Life after prison, prisoners perspective
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I asked my husband to write some notes about his experience in prison and post prison. I am sure it willl help as I know this was a huge worry for me. He wrote these a couple of weeks ago.
EXPERIENCES FOLLOWING RELEASE FROM PRISONER
4 weeks into my post prison life. These are my experiences; they will differ for each individual and their own personal circumstances.
Prison
Whilst in prison, my prison offender manager, (POM) had produced a ‘Sentence Plan’, this plan had suggested I would be receiving support in prison from him and my ‘Key Worker’, (An assigned prison officer). Neither of these thing’s transpired. There were no courses or programmes appropriate for me and the officers never found time for key worker sessions.
The best support I received inside was from The Chaplaincy Team and the Education provider.
An organisation called Catch22 were supposed to contact me at 12 weeks prior to release, to provide support with finding employment and accommodation, however this function is now performed by the prison ‘Resettlement Team’, who liaise with and defer to probation. I had a brief meeting with Resettlement, they suggested I sign-on for benefits and wait for my state pension. They said there was nothing they could help me with and would leave everything with my COM.
The night before release, a CM (Custodial Officer) came to my cell to obtain my signature on my licence conditions document. He also checked my arrangements for travelling to the COM to ensure the correct travel warrant would be issued in the morning. He commented that I had few conditions on my licence, the most important being to meet with the COM before 5pm the following day.
On release day you are handed back your possessions from reception, in my case, transport was arranged to take me to the train station. A CM hands you a copy of your licence conditions, and confirmation of the arrangements for the first meeting the probation office later that day. I was handed 2 weeks of my prescription medications that health care had organised.
The funds in your prison account and a supplement of £76 are paid to you, up to £200 in cash and the balance in cheque. A travel warrant is provided for you to exchange for travel tickets and fares to your returning location.
No help or assistance is provided for charging mobile phones that have been in reception.
A hold-all was provided which I hurriedly stuffed my possessions into, before being rushed out the gate.
Probation
Prior to release I had three video link meetings with my probation manager (COM, Community Offender Manager).
The first meeting, 12 weeks prior to release, had established my immediate post release needs, being accommodation and help and support with employment. The COM had assumed I’d be returning to the flat and employment I’d had prior to prison.
I was given a form to complete in order that my COM could make a start updating my ‘OASys’, (OASys is the abbreviated term for the Offender Assessment System).
At the next 2 video meetings with my COM, 4 weeks and 4 days prior to release, he confirmed I’d been successful in being allocated a single occupancy flat for 84 nights, through the Community Accommodation Service Tier 3, ( CAS3 programme). He also confirmed that the support referral had been made to the council for housing support.
All I had to do now, was make sure to meet him at his office, before 5pm on the day of release, he would personally take me to my accommodation.
Jobcentre Plus
In the last weeks in prison, I receive an invitation for a meeting with a member of staff from Job Centre Plus, 2 weeks prior to release. They promised to arrange an interview for me, with my nearest Job-centre office as soon as possible after release.
They established my release location from probation and the interview was arranged in my local town for the day after my release.
Universal Credit
I attended the Jobcentre, having previously been informed that I needed to register for an account at least 2 hours before attending. At this meeting I successfully completed the registration for a Universal Credit Account and an appointment was made for the following week.
An application for emergency money was offered, but I declined as the cash from prison was sufficient for my immediate needs.
At the follow-up meeting they confirmed that I don’t qualify for help or support as I have private funds and, unfortunately, they would be deleting my account. As I will have no account with them, they would be unable to support me with self-employment or contributions to NI. This advice differed from that which I’d received in prison.
The member of staff apologised, but they did respond to my request for help, in making a quick search for the type of jobs I was interested in locally. The staff member did a search and sent this link to me which has proven useful.
ViSOR
The day after release, following a telephone call to establish a contact, I visited the local police station to check-in with ViSOR. This was routine as I’d registered with them previously, luckily the same officer I’d met before I’d been sentenced, and had visited me in my previous flat, was still able to work with me. I updated them with details of bank account, telephone numbers, emails, and all my devices capable of accessing the internet.
It was arranged that she would visit me in my temporary accommodation, together with my COM, the following week.
At this meeting we went through my licence conditions and re-established the basic conditions of the SHPO
She asked to see all the IT devices I’d registered, and she made a quick scan of my internet history on each device.
She advised that the ViSOR team will be making another visit soon, and as they are the police, this will be without notice. Monitoring software will be installed on my devices, however apparently it doesn’t work on iPhones, as I have 2 iPhones, I’m not sure what will happen.
