Offenders - voices
There is no substitute for hearing from the people in the excluded groups themselves. This voices section contains links to publications and other media, such as videos, that try to capture the lived experience of their situation.
freeasabird
freeasabird is a project and social network for women offenders and ex-offenders in London. It aims to support women coming out of the criminal justice system and offers a password protected space for discussions and sharing experiences. The website also has areas in which women offenders and ex-offenders tell their stories and share their stories through films and audio files.
Prison Reform Trust (2008) No one knows
A UK-wide programme that aims to effect change by exploring and publicising the experiences of offenders with learning disabilities and learning difficulties who come into contact with the criminal justice system. The work is guided by people with learning disabilities who have been in trouble with the police, and makes extensive use of interviews with them.
Revolving Doors: Photo stories
In this section of the Revolving Doors Agency website on service involvement three members of the Agency's National Service User Forum made these films following on from training they received. They learned how to use a camera and interview equipment in order to share their feelings and thoughts about their experiences. The introduction to these three stories says "We all go through different things in our lives so please watch with an open mind".
Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health (2008) From the inside
'From the inside' is based on interviews with prisoners from five West Midlands prisons. It finds that the 'average' prisoner has a combination of mental health, substance use and other problems. It sets out what prisoners themselves say they need to improve their mental health: 'someone to talk to', 'something to do' during the day and practical help to plan for what they will do after they are released.
User Voice: what’s your story?
User Voice is a charity led and delivered by ex-offenders who foster dialogue between users and providers of services within the criminal justice system. Young offenders tell their story in the ‘Have your say’ section. This is linked to the final report of User Voice’s Excluded Youth project published in 2011 - see What’s your story: summary of young offenders’ insights into tackling youth crime and its causes.