Letter: Prison officers denied the key to unlock an impossible system

Sir: I am writing to agree with the author of 'No way out for HM's inmates'. I have been going into prisons as a volunteer for several years, and have come into contact with many young men, desperate to get out of the cycle of prison and crime.

The hours I have spent listening to inmates and the training as a counsellor on which I have embarked have shown me the value of confidential counselling, independent of the institution. But I have often had my offers of help rejected by the institution. I am aware that this may be personal, but I tend to think that, together with much of society, many within the prison service do not have a high opinion of counselling.

Two of the fundamental conditions of a counselling relationship are a warm, non-judgemental acceptance of the client by the counsellor, and an empathic understanding of him and his feelings. Only then does the client feel safe enough to undergo the often painful, but ultimately rewarding, process of personal growth which results in behavioural change.

It is easy to see that neither of these conditions fits comfortably into a system that can be both brutal and dehumanising, and often appears only to condemn and punish. The provision of extensive counselling services within the prison system would need not just money, but a complete change of heart by the policy-makers.

Yours sincerely,

ISABEL GIBBARD

Wigan