Prison

We started taking small groups of students and teachers into HMP Huntercombe in March 2020. Our prison-liaison lead is a long-standing officer and a teacher of the prisoner-mentoring Stoic programme. He welcomes the students and introduces them to two prisoners who have volunteered as schools project mentors and accompany the visit. They must have completed in the Stoic self-mastery programme in order to volunteer for this role, as well as being at the end of their sentence. This programme consists of a 16-hour course which provides prisoners with a framework for training in emotional resilience. It has been proven to reduce violence, aggression and self-harm, and increase the feeling of well-being at HMP Huntercombe.

Visits always take place at lunchtime when the rest of the prisoners are in their cells. The prisoners are shown round a prison wing, with its kitchens, showers, and cells, as well as the education wing and the building skills workshop. An important part of the visit is an informal talk between the prisoners and the students, where questions can be asked. Emphasis is placed on the consequences of making bad choices and the impact of a criminal record on the rest of your life. We have received very positive feedback on this aspect of the visits.