Emily Thomas reflects on 10 years as Governor of HMP Isis, sharing how strong partnerships - including funding from the Portal Trust - can help young men break the cycle of re-offending.
This month I celebrated my 10 year anniversary as Governor of HMP Isis. Celebrated is the right word, although perhaps not one you would readily associate with running a prison. But I love my job and I am proud of the staff team who work with me and the young men we look after.
What makes me proudest is the work we do to support young men to change their lives. This is where we contribute most to a safer society: by focusing on ensuring that this prison sentence is a young man’s last.
I could say I look after 620 prisoners, offenders, inmates or criminals, but that wouldn’t give you the full picture.
Half of the young men in my prison are aged 18-21. A third of them are care leavers. A third were excluded from school. 70% are neurodiverse. Many of them witnessed domestic violence, drug use and alcohol abuse in their home. More than half of them took drugs and/or alcohol in the community. Around half of them are in a gang (we have more than 100 different gangs identified in the prison).
They are also more than their crimes and more than their past traumas. They are young and vibrant with talents and aspirations. They have a debt to repay to society but we also have a responsibility to support them on to a better path on release.
The vast majority of them are from London and all of them will be released, at some point, back into the community. Around 1000 young men will enter and exit HMP Isis over the course of this year. We know that any work we can do to reduce the chance of them re-offending does not just benefit them but also the communities they return to.
Last year, around 300 young men released from Isis were in employment 6 months from their release from prison. We know that employment is one of the strongest factors in preventing re-offending which occurs at a higher rate amongst young men than any other age group.
The other 700 joined the 1 million NEET young people identified in Alan Milburn’s recent report, ‘Young People and Work’ and they share the characteristics identified in that report as making a young person more likely to be NEET but they have the added complication of a criminal record.
Prison can present an opportunity for young men to re-engage with education and learn new skills. They are, quite literally, a captive audience and we’ve even removed access to all social media!
Some of this is provided within the prison’s own delivery but it truly gains meaning and substance when our delivery is enhanced and improved by engagement from employers, from the community and from the third sector. It is through such partnerships that young men gain confidence that there are opportunities for them to succeed and people outside the walls who will help and support them.
It is through our work with partners that we deliver courses in demolition, music, industrial cleaning, film production, business, creative entrepreneurship, live events production, cooking & hospitality and painting & decorating.
However, the young men at HMP Isis face two challenges, they are already more likely to be among the 1 million NEET young people in this country before they commit a crime, and they may find themselves judged for that crime long after their sentence is served.
A man spoke at my anniversary celebration yesterday. He said he had been in Isis 5 years ago. That his time in Isis and what he was able to do with it changed him and set him on a positive path and that he was so proud when he walked back through the prison gates as a paid employee of the Switchback mentoring team, a keyholder whose job it was to encourage young men now in prison to use their time wisely and support them in to the community on release.
We have an opportunity to support more men like this both in the prison and on release and in doing so we can have a profound impact on individual lives and on society. This is why I love my job.
How we're funding opportunities for at-risk young people
At the Portal Trust, we believe that a prison sentence shouldn't define a young person's future. We're proud to support young people at HMP Isis by funding Three Pillars Project and the Saracens Sport Foundation - two fantastic organisations using sports-based mentoring to grow confidence, leadership skills, and belonging.
Are you working on a project that supports young people who are at risk of missing out on education? Whether you are supporting young prisoners or working with at-risk young people in the community, we want to help. Visit our Funding Page to learn more about our funding criteria and how to apply.