This month, Restorative Solutions published a report outlining the results of their recent Restorative Prison project, which calls for a ‘whole prison approach’ to foster a truly rehabilitative culture for staff and prisoners.
This is a subject close to our heart at Khulisa. We also advocate taking a ‘systemic approach’ to embedding a trauma-informed and restorative culture within any organisation, particularly in the secure estate; where tensions run high. Gary Stephenson of Restorative Solutions cites a recent article in The Guardian, which highlights the challenge that faces our prison system – the lack of experienced staff, levels of violence and ‘2 in 5 jails deemed to unacceptably unsafe’.
Here at Khulisa, we conducted our own research, as part of a Streetcraft award, and as our published article in The Howard League’s ECAN bulletin highlights, the challenges that face a prison in effectively becoming truly trauma-informed, restorative and rehabilitative in culture are significant; yet not insurmountable.
The message with both of these documents is that in order for rehabilitation to be truly possible, there is a shift in mindset required in how we manage our secure estate. This is not just about the individuals (prisoners) in our care that we are aiming to rehabilitate and reintegrate into society – this is also about supporting the staff who are under constant pressure and often struggling to maintain that balance of safety and harmony with a cohort that increasingly suffers from (diagnosed and undiagnosed) mental health issues. Even the strongest of prison officers will give way to stress-induced illness and compassion fatigue in this environment over time.
It is only by offering reflective practice to staff and instilling a restorative ethos across the whole system that we have an opportunity to sustain a safe and healthy environment for both staff and prisoners, held within our criminal justice system.
Here at Khulisa, we offer both staff training (trauma-informed restorative approaches and reflective practice) as well as programmes for prisoners that encourage the development of a sustainable systemic rehabilitative culture.
If you’re interested in learning more about Khulisa’s training for prison staff and about how we support prisons to establish a trauma-informed and restorative ethos, please contact us on info@khulisa.co.uk