Abstract
Funding for university studies for ex-prisoners
Released or soon-to-be-released prisoners wanting to go to university are encouraged to apply to the Longford Trust’s scholarship programme. The charity, set up in 2002, focuses on higher education and is currently working with around 60 serving and (mainly) ex-prisoners to support them into university, through a degree course, and – via internships, work placements and employer links – into jobs on graduation. Eighty-five per cent of those on the programme graduate.
All subjects from accountancy to zoology, and all UK universities are covered. There are 25 awards made each summer (application forms available on line or by post; closing date 1 June). All recipients get a grant (no need to pay back) towards living costs of between £1500 and £2500, and the one-to-one support of a trained mentor, plus access to the trust’s secure app platform that links in one e-community of mutual support its past and present scholars and mentors. More information is available at: www.longfordtrust.org; email:
Working with trauma
One Small Thing is an organisation pushing for cultural change in the criminal justice system for women, with the purpose of shifting the question away from ‘what’s wrong with them?’, towards ‘what happened to them?’. The website contains a mix of materials that provide individual perspectives and experiences about trauma and becoming trauma-informed as a practitioner or organisation. The website includes weekly podcasts of women’s survival stories that include the trauma the women have suffered and podcasts from key individuals linked with research, policy and justice organisations. There are short documents exploring the value and gains of providing trauma-informed services and video conversations. Details of the trauma-informed approach and access to practice materials can be found at: http://www.onesmallthing.org.uk/; email:
Understanding domestic abuse – short video talks
A YouTube video, ‘How Domestic Abuse Can Affect Children’, with Professor Brigid Featherstone (Professor of Social Work at the University of Huddersfield) talks about not only how domestic abuse can affect children but how it impacts the entire family. The video was developed as part of the West Yorkshire Police ‘Domestic Abuse Affects Children Too!’ campaign. See: https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=_zA0oTJNH8E
A Ted Talk covering ‘Why Domestic Victims Don’t Leave’ with Leslie Morgan Steiner discusses why she was in love with a man who routinely abused her and threatened her life. Steiner tells the dark story of her relationship, correcting misconceptions many people hold about victims of domestic violence, and explaining how we can all help break the silence. See: https://www.ted.com/talks/leslie_morgan_steiner_why_domestic_violence_victims_don_t_leave/up-next? language=en