Winter- Still I Rise

AUTUMN 2023

STILL I RISE

Healing from trauma: changing negative thinking Who I really am: an Irish Traveller woman with big dreams

Saying ‘no’ to domestic violence Inspirational female activists Body scan relaxation

The national magazine of Women in Prison written by and for women affected by the criminal justice system

What does ‘taking action’ mean to you?

In this magazine we talk about activism, taking action for a cause. How women's lives have been changed by the brave actions of other women.

Sometimes this can be the action of one woman or of women acting together. Like the strike started by Leeds women clothing workers when the union accepted a low wage rise that discriminated against women. In the end, 20,000 women from 45 factories took action and marched in protest.

We would love to hear from you about what taking action means to you. We've created a competition for this edition so you can share your writings, artwork, or other means of expression on this theme to be published in our next edition of the magazine – we hope you will take part.

Rules for entering the competition: • Feel free to give your own interpretation of what taking action means.

• If it’s a story, essay, interview, or article

(fiction or non-fiction) please write 500 words or less. When handwritten, this is between 1½ and 2 pages of A4.

• An entry can also be a poem, drawing, painting or a collage.

• Please include a completed consent form

(see page 65) with your entry and send it to Freepost – WOMEN IN PRISON (in capitals).

Without the consent form we are unable to include your submission in the magazine.

One entry will be selected as a "Star Letter" with the writer receiving £20 (only entries that include the consent form on page 65 can be considered for "Star Letter").

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ISSUE 21 l AUTUMN 2023

CONTENTS 8 10 14 16 18 22 26 30 32 34 36 38 44 46 48 52 54 60 62

16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaigning for the rights of women driven to harm as a result of domestic abuse Saying ‘no’ to domestic violence Big Mumma’s story Who I really am: an Irish Traveller woman with big dreams Celebrating UK female activists The warning signs of an abusive partner Cooking together and sharing cultures No one should have to live with child to parent abuse SignHealth: helping Deaf women find domestic abuse support Open Justice: from a prison library to campaigning to change the criminal justice system All Yours PPO: What women told us, and what we did Creating Community Connections: here to help you Healing from trauma by changing negative thinking Body scan relaxation Beauty out of Ashes: competition winners, and a new competition Colouring exercise: action and healing Word search and sudoku AUTUMN 2023

STILL I RISE

Cover artwork by Emma, HMP Styal.

Emma chose the colour orange for its connection to the 16 Days of Activism. She wanted to convey positivity in her image.

Healing from trauma: changing negative thinking Who I really am: an Irish Traveller woman with big dreams

Saying ‘no’ to domestic violence Inspirational female activists Body scan relaxation

The national magazine of Women in Prison written by and for women affected by the criminal justice system

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ABOUT WOMEN IN PRISON

Women in Prison (WIP) is a national charity founded by a former prisoner, Chris Tchaikovsky, in 1983. Today, we provide support and advice in prisons and in the community through hubs and women’s centres (the Beth Centre in London, WomenMATTA in Manchester and in partnership with the Women’s Support Centre in Woking, Surrey).

WIP campaigns to reduce the number of women in prison and for significant investment in communitybased support services for women so they can address issues such as trauma, mental ill-health, harmful substance use, domestic violence, debt and homelessness. These factors are often the reason why women come into contact with the criminal justice system in the first place.

WIP's services are by and for women. The support available varies from prison to prison and depends on where a woman lives in the community. If WIP is unable to help because of a constraint on its resources, it endeavours to direct women to other charities and organisations that can. WIP believes that a properly funded network of women's centres that provide holistic support is the most effective and just way to reduce the numbers of women coming before the courts and re-offending.

Got something to say?

Please contact Women in Prison at the FREEPOST address below. Please include a completed consent form with your query; turn to page 65 for more details.

Email us on: info@wipuk.org Mail us on: FREEPOST Women in Prison If you enjoyed reading the magazine and want to donate towards the production of our next edition, please scan below:

WIP’s services include...

• • • •

Visits in some women’s prisons

Targeted ‘through the gate’ support for women about to be released from prison Support for women in the community via hubs for services and women’s centres in London, Surrey and Manchester Still I Rise A magazine written by and for women affected by the criminal justice system with magazine editorial groups in some women’s prisons

Please know that whatever you are going through, a Samaritan will face it with you, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Call the Samaritans for free on 116 123.

CONFIDENTIAL Our service is confidential. Any information given by a service user to Women in Prison will not be shared with anyone else without the woman’s permission, unless required by law.

