Women offenders: after the Corston Report - United Kingdom ...

Ev 10 Justice Committee: Evidence18 December 2012 A, B, C, D and Kate JohnsonC: I certainly was engaged with probation. I hadhad a probation order before I had my first custodialsentence. The challenge, or the difficulty, was thatthere was very little joined-up thinking, so I couldn’tget referred to any mental health treatment. As B said,there was very little emphasis on housing need. I didn’thave housing need, but I know a lot of women in prisonwho do and come in and out after short sentences,revolving door, engaged in probation at some point,but probation are very limited in what they can do. Theemphasis of probation, even today, is still very muchon punishing you. It is seen as a curb on your freedomand a requirement upon you. A lot of women havevery chaotic, complicated lives. They find makingappointments and keeping appointments, when theyfeel that they are being punished and not rehabilitatedthrough the probation service, very challenging.Q39 Mr Llwyd: A, you have just come out of prison.In the last weeks of prison, what back-up was there, orwas there a seamless transition out? What support areyou getting now, and what exactly is happening withyou at the moment, if I may ask?A: Just before I sat parole, you’ve got to get everythingready before you go in to sit parole. They told me thatI would have my probation officer, but she seems tobe on sick quite a lot so I asked for a back-up officer.That was arranged. I asked for a mentor out in thecommunity, totally independent from all authorities.That was arranged.Q40 Chair: You had to ask for those things.A: Yes; you’ve got to seek it yourself. I also askedfor a DIP worker, not for drugs but for alcohol. Theywere quite reluctant to take me on because I didn’thave anything to do with drugs and it was very hard tofind anybody out there who will support people withalcohol issues, especially in my area. That was all setup, and I went to sit parole and obviously I got theparole. I got supported housing with a key worker. Itis third-stage drug and alcohol residential hostel. Youhave a key worker, and if you have any issues you cango to them.I got out. I didn’t see my normal probation officer,I saw the back-up officer the day I got out. “Hello,ta‐ra”—they leave you and that’s it. I said to my keyworker, “What do I do about sorting money from socialsecurity?” “Just go along that street and tell them youwant to make a claim.” I have been 18 years in prison.I am struggling to find out how to use a basic phone,never mind walking along and walking in these placesthat weren’t even built when I was out. I went in, andthey told me that my claim would be sorted four hourslater, after interviews and paperwork.Then I tried to arrange to see my mentor and she says,“I am not available until Saturday.” I met somebodyelse. Actually, I met a friend from prison on day releaseand she gave me some support. I constantly tried tophone my DIP worker. He was unavailable; I couldn’tget hold of him. When I eventually did get hold of him,I didn’t get an appointment until this Thursday coming.I really want to stay anonymous in this because theplace where I am staying is supported housing. I havean empty flat next door, and all I’ve got is a key workerwho keeps going in and having a bath and going out,basically on the drink all the time, partying. I triedto go to her and say, “I need this; I need that.” I’vehad nothing. I had to go to another person’s flat andask them to lend me a cup so I can make a cup of tea.I’m still waiting. It’ll be three weeks on Thursday Ihave been out of prison and I still haven’t been paidanything from the jobseeker’s allowance. I haven’tbeen paid anything. I’ve had to go to the housing placeand sort out my housing benefit on my own. I’ve hadabsolutely nothing.I went to attend probation last week and she said, “Howare you?” I said, “I’m very much still institutionalised.Prison is very structured and, coming out, society isnot structured. You have to make your own structure.”She went, “Right, see you next week.” “Oh”, she sayson the way out, “can I just tell you your back-up officerhas changed, and next time I see you you will meetyour new one?” That’s it.Q41 Chair: Can I just reassure you that it will beanonymous? We are taking a note so that we cansay what people said, but it will not relate to namedindividuals at all.A: I’ve got nothing. I got a £46 grant when I left prison.I had to ask them for a crisis loan and they would onlygive me £40. I got a phone call yesterday and wasasked to attend here on the spur of the moment, andI don’t mind because I think you really need to knowhow hard it is. I know where I’ve been and what I’vedone in prison, but for anybody to come out it is soeasy for somebody to reoffend again.Q42 Chair: D, you are not long from release, areyou? What was your experience like?D: My experience of life in prison was a long timeago because I was re-arrested and went back. I went tostudy as a mental health nurse, to get my qualificationin nursing, but I was re-arrested again because—Q43 Chair: At the release stage, when you actuallycame out.D: I came out in 2010, and then I was not well due tomental health suffering and what has gone through myhead. Then, when I came out, Women in Prison werehelping me with counselling and my medication. Theyare the ones helping me.Q44 Chair: And who was it that was helping you?D: Women in Prison; Women in Prison were helpingme.Q45 Chair: What about family? Did some of you havefamily links that became very difficult or impossible tomaintain in prison?D: I have grandchildren that I was looking after beforeI went to prison. My grandson has a disability problem.Even if I am not well, I was the one looking after him.Q46 Chair: You were his carer, were you? You werelooking after him?D: Yes, I was looking after him before I went backto prison. Before I went back to prison, I had agranddaughter, again, I was looking after.