Visiting HMP Grendon for a social day

Volunteer Karen recently attended one of HMP Grendon's social days, and has shared her reflections on the experience.

During my forensic psychology degree, I learned about HMP Grendon and its therapeutic community. So, when New Bridge sent an email offering a visit, I jumped at it, as these are rare and fill up very quickly. When I arrived, I was met with refreshments from the service users on B wing, the sex offenders' unit. We chatted about the journey up and the weather—all very normal. We were then ushered into another room to be shown some arts and crafts that these guys had completed as part of their treatment. It was so inspiring: beautifully stitched, delicate butterflies to be cut and made into lavender bags to be sold; a cat stitched and made into a cosy cushion; and some stunning artwork using pencils that you could easily see in a gallery. A portrait of a young girl, her eyes hiding something deep and an old man wearing a cowboy hat, rugged and worn, with a story to tell. I was greeted by M, who was so open about his work here. He has written a sci-fi book, hoping to get it published. We chatted about how he got his story and the many, many hours of work he put into writing it by hand. You could feel how proud he was of it. I’m hoping he gets as far as he wants to with the publishing for him to realise his hard work has paid off.

It was then time for a Q&A with some of the service users, guards and therapists. J started us off as he is the chairman of the community and kept to a tight schedule. We learned about how the community runs, their day-by-day schedules, some of the therapies they attend, and how it has helped them understand how they came to be part of the rehabilitation at Grendon. I was particularly interested in hearing the prison guards' perspective on their role there. You see, it is a whole different forensic setting there; the men are part of the running of Grendon, they are split into their own groups and work together to help each other with their time there. They are more than a number; they are a person, they are seen and heard. For some, that is a lot to get used to when moving from one Cat B to another Cat B. You have to apply to go there and want to put the hard work into yourself to understand your behaviour that put you where you are. That is the rehabilitation, and what Grendon is all about. For some men, that takes time and a lot of deeply hidden trauma from childhood or challenging lived experiences that you or I cannot begin to imagine. Yes, these men have committed awful offences, but being here, putting the work in and being determined to show their remorse for their victims is very evident.

It was then time for lunch. It was here that I got to talk to R. He was one of the guys who drew the incredible pictures in the art display. In fact, he compiled M’s front cover for his sci-fi book. He went to his cell to collect the work to show me, and it was quite something. The details in the scenes he had compiled were extraordinary, all in biro and shaded with coloured pencils. He mentioned it took him quite some time, as once he's in his creative zone, he has to do a little at a time, as it's all encompassing. You could see in his face how proud he was of this work and how he appreciated the time given to listen to his story. As did all the men I spoke to. He has always been creative, as both his parents are too.

After lunch, we went outside for some fresh air. It was here that I got chatting to A. I asked him about his therapy and how he found it when he moved from his previous prison. Again, he talked about his time before Grendon and how very different things were there to here. He began to understand that what he witnessed as a young man was not dealt with; the psychological trauma was buried away and ignored. Hence, he made some bad choices and caused significant damage. A familiar pattern is forming with these men. This leads to what we were invited to be part of next: a psycho drama session. The fabulous teacher introduced herself and gave us an idea of what to expect, including wanting volunteers to take part in how this works. Several visitors did join in to attempt to understand how psycho drama works as part of Grendon's therapy treatments for these men. It was a session giving us a little insight into how it works. The techniques used were ‘mirroring’ and ‘role reversal’. Here is where we get to witness how the men were able to experience the perspective of their victims, something they had perhaps not thought about previously. The benefit of this and all the other therapies they experience is that it gives them a chance to experience situations from different perspectives to then better understand the impact their actions and behaviours had on others. Mirroring gave them a chance to see their own behaviour and more internalised conflicts from another viewpoint. When acting this out, they may experience new and challenging emotions for them from their past, but in a much safer space. It was fun but equally thought provoking.

It was then time to leave. I had a fire in my belly, knowing this was where I was meant to be. There was so much to process. I want to work to help and support people in prison in their rehabilitation journey. Hence, I became a befriender for New Bridge. After graduating with my degree in October, I will start my MSc in Forensic Psychology to continue learning and build up my psychological knowledge and deepen my understanding and psychological insights for men and women in custody.

There is no other prison like Grendon. There are, however, some now expanding with therapeutic wings which will contribute to the rehabilitative journeys of people in prison.