Emma Shearer
If you want to add a little bit of spice to a life of studying abroad, why not try being a volunteer! It was not a part of what I had planned, but I was pretty fortunate to be surrounded by super energetic and supportive people who encouraged me to GET OUT of the lecture hall and do something new. Also, just like what a wise philosopher said: “We will only understand the miracle of life fully when we allow the unexpected to happen”. Here was the result of jumping on the unexpected train. SPOILER ALERT, it was pretty awesome!
Get to know New Bridge Foundation
During Michaelmas term, the university held a bunch of events and activities for all freshers, and jobs and volunteer fairs were one of them. New Bridge outstandingly caught my eye due to its unique offering experiences that allow me to support people in prison to resettle back into the community after release by becoming their pen pal, or what we call ‘prisoner befriender’.
What did a prisoner befriender do?
Training session
The initial step is to be well trained making sure that you’re ready to get in touch with your befriended prisoner with caution and non-judgmental social contact. After a few sessions or when you feel you’re ready, you will be matched with 1-2 prisoners and assigned to the smaller volunteer groups of about 10 people. The group will be led by one of the seniors or a volunteer who has been participating for a while. While being a volunteer, you might have some questions or concerns that you’re worried about; therefore, this group aims to provide support and make sure that everyone is safe and on the right track. You will have a chance to exchange your stories with one another to help each other respond to a letter in a non-biased manner, including detecting any misbehaviours in a letter or during the visits.
A befriending service
There are mainly 2 tasks: exchanging a letter, and a visit. To keep your identity private, you can introduce yourself using a pseudonym to your befriended prisoner. Also, the letter will be sent to the New Bridge Foundation as a mediator before transferring to our address. The whole process will be conducted cautiously and safely to keep both volunteers and prisoners secure about themselves. The kickstart letter will be proofread by a New Bridge senior volunteer as a mentor, and you can pay a visit (of course with the befriended prisoners’ consent) whenever you feel you’re ready to.
Apart from the two tasks I have mentioned, our monthly befriending routine is to send a form summarizing the total spent on your time and letter, as well as to participate in a monthly group meeting which is now on Zoom. The former task is to let the foundation have a record of the work’s progress and the volunteer’s contribution. The latter part is to help each other update their concerns so that everyone can have a safe and smooth time with their befriender.
What did our befriended prisoners gain from us?
According to the 2023 evaluation outcomes, more than half of prisoners have positive changes in the way they feel about getting through their sentences, their future, and how they can connect to the outside world as a result of our befriending service. I personally believe that the post-prison life is as significant as the living-in-prison period; it might be even more important considering that it will be the evaluation of how successful the prison system is. The place that should reaffirm the person’s sense of self-worth and feeling of belonging in any community to aid successful reintegration after being released, reduce reoffending combat loneliness and improve the mental health of those serving long prison sentences along with an increased sense of value and potential for their future. These things are not one persons responsibility but it is every single member of our community to help each other build a strong and loveable community where no one is left behind.
Why did I join and what did I learn from being a prisoner volunteer?
The reason that I joined this volunteer is because I knew that even though I regarded myself as neutral and non-judgemental person, there is still a glimpse of implicit bias that makes me fear people who have been in prison. The best way to overcome the fear is to face it, so I decided to get closer and learn about them. After my befriended prisoner and I talked for a while, I realized that we all are somehow kept in our prison, and my befriender actually helped me walk out of it while I was a volunteer. That’s how meaningful being a prisoner befriender meant to me. My befriended prisoner is one of the strongest and kindest people I have ever talked to. He bravely told me about his misstep, what he learnt from it and how he fights his nightmare expecting a bright morning. It must be really difficult to talk about the past, especially to someone who is almost a stranger like me, but after a while, I can sense that he has tried so hard to fight his depression and keep swimming. I do hope that I can increase his self-confidence and assure him that he will always have a place out here, a life that he has dreamed of.
Lastly, if you want to make your university life a more meaningful and impactful experience, a prisoner befriender is an interesting step that you could get started with. All it needs is just a share of our quality time in university life, it takes just about 1 hour (30 mins for writing a letter and around 30 mins to walk to the post office). However, what you will gain is a priceless experience and meaningful story that one could ask for.
P.S. Thank you Pauline, Tom and Ben and all of my group’s members who had guided be through the process and make me feel comfortable in embarking myself in this journey. Having a chance to know everyone was one of the best things that I got while being with New Bridge and hopefully my dear readers will have a chance to meet everyone as well 🙂
Discover more
For more information about the New Bridge Foundation, visit: https://www.newbridgefoundation.org.uk
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