Life after prison is hard. We offer a range of mentoring services and practical support programmes to ensure people who are returning to Dorset and Hampshire from prison get the best possible fresh start.

Through the Gate mentoring

Our mentors sometimes visit people in prison to assess their needs before they return to Dorset and Hampshire. We address everything from where they will live and with whom, to work, finances, clothing, equipment and mental and physical health. We work in partnership with the people we help, to create an action plan for their release, helping them to re-integrate more easily and make our communities safer for everyone.

On the day of their release from prison, we meet people at the gate and we help them with the things they need to organise such as registering for accommodation, finding a GP, locating local food banks and initiating contact with probation and other services if necessary. 

This vital support at a vulnerable moment ensures those leaving prison start their new life on the right footing.

The Footprints Project takes referrals from all prisons but actively visits clients in the following:

HMP Portland

HMP Guys Marsh

HMP Channings Wood

HMP Winchester

HMP Bronzefield (women) 

HMP Eastwood Park (women)

HMP Send (women) 

HMP Verne

HMP Dartmoor

HMP Exeter

Approved Premises

Elizabeth Fry Approved Premises (women only), Reading

The Pines, Bournemouth

The Grange, Waterlooville

Dickson House, Fareham

Landguard Road, Southampton

Weston, Weymouth

"I just wanted to say thank you to Footprints for helping me since my release. Your collection service from prison made my life so my easier that day. Also the help and support you have given has helped me to continue on the right path and maintain abstinence."

Community Mentoring

The Footprints Project provides guidance and motivation to people who are already in the community but who may have spent time in prison, or be on probation. Our mentors have contact with people at least once a week, either meeting them face to face in the community or by telephone call, with additional contact between meetings if necessary, being a consistent, positive presence and helping people to get their lives back on track.

Mentoring for women

Gender-specific support is vital for the women we work with, many of whom have experienced domestic abuse and violence, sexual abuse, and exploitation. Volunteer mentors from The Footprints Project work in line with the Government’s 2018 Female Offender Strategy to deliver a mentoring scheme specifically for women who are returning to our area from women’s prisons HMP Bronzefield in Middlesex, HMP Send in Surrey, and HMP Eastwood Park in Gloucestershire. Specialist female team members from The Footprints Project visit women in prison when possible and and match them to female mentors who continue to support them in the community.

Community art programme for women

Time and space for creativity can make a big difference to mental health and emotional wellbeing for many of the women The Footprints Project supports. Our art programme involves small group sessions, run by an established Dorset artist, Samantha March, in partnership with our experienced staff. These regular sessions provide focus, friendship and a sense of self-belief for the women who attend. Some of our group also put on exhibitions and sell their work.

"I’m happy to have the opportunity to take part in the art sessions and find it helpful being guided by the art teacher and learning new techniques.  It’s a nice place to go and do something different and I feel good when I’ve done something creative."

To refer a woman to the session please contact [email protected]

Volunteer for us

Diversionary service for women

The Footprints Project works with Dorset Police to run a diversionary service specifically for women,  helping them to avoid repeating unhelpful or dangerous activities and stopping them potentially progressing to a prosecution and court. 

Under the diversionary service, police issue a conditional caution to women who are classified as vulnerable, are perhaps on the verge of engaging in unhelpful or criminal behaviour for the first time or have been known to the police before but have not offended for some time. 

Women on the diversionary service scheme meet our specialist staff regularly for 18  weeks and we then offer ongoing volunteer support. We currently provide support for around 100 women a year with around 93% of those we help remaining crime-free after working with The Footprints Project.

This service has been highly successful since its launch in 2019 and in 2020 was awarded a prestigious commendation from the Howard League for Penal Reform.