For many people in prison, it can feel as if they're set up to fail with little support put in place for when they leave. Some can go in and out of prison for most of their adult life, hurting their connections to friends, families and communities. Footprints supports people to break the cycle of crime, building safer and stronger communities together.
*Names have been changed
We received a referral in March 2021 for a guy named Toby, who had served 9 and a half years of a 10-year sentence. He had substance misuse issues, had contact with his sister and children and in the last 20 years, he had not been out of prison for more than a couple of months. He was released to a hostel, where he was subject to rules and regulations. He struggled in public and would become overwhelmed in shops. He felt it would be easier to remain in prison.
We began working with him, and he was matched with a mentor who helped him access basic clothing, toiletries and a TV purchased through a grant we applied for from a local Dorset charity. We assisted him in claiming universal credit, securing a loan from them and helped him budget to ensure his money would last. We supported him to access ongoing housing support, register with a GP and begin the process to access medication. We encouraged him to contact his family and an agency that helped him steer clear of substance use. Toby began managing his anxiety much better, improving his family ties and refraining from using substances. With the help of his family, he purchased a metal detector and a camera, which he uses in his free time. 4 months after we met him, we assisted him in moving from Dorset to his sister's home in Hampshire.
Toby was matched with a new mentor in the local area who helped him settle into his new location. We helped Toby access a bicycle to get around in the rural area, and he has since passed his driving test and begun driving on the roads. Both his new and old mentors stayed in contact with him. Within 7 months of moving, he secured his own flat and adopted a dog. He has been supporting his niece, sister and friends in doing odd unpaid jobs for them and helping where he can to repay the help they gave him. He has started hearing from his daughters, who were cautious about getting involved with him after his history of going in and out of prison. After a year out, he has built good ties with them.
It has been a pleasure to watch Toby's journey, from fear of getting out of prison, being miles from anywhere and anyone he knew, to building a settled home for himself, with a loving and supportive relationship with his family, free from substances and crime. In 2023, Toby contacted us and told us he had received a 12-month contract and is working to support the homeless. He said:
"You won't believe this, mate. Today I got a 12-month contract, band 4, working for the CJT. Can you picture that from when I first met you, from getting out after serving 9 and a half years of that 10? Listen, I'll never forget the support you gave me when I first got out. A forty-six-year addict and all the prison sentences I'd done. Remember, I couldn't even handle going in a shop, will catch up and tell you all very soon, busy at the moment. I was at Probation today, but not as a client seeing a client. Speak soon."
Three years on, Toby's first mentor spoke to him again. He is still working in services, helping the homeless, and has been able to travel and see some of the world.
