away, which is exactly what I did. My exam results were better than anyone expected, so I rang up clearing and asked where I could go and ended up doing psychology. I had a placement I really enjoyed in a secure unit and fell into the job from there. Looking back now I can see the patterns; I’ve always had those skills, but they certainly weren’t conscious decisions.
J U N I O R S C H O O L S P E E C H D AY
How did working in a prison change how you see people? Working in a prison had a massive impact on my sense of how to view the world. Initially, I tried to be all big and strong, and failed miserably, because it wasn’t me. If prisoners notice a weakness in you, they use it. I had a moment when I thought a prisoner was actually going to kill me, but instead of shouting, I said: “If we fight, I’m going to come off worse, so why don’t we sit and have a chat.” He was so disarmed that it did de-escalate the situation. It made me realise that using my own skills in any situation can be my power. Once I got into prisons, I realised that any of us could be there based on different decisions and journeys; people aren’t necessarily good or bad. Seeing guys who’ve committed heinous crimes go and save another prisoner’s life in an emergency; life was so powerful in that way. Do you agree with our current penal system, regarding rehabilitation or punishment? Coming through the traditional prisons route, I definitely saw what didn’t work. I felt the pain of releasing a prisoner who was really determined to change their life but who had no accommodation and no chance of getting a job. When I got my own prison, we took in prisoners with long histories of criminality two years before they were eligible for parole, and worked on gradually re-integrating them into society. We wanted to teach them coping strategies, because prisoners are told what to do to fit into a system, but then we wonder why they can’t make good choices when they’re released. With our system, we had only 2% repeat offending rates, which was brilliant, but politically unpalatable. Governments do what they think communities want, but in my experience it simply doesn’t work.
J U N I O R S C H O O L S P E E C H D AY
First Ever Junior School Speech Day! Guest speaker, Tristan Walters, presented prizes at our first ever Exeter Junior School Speech Day on 7 July. Tristan inspired our pupils with his journey to becoming an author and his desire to utilise his background in zoology and palaeontology to encourage even the youngest and most reluctant of readers to follow their passions and learn about their favourite animals, enabling them to access a wealth of knowledge and unlocking their curiosity for the world. Our pupils took from this the message that reading and education opens up a wealth of opportunities: if you work hard and approach education with positivity, you open up a whole world of possibilities. Tristan has written a series of books which can be found on his website www.safarireaders.com
The Exonian 2021 21
