CASE STUDY: FIRST NIGHT IN CUSTODY

"Mrs B arrived at Holloway Prison after being sentenced to six months in jail for driving whilst disqualified. She was very distressed and tearful. I sat down to talk with her one-to-one. After a few minutes she appeared a lot calmer, and started to tell me her story.

Mrs B said that her family had hit upon hard times. Her daughter became addicted to crack and her husband, seeking solace through drinking, became an alcoholic.

Mrs B said she, too, had turned to drink in an attempt to cope with the difficulties surrounding her.

She told me that her husband had fallen seriously ill at home. In desperation, she had driven him to the hospital - even though she was disqualified from driving - and the police had stopped her on the way. That's how she'd ended up in prison.

I was able to spend 'quality time' with Mrs B, giving her time to talk, and listening to her story. I referred her to two charities we work closely with: Adfam, a charity that supports people who misuse drugs and alcohol, and Counselling in Prison, an organisation that works inside the prison providing counselling to inmates."