In 2020, young people in prison were telling us about the terrible impacts that covid restrictions, and the prison environment, was having on their wellbeing – their mental, physical and emotional health.
“We´ve been doing double the bang up that people would have been doing before Covid. [I’ve] sat in a cell for twenty-three hours a day. That would send anyone crazy, especially someone that has severe mental health like myself.”
- Young man in custody
They told us about the lack of support, and that their wellbeing needs were being either ignored or not seen as a priority. While Covid shone a spotlight on wellbeing, the issues were not by any means new.
“They don’t listen… They don’t know where I am. They don’t know how I’m coping. So it’s got to a point where it’s like no matter if I’m in pain, whatever situation I’m in, I’d rather just keep it to myself and wait ‘til I get out.”
- Young man in custody
And with 75% of the young people we work with coming from Black and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, a clear theme that emerged through our conversations was that many felt that their identity and heritage played a significant role in how they were being treated.
“Black people are getting treated unfairly – everyone needs to be thinking about equal rights. On the surface it seems okay, but behind the scenes there is a real problem… are Black young men getting equal access to jobs in prison? Do they have roles like Wing Reps? There is a lot that prisons need to be held to account for”.
- Young man in custody
It was clear to us that if we want to truly support young people to build a brighter future, that we also have to fight to create a better system and ensure young people’s voices are really heard. We also knew that to do this issue the justice it deserves, we must collaborate with and learn from the brilliant expert organisations providing rehabilitation services and supporting racial equity and wellbeing in prisons.
And so in October 2021, we formed the Being Well Being Equal Alliance, with Wipers CIC, Zahid Mubarek Trust, Race Equality Foundation, Centre for Mental Health and Clinks and launched our campaign.
Today, we are delighted to share with you our Being Well Being Equal Report, focusing on the wellbeing of young men in custody aged 18 to 25 and in particular, highlighting the experiences of young Black men, who are significantly overrepresented in the prison system. It presents a consolidation of the research, policy and practice concerned with the wellbeing of young men in custody, as well as insight from expert organisations and, most importantly, young men themselves.
“I think it would be better if they looked at people to see what their strengths are, see what their talents are, see where they shine!”
- Young man in custody
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 and Being Equal amongst young men in custody.
We would like to say a huge thank you to 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.
Thank you to the Being Well Being Equal Alliance members and our friends and colleagues working tirelessly in the voluntary sector for sharing their views and providing valuable support.
Finally, 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 raised throughout.
Click here to read the report
