We believe that wellbeing support for young men in prison — particularly for young Black men — should be prioritised and tailored to meet their specific needs.
Why is this important?
Young people in prison have untapped potential, but have different needs to older people in prison, and are less likely to be able to access the support they need to flourish and build new lives. In addition, psychological maturity is essential for young people’s success in and after prison.
Therefore, we know that young people in prison have distinct needs that must be met to enable effective rehabilitation.
Furthermore, we know that young Black men, who are over-represented in the prison system, face further barriers to their rehabilitation.
This is due to their experiences of social and economic inequalities, institutional racism, and a lack of services that take into account different cultures and Black identity. Black men in prison suffer from worse outcomes and experiences than white prisoners.
With proper support from specialists working in prisons, young people make positive choices that lead to better rehabilitative outcomes and improved wellbeing, including better physical, mental and social health.
The call to action
The Being Well Being Equal campaign is calling for urgent action from the Government, prison policy-makers and practitioners to:
The alliance
Being Well Being Equal was initially driven forward by a coalition of six voluntary sector organisations that provide rehabilitation services and support racial equity & wellbeing in prisons.
They agreed to pool information, identify best practice, and campaign together for tailored wellbeing services in prisons. Find out more about these members here.
The report
Our Being Well Being Equal Report, focuses on the wellbeing of young men in custody aged 18 to 25 and in particular, highlights the experiences of young Black men, who are significantly overrepresented in the prison system. It presents a consolidation of relevant research, policy and practice alongside insight from expert organisations and, most importantly, young men themselves.
We hope that by bringing together the evidence, this report will enable practitioners, policy makers and commissioners to have a more informed understanding of how to promote Being Well Being Equal amongst young men in custody.
This report was strengthened by all the young men who took the time to share their insight, experiences and thoughts with us for this report – it is their vision for a brighter future that we have sought to represent.
We would like to thank you in advance for taking the time to read this report and helping us to raise awareness and call for action on the important issues raise throughout.
Click here to read the report.
