setting of Mansion House. With a spread of some of the women’s worksheets from their sessions, activities for visitors to join in with themselves, and Jo and Kez on hand to go into more detail about our work, we gave a flavour of what Essence is about.
It was an incredible feeling to be surrounded by others working in the same field as us - Beyond Recovery, Safe Ground, Code 4000, Changing Tunes, Shannon Trust, Project 507, Only Connect and many more. With performances, music, art and interactive talks from these incredible organisations, there was much to be inspired by. This evening was an amazing reminder that there is a community of those working in the prison and probation service voluntary sector, whose aim is also to help those within prisons feel valued and seen, so that their futures may be brighter.
With the result of the election decided, this sense of community couldn’t have come at a more appropriate time. Denied the right to vote, despite rulings by the European Convention on Human Rights, prisoners’ lives are literally at the whim of whoever holds the key to number 10. With that decision now made, the future of criminal justice system’s infrastructure is set to be tougher than ever; 10,000 extra prison places in an already strained system; longer and harsher sentencing for violent crimes; squashing a plan to implement community punishments instead of short sentences.
As we approach the new decade, voluntary sector work is going to be more crucial than ever to ensure that those in prison feel believed in rather than turned away from, are seen as individuals worthy of reform rather than deserving only of punishment. So let’s all keep on fostering this sense of community and hope, and carry it with us into 2020!
To read Clinks’ blog about the event click here.