WELCOME

In this Autumn edition,

which marks the United Nation’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, we talk about the power of women. On page 13, we explore the changes we’re capable of making in our lives and our relationships to create a better world for ourselves, our children and our families. If that wasn’t inspirational enough, you can read about the female activists on page 34 who felt so strongly about making a change that they made sure it happened.

Often, being in prison can leave you feeling like you don’t have a voice and that the world is going on around you, without your input. Two women who were in HMP Styal felt the same way and on their release set up the Open Justice Initiative, to highlight injustices faced by women in prison. On page 32, you can read about how you can help them and have your voice heard on important issues.

The 16 days of activism can also be a time for reflection, when we think about women we have lost to violence and

Project Manager: Kate Fraser Art direction & production: Henry Obasi & Russell Moorcroft @PPaint Production Editor: Jo Halford The magazine you are reading is free for all women affected by the criminal justice system in the UK.

reflect on our own stories We are honoured that Tiffany, Dawn and Mary were open enough to share their stories.

You can read about how they have overcome adversity in the personal stories section of the magazine.

If you’ve experienced any form of violence from a partner, child or family member, it’s vital you get support now so there are plans in place to help you when you’re released. In this edition, you can read about a number of different programmes happening in prison and the community that you can access. It’s so important you realise you are not alone.

Gender-based violence is a global pandemic that will affect 1 in 3 women in their lifetime and your voice is as important as anyone else’s. Enjoy your 16 days of activism activities and be heard!

Kate Head of Prisons and Co-Production

We send copies to all women’s prisons and you should be able to find the maga ine easily If you can’t, write to tell us. If you are a woman affected by the criminal justice system and would like to be added to our mailing list for free, please contact us at Freepost WOMEN IN PRISON or info@wipuk.org

The publishers, authors and printers cannot accept liability for errors or omissions. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of Women in Prison.

Applications should be made directly to Women in Prison.

Registered charity number 1118727

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UK MAP

Women’s Centres Centres where run byWIP WIPstaff are based

WomenMATTA – Manchester The Beth Centre – Lambeth, London Women’s Support Centre – Woking, Surrey Women’s Prisons

HMP Low Newton – near Durham HMP Askham Grange – near York HMP New Hall – near Wakefield HMP Foston Hall – near Derby HMP Styal – near Manchester HMP Drake Hall – Eccleshall, Staffordshire HMP Peterborough HMP Eastwood Park – near Bristol HMP Downview - Sutton, Surrey HMP Send – Ripley, Surrey HMP Bronzefield – Ashford, Surrey HMP East Sutton Park – Maidstone, Kent HMP Cornton Vale – Scotland

Alamy

TEAR HERE

“People are not sitting down, people are taking action.

And women are at the forefront of these actions.”

Joan Carling, Indigenous human rights activist and environmentalist

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ISSUE THEME

‘16 Days of Activism against GenderBased Violence’ Katie Fraser, Women in Prison Head of Prisons and Co-Production, tells us about the UN 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based violence.

What it means, how you can take part, and why we have themed this magazine edition around it.

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ou might have heard about the 16 Days of Activism against GenderBased Violence and wondered what it means and why we’ve chosen to celebrate it as our theme for this edition.

There’s lots of research that shows a woman’s experiences of physical, emotional and sexual abuse, including coercive* control, can be a main reason for their involvement in the criminal justice system. For this reason, we wanted to highlight this major annual campaign whose main theme this year is, Activism to End Violence against Women and Girls.

At Women in Prison, we run a number of services in prisons and meet many women who have been victims of much more serious domestic abuse offences than the offences they went on to be convicted of.

16 Days of Activism against GenderBased Violence is an international campaign that runs from 25 November – the International Day for the Elimination of

Violence against Women – until 10 December, Human Rights Day. These start and end dates were chosen to link the subject of violence against women with human rights.

To highlight that gender-based violence against women is an abuse of human rights.

Started by the Women’s Global Leadership Institute in 1991, more than 6,000 organisations from 187 countries have since become involved – and so can you!

The 16-day period also campaigns around other important dates including: 29 November, International Women Human Rights Defenders Day 1 December, World Aids Day 3 December, International Day of Persons with Disabilities 5 December, Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development 6 December, Anniversary of the Montreal Massacre which is observed as the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women in Canada

How the campaign started On 25 November 1960, three sisters from the Dominican Republic were beaten to death and dumped at the bottom of a cliff

by President Rafael Trujillo’s secret police.

The Mirabal sisters – Patria, Minerva and Maria Teresa – were all activists who stood against the cruelty and violence of the Trujillo government and became symbols of the feminist resistance.

To remember their deaths, 25 November was declared the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women in Latin America in 1980.

