OUTREACH
Since 2004, PAS has been unique in offering legal advice outreach advice sessions in the male estate, and, since 2007, in the women’s estate. The aim of these sessions is to provide information to prisoners around legal aspects of their sentences and conditions but also to empower them to be able to take up and deal with some issues and complaints themselves.
The rationale behind PAS’s outreach sessions is various:
- It is our belief that the primary purpose of imprisonment should be to facilitate rehabilitation, and to equip prisoners for successful rehabilitation upon release. We believe that a successful outcome is more likely for prisoners who have knowledge of their rights concerning prison rules and prison life.
- In one visit queries from multiple prisoners can be answered.
- Although the visits in themselves do not connect the most vulnerable prisoners with legal advice (many of whom have learning disabilities), this contact is achieved indirectly. Those prisoners who do attend the sessions are frequently Peer Advisers or Listeners, and as such, they are most likely to be in contact with some of the most vulnerable prisoners.
- Many other prisoners benefit indirectly from outreach sessions, as the prisoners who are directly advised act as peer counselors to fellow inmates, providing information on legal issues and conditions of imprisonment that is frequently completely lacking from other sources.
The expansion of PAS’s outreach service to a large number of prisons over the past few years has been a source of great satisfaction, and has also illustrated the huge demand among prisoners for the services that PAS offers. Many prisons are loath to let PAS caseworkers speak to prisoners, fearing a multitude of cases. Yet it is often the case that outreach sessions decrease the pressure upon prison officers to answer multitudes of queries from prisoners.
In many of its outreach schemes, PAS works with the St Giles Trust, and is able to obtain access to prisons working in tandem with established St Giles schemes. Where this occurs, PAS’s caseworkers deliver specialised legal training sessions on prison rules to the Peer Advisors, to complement the qualifications in Advice and Guidance delivered by St Giles.