Therapy Today

© hans neleman/the image bank/getty images
• Specialist training and development
for work with offenders
• A Code of Ethics for specific use with
this population and in this context
• Enhancement and sharing of best
practice
• Promotion of relationships – with
service users and across the range of
providers
• Constructive interactions with the
regime (Home Office, prison service,
institution)
• Extension of the evidence base.
It was notable that a recent edition
of the BBC’s Any Questions featured a
question on the issue of prison reform.
The questioner was the mayor of the
town hosting the live broadcast – a
person who, it emerged, had been in
prison as a young man for drugs offences.
His story was that it was support from
others which turned his life around.
There are plenty of similar narratives
to be found. Mark Johnson, founder
of the rehabilitation charity Uservoice,
argues equally strongly for support for
offenders – and for recognition that
this is needed inside prison – not just
on release.
What is sure is that if the Justice
Secretary’s statements are to mean
anything, they will imply a significantly
increased input from individuals willing
to work therapeutically with offenders.
The questions about how posts are
created, funded and maintained remain
to be answered. Without doubt, some
of the work will need to be done by an
expanded volunteer sector. It is likely
that many counsellors will be working
with those on community-based
sentences.
What is clear is that the policies of
the previous administration have been
radically called into question. There is
reason to hope that a more differentiated
system of penal care and offender
management could emerge – one where
notions of re-education and change are
more central than they have ever been
in this country. If this concept can be
allowed to develop, then it is obvious
that those most in contact in supporting
change processes with individual
offenders will play a critical role.
Alan Dunnett and Peter Jones have
co-facilitated annual conferences of the
Counselling in Prisons Network since 2008.
Enquiries about the Network or the 5-Year
Strategy should be addressed to Peter Jones,
Chair of the Counselling in Prisons Network,
at Jonesp@bournemouth.ac.uk. Peter Jones
is a Fellow of BACP.
November 2010/www.therapytoday.net/Therapy Today 25