Each table displayed postcards of information to encourage discussion and information on the Prison Reform Trust and the Corston Report and some quotes from Lord Bradley’s address at the Annual NFWI Meeting in Bournemouth.
After lunch Sue Smith, an ordained prison chaplain talked about her work in Grendon and Springhill prisons. She had previously been on the staff at the Young Offenders Centre in Aylesbury. The general public doesn’t know of the therapeutic work undertaken in these two local establishments where most of the prisoners are completing the final years of their sentences. We were shocked to be told that there are 82,676 men and over 30,000 women in prison at present and there are 200,000 children who have both parents behind bars. The aim of the prison staff is to prepare people for rehabilitation into society and hopefully get them back into work. Compared with other retention centres Grendon and Springhill’s figure of just 39% reconviction after the inmate has completed the scheme is well below the national average of 69%. Perhaps the community set-up where the inmates are grouped in wings of 40 is more successful. Pastoral care is good and there is access to medical and psychological help on the premises. However, the prison service is grossly understaffed. WI members were encouraged to volunteer their skills in the educational work taking place in the prisons. Some of the men cannot read or write so will find it difficult to find work when released; others are studying for further qualifications. Perhaps helping with literacy, gardening or crafts provides opportunities for talk and normality or joining the Prison Visitors Scheme to see what that entails. We just need to approach the relevant prison governor---every little helps both the staff who are short of time and the prisoner who needs to build his self-respect to withstand the temptation to return to crime.
At our WI monthly meeting the same evening, we enjoyed an entertaining talk by Isabelle Foley about her “Ten years at the BBC” mostly in the Costume Department. It was fascinating to see her memorabilia of nearly all the historical drama series since 1977 including the complete set of Shakespeare’s plays. We learned about the problems of continuity when concurrent scenes are shot not only months apart but also continents. As a finale Isabelle dressed a tailor’s dummy as Scarlet O’Hara from Gone with the Wind. Ruth Wilkinson gave an excellent report on the National WI meeting in Bournemouth which six of our members had attended. Plans were made for the August garden party and ideas aired for our stall at the Farmers’ market in November. We have received a rather unsatisfactory answer from the Blood Donors to which we are considering our response.