Formally recognised by the United Nations in 1999.

How you can get involved Wear something orange. In 1991 activists used orange on the very first day of the campaign because of its brightness and association with hope, strength and perseverance. It now symbolises a

brighter future free from violence against women and girls. So try and wear some orange, even if it’s just a badge you made yourself – it could start a conversation with friends, officers or anyone working in the prison, and you can tell them about the campaign. ind out what’s happening speak to an officer or your offender manager to see if any events are happening in your prison.

Lots of organisations such as Anawim, Women in Prison, Together Women and The Nelson Trust deliver services in different women’s prisons and will have events planned.

Help support those you care about – ask about resources for survivors of abuse and see what resources are available both in prison and in the community so that you and your loved ones can get the support when you need it.

Have a great 16 Days.

INTERVIEW

Campaigning for the rights of women driven to harm as a result of domestic abuse Words: Harriet Wistrich For over thirty years Harriet Wistrich has been campaigning and representing women who kill as a result of domestic abuse, with the aim of reforming the law and getting better outcomes for women. In 2015, she founded the Centre for Women’s Justice, a legal charity aimed at holding the state to account around violence against women and girls, and challenging discrimination within the criminal justice system. She tells us about her work.

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INTERVIEW

Journey to working in domestic abuse law My journey into law was through feminist campaigning. I co-founded a campaign called Justice for Women 30 years ago.

Our aim was to raise awareness about the discrimination and injustice faced by women driven to kill their violent partners as a result of domestic abuse.

In the early days we campaigned around the cases of Sara Thornton, Kiranjit Ahluwalia and Emma Humphreys all convicted of murdering their violent partners. We highlighted the contrast where many men who killed their wives and girlfriends were able to use the partial defences* of ‘provocation’** or ‘diminished responsibility’**, resulting in them getting a conviction for manslaughter rather than murder, and a much shorter sentence. Often these men were violent and controlling towards their partners and the killing was a build-up of that violence.

We campaigned to support criminal appeals brought by Sara, Kiranjit and Emma which were successful and led to judgments that widened the understanding of how women were driven to kill male partners following repeated abuse (cumulative provocation).

Through Justice for Women, I volunteered to support an appeal by

Emma Humphreys, a 17-year-old who had suffered many types of male violence, building up to her abuse and exploitation as a teenager in street prostitution. She killed her violent pimp/boyfriend when threatened with yet another rape and was convicted of murder.

Emma contacted us for help and following a big campaign in 1995 was freed after appeal. My work on Emma’s case persuaded me to become a lawyer and since then I’ve represented women appealing murder convictions, as well as specialising in bringing cases against the police and other public bodies.

The Centre for Women’s Justice: campaigning for changes to the criminal justice system We bring legal cases which are likely to have a wider impact as well as working with frontline organisations/services that support female victims of male violence.

An area of work we’ve developed is around the criminalisation of victims of male violence.

Official statistics tell us that nearly 60% of women in prison are victims of domestic abuse and many others have been victims of some form of male violence. Women’s offending often comes from this experience, sometimes because they fought back and sometimes because they were coerced into

‘Official statistics tell us that nearly 60% of women in prison are victims of domestic abuse and many others have been victims of some form of male violence.’

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offending. However, our criminal justice system rarely takes this into account. We have campaigned for new defences that women can use which take into account the pressure they were under when they committed the crime.

Far too many women continue to be convicted of murder where they are victims of abuse. The Coroners and Justice Act 2009, introduced changes to the homicide laws replacing the defence of provocation with loss of control. The aim was on the one hand to prevent men who killed their wives and partners claiming they were provoked to do so, because ‘she nagged me’ or because ‘she was having an affair’. And on the other hand to introduce a new defence which recognised that women may kill out of fear of serious violence.

Although these changes have reduced the number of times we see men get away with murder, we’re still seeing too many cases where women who kill their abusers are unsuccessful in using the loss of control defence.

going to adopt most of her recommendations.

These recommendations include making coercive and controlling behaviour both an aggravating factor that will increase the sentence of an abuser convicted of murder, as well as a mitigating factor reducing the sentence for an abuse victim convicted of killing her abuser. He also asked the law commission to undertake a review of defences in domestic homicide, which we hope will ultimately make recommendations that will be more effective than the changes introduced in 2009.

We’ll also be proposing changes to self-defence. The Sentencing Council have announced a consultation with the public around manslaughter sentencing in domestic homicide cases to which we will be contributing.