Accommodation
Probation made a referral for me with ‘Interventions Alliance’, who will help me find accommodation. I’ve had an initial telephone meeting and have established that they will help me search for local private lettings. They suggest that the Council will not help me financially and wouldn’t offer me supported accommodation unless I’m able to move anywhere in the County. I will meet Interventions Alliance again at the Probation Office in a couple of weeks.
I’ve registered with local estate agents and Right Move and receive several listings daily for private lettings.
Probation had registered me with the local Council, and I have a meeting booked with the Council Housing team this week. I don’t anticipate anything will come out of this meeting other than termination of my registration.
Employment
Probation had referred me for employment support, yesterday I had a call from an employment coach. We had a chat about my plans for employment and will meet again, at the probation office, in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, we will work together on my CV and disclosure statement. He will be able to help with my search for suitable jobs that match my skills and needs, also help and support me with interviews.
Wellbeing Support
The COM has prioritised my support needs for this initial settling-in period and has registered me for ‘Wellbeing’ support. I received an initial introductory call last week, from Forward Trust, and will be meeting with them at the probation office in a couple of weeks.
Throughout this period, I’ve been able to fund mobile connectivity with a phone and laptop and have made full use of the PCs in local libraries. It would have been very difficult and challenging without being connected to these agencies.
After I’ve found accommodation and employment, I will be working with Probation on offence related programmes, within the Maps for Change framework. He is not prioritising this work, as whilst it is a condition of my Sentence Plan, it can be completed over a manageable time frame within my time availability.
EXPERIENCES FOLLOWING RELEASE FROM PRISONER
4 weeks into my post prison life. These are my experiences; they will differ for each individual and their own personal circumstances.
Prison
Whilst in prison, my prison offender manager, (POM) had produced a ‘Sentence Plan’, this plan had suggested I would be receiving support in prison from him and my ‘Key Worker’, (An assigned prison officer). Neither of these thing’s transpired. There were no courses or programmes appropriate for me and the officers never found time for key worker sessions.
The best support I received inside was from The Chaplaincy Team and the Education provider.
An organisation called Catch22 were supposed to contact me at 12 weeks prior to release, to provide support with finding employment and accommodation, however this function is now performed by the prison ‘Resettlement Team’, who liaise with and defer to probation. I had a brief meeting with Resettlement, they suggested I sign-on for benefits and wait for my state pension. They said there was nothing they could help me with and would leave everything with my COM.
The night before release, a CM (Custodial Officer) came to my cell to obtain my signature on my licence conditions document. He also checked my arrangements for travelling to the COM to ensure the correct travel warrant would be issued in the morning. He commented that I had few conditions on my licence, the most important being to meet with the COM before 5pm the following day.
On release day you are handed back your possessions from reception, in my case, transport was arranged to take me to the train station. A CM hands you a copy of your licence conditions, and confirmation of the arrangements for the first meeting the probation office later that day. I was handed 2 weeks of my prescription medications that health care had organised.
The funds in your prison account and a supplement of £76 are paid to you, up to £200 in cash and the balance in cheque. A travel warrant is provided for you to exchange for travel tickets and fares to your returning location.
No help or assistance is provided for charging mobile phones that have been in reception.
A hold-all was provided which I hurriedly stuffed my possessions into, before being rushed out the gate.
Probation
Prior to release I had three video link meetings with my probation manager (COM, Community Offender Manager).
The first meeting, 12 weeks prior to release, had established my immediate post release needs, being accommodation and help and support with employment. The COM had assumed I’d be returning to the flat and employment I’d had prior to prison.
I was given a form to complete in order that my COM could make a start updating my ‘OASys’, (OASys is the abbreviated term for the Offender Assessment System).
At the next 2 video meetings with my COM, 4 weeks and 4 days prior to release, he confirmed I’d been successful in being allocated a single occupancy flat for 84 nights, through the Community Accommodation Service Tier 3, ( CAS3 programme). He also confirmed that the support referral had been made to the council for housing support.
All I had to do now, was make sure to meet him at his office, before 5pm on the day of release, he would personally take me to my accommodation.
Jobcentre Plus
In the last weeks in prison, I receive an invitation for a meeting with a member of staff from Job Centre Plus, 2 weeks prior to release. They promised to arrange an interview for me, with my nearest Job-centre office as soon as possible after release.
They established my release location from probation and the interview was arranged in my local town for the day after my release.
Universal Credit
I attended the Jobcentre, having previously been informed that I needed to register for an account at least 2 hours before attending. At this meeting I successfully completed the registration for a Universal Credit Account and an appointment was made for the following week.
