Next up, we have Kath! She talks about her work as a tutor for Essence, what she loves most about the role, and how she believes we can work towards a more understanding society.
What is your role within Essence?
I am a myLife tutor which means I run 1:1 courses with women in prison around subjects such as Managing Emotions, Sussing Society or Communicating Differently.
What drew you to the organisation?
I came across Kahaila three years ago when my friend took me to “this really cool social enterprise café that I would love! Oh and the cake’s amazing!”. I later learnt this was Kahaila Brick Lane, and my friend was right — I did LOVE it there, not just because of the cake, but because when there I learnt of the sister projects they were connected with, one of which was Essence. There’s nothing better than a real good coffee and cake than knowing it also helps out an awesome cause too!
At the time I had been working within the youth work field for 7 years and had experience running drama interventions in male prisons. Women’s empowerment work had always been something on my heart, but an opportunity had never come up.
Through my work as a youth worker I had always been passionate about young women having positive role models who were relatable. From my experience I knew of young women who did not have access to positive role models, and those who did have role models deemed them unreliable or out of touch. This often meant that young women would uphold celebrities as role models instead, which could have gross knock-on effects in, for example, their views on beauty standards, unrealistic expectations for themselves and mental health.
As a 25 year-old at the time, I knew I would be able to bridge the gap and be ‘real’ with the women, as well as be a positive role model with different lived experience from them. Also as a Christian, I loved and could totally relate to Kahaila-Essence’s ethos.
How, if at all, did it lead on from earlier work that you had done?
As well as my youth work and work in male prisons, I had worked as my church’s youth and children’s worker for a year. Although working for a local church was not suited to me, being a representative of God’s love to disadvantaged groups is something that was central to my passions and how I live my life. So I guess in many ways, Youth, Prison and Church is a clear theme that has continued through my work with Essence!
What challenges you most about your work?
The young women we work with have such complex histories and volatile lives. At times the frustration about how I feel society has so greatly let these women down, especially at a young age, can weigh on me heavily.
Walking alongside these women I see how through situations mostly outside of their control they find themselves incarcerated, which I don’t believe is the best place for them to receive the level of rehabilitation that they need.
When I hear their stories, which are largely a cocktail of disadvantage, trauma and lack of support, I can see so clearly how their journey has bought them to prison. If I had experienced the same, there is no way I could say that I would have made different choices from them. And the only reason I have not had to make these choices is because of my privilege; not only in having grown up in a safe and nurturing household, but also by being told I was able to achieve, which motivated me to engage with education and work.
This is something that I feel is grossly unjust. If, as a society, we were able to provide support earlier for vulnerable children/families or developed strategies that helped families and children to mobilise, most of the women I support would not be sat with me today.
What is your favourite bit about the job?
The women. They bring me so much joy!!!
Essence work with women for a minimum of 12 weeks and this very often exceeds this. This means we are able to walk alongside our women through the natural highs and lows of life and get to see them grow first-hand. Being a consistent professional and adult is key to our work and no matter what stage of their journey they are at, we are always there. Having the time and space to build this relationship means we have a bigger impact on the women, and can see them develop more over time, which is my ultimate motivation.
I remember when one of the first young women I worked with said “I’ve been thinking about what you said …” Now, to anyone external, this might seem like a small step, but for me it was the first step towards a trusting relationship between me and the woman, which leads to impactful work. The idea that something we had covered in the session had resonated with her and provoked additional thought was a sign of growth in itself.
I also have so much fun with the women. From nail colour advice and Love Island gossip, to talking about current affairs, the women I work with always leave a lasting effect on me — I go home having learnt something new, feeling connected and full of joy.
What do you think is the greatest need in the prison and probation service, and how do you think as a society we can work towards it?
For me this comes in two parts:
1. Breaking prejudice in society towards those who have been to prison.
Whilst we live in a progressive society, I think we still live in a society where the predominant attitude towards people who commit crime is retribution not rehabilitation. This is reflected in the media’s portrayal of ‘offenders’, restricted services, and issues around employment opportunities. These elements reinforce existing stigma, which act as a continuous barrier to people’s reintegration into society after prison.
For as long as these practical barriers and stigmas still exist, the impact that agencies who are working for the rehabilitation of people in prison will always be limited. And the cycle of offending will remain the easier or more familiar choice for people post-prison.
Working Chance, reveals that fewer than one in 20 women (4%) were in employment six weeks after release from prison, compared with over one in 10 men (11%).
2. A greater focus and number of resources put into rehabilitation services across Prison and Probation.
Of course both Prison and Probation have a judicial element and this must be maintained, however unless we are providing services that address the root causes of offending and building skills for individuals to self-mobilise, then the cycle of offending will remain.
The current statistics stand that 1 in 2 prisoners will self-harm during their time in custody, 80% of women in custody have experienced domestic abuse and 8 in 10 male offenders experience some sort of childhood trauma. These shocking figures show how integral holistic services are to rehabilitation and pastoral care for those in prison. I believe prisons have a key opportunity to intervene in an individual’s cycle of offending, and help develop foundational skills that will equip them to reintegrate into society and, in turn, become an active participant in society.
What do you do outside of Essence?
I work for Essence part-time and on my other days work on an employability programme for male probation service users, run drama workshops and training for youth workers.
On the weekend I can be found cooking up a new veggie recipe, hanging out with my nephew and going to arty/community events.