Prisoner Support Services update
P S S /Prisoner Support Service stands for Provide, Support and Strengthen – in a non-judgemental service accessible to all. Our only target is to bring change, and support to those who need it to learn new skills to eventually remove their barriers and contribute in a positive way to society. When people ask, “what do you do?” – basically we are led by the client’s needs, so what we do is listen and support.
Crime from a Social Scientist point of view and wanting to broaden the understanding of crime, is looking at the wide range of social problems, and social harms that may victimise individuals, social groups or whole societies. Understanding ways to meet support needs will bring change that is required to fight against inequalities and injustice, highlighting the entanglement of social welfare, crime control policies and law making.
Since being awarded funding, we have been able to buy three laptops and a portable scanner to allow research, applications and specialist referrals meeting the individual’s needs. Each of our client’s barriers are all different: For example, we have been able to assist a young lady who had no bed or bedding – we applied for funding for her using the laptops, from a local charity, and supported her and ordered a bed and bedding which had a positive impact on her wellbeing. The funding that was awarded to her did not cover all her needs and PSS were able to fund for the shortfall (as delivery was an additional cost on each item – so she had the funding for mattress and bedding but unable to get it delivered).
We have also been able to support at outside links with homeless people that have been released from custody, and in need of various applications and completed to date a number of matters including health care, housing, benefit applications, employment options, cv writing, and subject access requests, all through the digital inclusion project.
We offer a weekly support drop-in session and some just appreciate having a chat. One gentleman has a master’s degree in engineering and due to living in a tent and having an issue with his leg, he currently is unable to work in his role at McDonalds. This position is not suitable as he is a maintenance man for restaurant and is unable to be on his feet all day. His needs are linked, no wages due to being classed as unfit for work, he cannot afford to rent a room. He cannot give up his employment because he will have no local connection and would have to relocate to an area that he wants to avoid. (The council will only support with rent if there is a local connection of family or employment) No accommodation means he has no internet access to make applications. PSS are currently supporting with a PIP application, cv update, job search and housing options. He has a hospital appointment to address his leg issue.
We are currently working on promoting our service to increase referral numbers. We have applied for a feature to be printed in a nationwide prison newspaper. We are also currently requesting to be risk assessed to enable probation referrals. The laptops have proved worthwhile so far and I am sure we can continue to support many others.