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The Norfolk and Norwich Christian community website

Mentors help ex-offenders settle into community 

The Annual Meeting of Community Chaplaincy Norfolk (CCN) was held yesterday and shared news of the 57 people supported by the charity this year on release from prison.

Bishop Jonathan Meyrick opened the November 25 meeting at 6pm with prayers for the nation and for all those involved in community chaplaincy. Rev Matthew Hutton, chair of trustees for CCN, thanked the many people who have been involved in supporting men and women leaving prison in Norfolk over the past year. 

Covid has posed a challenge for the charity, but work has continued in 2020, thanks to the continued referrals from prisons, creative approaches to training and space made available in St Stephen’s church to meet with clients.

The café at St Stephen’s church in Norwich provides a safe and confidential environment for mentors to meet with their clients. This facility was made available during the second lockdown. 

Collaboration is vital to the success and growth of CCN; a focus this year has been to, build good working relationships with agencies both sides of the gate. The charity has started an advisory forum, which includes representation from prison, courts, the DWP, churches and people with lived experience of the criminal justice system. The charity is also launching the ‘Friends of CCN’ to encourage more people to get involved, pray for the charity and give financially.

CCN has worked with 57 clients this year, the majority of whom are from HMP Norwich and aged between 21 – 68 years. They are predominantly male and were referred from probation, drug and alcohol treatment professionals and also from the chaplaincy team in the prisons. 

CCN manager Mel Wheeler is speaking with HMP Peterborough to work with more female clients in the future. Mel described the charity’s volunteer mentors as the ‘backbone of CNN’ she said, “Without our volunteer mentors and their dedication, CCN would cease to exist.” CCN regularly recruits new mentors and offers initial and ongoing training. Mel carefully matches mentors to clients.

The support people leaving prison receive from their mentors help them to transition successfully into wider society.

Mel gave the example of Callum, a category D status prisoner (open prison) who attended church at St Stephens – someone he met there told him about CCN. He was supported to gain voluntary work at St Stephens church. Callum was helped to apply for housing with Hope Into Action. His link with the church and CCN helped him to gain a reference as they could vouch for change in behaviour and attitude and Callum now has a paid job.”

The Lord-Lieutenant of Norfolk, Lady Philippa Dannatt, is patron of CNN and she painted a picture of what it’s like in prison and gave statistics to show the challenges faced. During 2020, many prisoners have faced confinement for 23 hours a day. The withdrawal of professional services and rehabilitation activities has had a huge impact on people.
Time out of a cell is essential for prisoners’ emotional and physical wellbeing.

Pippa said: “The prospect of release is really daunting for some individuals; there is an element of a revolving door. This is what CCN seeks to dramatically reduce.” The Ministry of Justice reports 48% of released prisoners are reconvicted of another offence within a year, the figure is even higher for those with short sentences - 63%. “The door continues to revolve for far too many.”

The proportion of people who develop an addiction while in custody has more than doubled in last five years.

CCN is looking to take a lead and developing person-centred interventions in order to be most effective. She said, “It is absolutely vital that we continue to walk with ex offenders to help them to rebuild their lives. I am immensely proud to be associated with CCN.”

CCN is intending to run at least two training courses for new mentors in 2021 mentor and part of the recruitment will be to increase the faith diversity base of mentors. 

If you would like to book a place or find out more contact info@norfolkchaplaincy.org.uk or call 07710 303 909.
 
For more information about Community Chaplaincy Norfolk visit visit norfolkchaplaincy.org.uk

 

Helen Baldry, 26/11/2020

Helen Baldry
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