An application for emergency money was offered, but I declined as the cash from prison was sufficient for my immediate needs.
At the follow-up meeting they confirmed that I don’t qualify for help or support as I have private funds and, unfortunately, they would be deleting my account. As I will have no account with them, they would be unable to support me with self-employment or contributions to NI. This advice differed from that which I’d received in prison.
The member of staff apologised, but they did respond to my request for help, in making a quick search for the type of jobs I was interested in locally. The staff member did a search and sent this link to me which has proven useful.
ViSOR
The day after release, following a telephone call to establish a contact, I visited the local police station to check-in with ViSOR. This was routine as I’d registered with them previously, luckily the same officer I’d met before I’d been sentenced, and had visited me in my previous flat, was still able to work with me. I updated them with details of bank account, telephone numbers, emails, and all my devices capable of accessing the internet.
It was arranged that she would visit me in my temporary accommodation, together with my COM, the following week.
At this meeting we went through my licence conditions and re-established the basic conditions of the SHPO
She asked to see all the IT devices I’d registered, and she made a quick scan of my internet history on each device.
She advised that the ViSOR team will be making another visit soon, and as they are the police, this will be without notice. Monitoring software will be installed on my devices, however apparently it doesn’t work on iPhones, as I have 2 iPhones, I’m not sure what will happen.
Accommodation
Probation made a referral for me with ‘Interventions Alliance’, who will help me find accommodation. I’ve had an initial telephone meeting and have established that they will help me search for local private lettings. They suggest that the Council will not help me financially and wouldn’t offer me supported accommodation unless I’m able to move anywhere in the County. I will meet Interventions Alliance again at the Probation Office in a couple of weeks.
I’ve registered with local estate agents and Right Move and receive several listings daily for private lettings.
Probation had registered me with the local Council, and I have a meeting booked with the Council Housing team this week. I don’t anticipate anything will come out of this meeting other than termination of my registration.
Employment
Probation had referred me for employment support, yesterday I had a call from an employment coach. We had a chat about my plans for employment and will meet again, at the probation office, in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, we will work together on my CV and disclosure statement. He will be able to help with my search for suitable jobs that match my skills and needs, also help and support me with interviews.
Wellbeing Support
The COM has prioritised my support needs for this initial settling-in period and has registered me for ‘Wellbeing’ support. I received an initial introductory call last week, from Forward Trust, and will be meeting with them at the probation office in a couple of weeks.
Throughout this period, I’ve been able to fund mobile connectivity with a phone and laptop and have made full use of the PCs in local libraries. It would have been very difficult and challenging without being connected to these agencies.
After I’ve found accommodation and employment, I will be working with Probation on offence related programmes, within the Maps for Change framework. He is not prioritising this work, as whilst it is a condition of my Sentence Plan, it can be completed over a manageable time frame within my time availability.
Hi Tabs
Please pass on my thanks to your hubby for sharing his journey from been inside to where he is now
A sad read for the lack of support from the prison, job cent etc ,but a heartfelt read for how well he is doing by getting through each hurdle
You have been incredibly supportive and been there even though this journey has been hell xx
May the sun shine down on him and he finds inner strength and happiness as he starts to rebuild xx
Please pass on my thanks to your hubby for sharing his journey from been inside to where he is now
A sad read for the lack of support from the prison, job cent etc ,but a heartfelt read for how well he is doing by getting through each hurdle
You have been incredibly supportive and been there even though this journey has been hell xx
May the sun shine down on him and he finds inner strength and happiness as he starts to rebuild xx
The bit about Universal Credit is slightly misleading. He may have too much savings to qualify for UC, but he can still claim Jobseekers Allowance, on a credits only basis and get help with NI contributions towards his pension that way, although he will not get any benefit money.
Once he is on JSA, he can access all the jobcentre services, including help with self employment.
Once he is on JSA, he can access all the jobcentre services, including help with self employment.
Thank you. This is helpful.
Thanks Tabs, just a question about employment, what sort of jobs is he applying for and has he had any luck or interviews? Just wondering if the disclosure statement has put many potential employers off x
Thank you so much for posting this xx
Wow thanks for posting very brave x
Edel2020, thanks, that is useful for others. The main problem seems to be that we take what we are told whethe or not it is correct as we know no difference!
I will update again later on the job front. He has only just started actively looking. Fingers crossed. He is being told that he needs to 'get over himself' and 'get out there' when expressing his fears to the jobs coach! X
I will update again later on the job front. He has only just started actively looking. Fingers crossed. He is being told that he needs to 'get over himself' and 'get out there' when expressing his fears to the jobs coach! X