Prison officers are full of goodness.

LiveJournal, the Russian blogging site, reminded me today of something I wrote in 2008. Herewith one of the Prison Phoenix Trust's then director's wonderful annual fund-raising letters that focused on prison officers.

"When I am assailed, like James Stewart's character in 'It's a Wonderful Life', by the thought of 'what have I done to justify my life'? I reassure myself with thinking about the Prison Phoenix Trust https://www.theppt.org.uk/ both in helping to found it and in leaving it at the right moment, and in more capable hands.

One thing that Sandy, its (then) current director does, is writing an exceptional annual appeal letter. Here is this year's, focusing as it does on that most neglected category of men and women: the prison officer.

Dear Friend

This year sees an increase in our work to offer more yoga and meditation classes to prison officers, who are the subject of this annual appeal letter. Between 1997 and 2007 inmate numbers rose from 61,500 to 81,000 (up 31.7%) while prison officer numbers rose from 23,000 to 24,500 (up 6.5%). Attacks on staff rose to an average of 8 a day and prison officers have to cope with rising numbers of people with mental health problems for whom they are given little training. Prison officers say the self-harming and suicide attempts they cope with routinely carry an emotional penalty for staff, and they are expected to carry on their jobs without psychological de-briefing or supervision.

A prison officer told me recently: “When you go into a cell and find your inmate has set fire to themselves, the first thing you do is douse the flames, then get them hospitalized and then get them counseling…there is no help for us though.” As the practice of yoga and meditation heals mental and physical tension, lessens anger, and has a beneficial effect on health problems caused by stress, we hope the different fronts we are targeting - classes at the week-long 2008 Prison Officer Association Conference, regular features on beneficial yoga in Gatelodge (the prison officers’ magazine) and more regular prison classes for staff – will help prison officers.

When they understand the benefits of the practice for themselves, they are more likely to be sympathetic to yoga teachers working in their prisons, who depend on them to unlock students to attend classes. Some prison officers actively encourage students, like those in HMP Wellingborough where yoga is part of the prison’s Violence Reduction Strategy. In that prison, three weekly classes including a staff class, have been taught for many years.

At the time of writing, our classes with inmates stand at our highest number ever – 164 regular classes in 92 prisons all over the UK and Ireland. These cannot survive without the goodwill of prison officers, many of whom go out of their way to help and encourage the classes and inmates.

By the nature of their work, prison officers develop extraordinary qualities. They learn responsibility, and the need to act quickly and courageously during an incident or a cell fire. They must keep boundaries with inmates so that they are not manipulated or intimidated while delivering care and safety. As a workforce both despised by inmates and often by the general population too, they learn to be stoic. The majority bitterly resent newspaper allegations that all the officers in their establishment are “bent” when they have no way of clearing their own names.

After working with prison officers for 18 years and spending last week in Portsmouth at the POA conference with about 600 of them, having endless chats with people, I was interested to hear what my PPT colleague Jo, herself a yoga teacher, made of them. As we reflected on our week together on the journey back to Oxford, she finally said: “Those officers are full of goodness, aren’t they?” Goodness?! I was struck by that word and thought about it all the way home. What struck me most was both its unexpectedness and rightness.

Prison officers are full of goodness. Prisoners are full of goodness – you may be able to see that for yourself in the summer newsletter. You and I are full of goodness, and express this every day in some form even though we may not recognize it. Many of you have been good to us for many years supporting our work with people behind bars, helping them find the goodness inside themselves they can grow to appreciate, in order to move forward. We are deeply grateful for your kindness and ongoing support.

Last year we extended our office space and took on one extra member of staff to cope with increasing workloads. It was a risk since we have no statutory or guaranteed funding and we rely heavily on the generosity of friends. Your practical financial encouragement in the past gave us the impetus to take this step. This year we are again seeking your help and support. Any amount of funding you feel able to give us this year will be most gratefully received."