Going forwards Clare Wade KC was recently asked by the government to carry out a detailed review of domestic homicide sentencing and to recommend any changes. Following the publication of her report in July this year, the Lord Chancellor announced he was

** Broadly speaking, this means that the offenders responsibility for committing an offence is reduced because of provoking behaviour they were subjected to at the time of the offence or because they had a mental condition that reduced the responsibility.

* A partial defence means the person is still guilty of a crime but of a less serious crime. A partial defence to murder means the person is guilty of manslaughter.

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PERSONAL STORY

Saying ‘no’ to domestic violence Words: Tiffany Illustration: PPaint Tiffany went from living with an abusive father to living with an abusive partner, but she didn’t want her own son to live around domestic violence. She made the decision to say ‘no’ and move on with her life. She reflects on this experience.

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lived around an abusive father and then an abusive partner. I was raised seeing domestic abuse in my home. My dad was very abusive. He was a drinker and beat up my mum. Some days it was me; then some days my older sister. It was when he’d had a bad day at work, or someone had peed him off in the pub.

I could never understand why my mum allowed it; being so young it was hard for me to really understand. Then things changed. I got older and before I’d realised it was happening to me.

It was a lot easier for me to get out of an abusive relationship. I didn’t have children with her, or no mortgage. It was just our dog and us.

But I knew she would make it hard for me. My son loved her like a mammy, and she doted on him too. But it was just

something I wouldn’t let my son go through. There was no violence or arguing around him. I just always had something in the back of my mind.

As statistics say, them who have been abused can in turn be abusers. I’m not taking this risk. I didn’t want to repeat a path I watched my mum go through – that of domestic violence. I didn’t want my little angel of a boy going through this. For him to grow up thinking it was okay. To ever have anyone touch a hair on his head.

So as hard as it was, and still is, I upped and left her. And to this very day she still sees my son, well our son. And from that, I can’t knock her. She’s a good mum. Just not a good wife.

No matter what we’ve done in life, we’ll always want better for our kids and want what we didn’t have.

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PERSONAL STORY

Big Mamma’s story Words: Dawn Illustration: Vanessa Dawn met her future husband at the age of 11, started drinking and taking drugs, and by the age of 12 was pregnant with her first child. She has experienced domestic violence from both her husband and son.

She reflects on this long experience of domestic violence and her time now in prison and how far she’s come.

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y name is Dawn. I have six children aged from 29 down to 10. I’ve been drinking for 20 years. I was in care at the age of 11.

I met my husband when I was 11. He was just like my dad, I looked up to him.

I went off the rails when I met my husband running away from home, drinking, taking drugs and stealing – just to be with him. I got pregnant at the age of 12. I was really scared. I was a child but that was all I wanted, his child and to be loved.

My parents were big drinkers, and my dad would hit my mum. I feel sad when I think of this because the same happened to me. I used to go out to work and my

friends would come round to see me, but they couldn’t be there when my husband came home. He didn’t like me having friends. He used to put me down, saying no one would want me.

I drank to block out my problems, but I know now the problem is him. He would dress me and cut my hair. I couldn’t have my money; he kept it all. I remember one day we started rowing and he pulled my hair saying I was sleeping with his friends.

I wasn’t, but he kept hitting me.

This would go on for a bit and then he’d change. He would be nice. Things would be okay for a bit Then he would fight with me again. Both of us were drinking.

My mum and dad would ask what’s going on and I would say, “Nothing”. Because I thought things were right when I knew deep down they weren’t.

Social work put my children on protection. I felt alone. I couldn’t let people know how I was feeling. Then my own children started on drugs and drink. When one of my sons was drinking he would have that look in his eyes. I was scared in the kitchen with him. He would hit me.

Social services were called out every week to see me and the kids. I was asking for help, but they were just going around and around. I couldn’t cope. I thought I was losing the will to live. I hit the bottle hard. My kids were saying to me, “Mum stop drinking”. I thought everyone hated

me and I would be better dead.

All I wanted was a normal family. The drink and drugs have ruined my life and my families. One day the police came to my home and took me away for selling drugs. I was given nine and a half years.

I’ve lost everything.

I’ve learnt to read since I’ve come into prison. I’ve a job. I’ve come far. The only thing that’s missing is my children. They’re in care. I can say jail has saved my life because I would have been dead, or I would have hurt someone. So until I get out, this is my home.

I’m going to make a good life for my children when I get out of here. I will have that normal life, drug-free, and a quiet life.

I feel I’ve done a lot and now it’s time for me to shine.

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PERSONAL STORY

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Who I really am:

an Irish Traveller woman with big dreams Words: Mary Illustrations: Up Studio Mary reflects on her time in prison and shares her hopes for the future, with some inspirational advice for others.

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PERSONAL STORY

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y name is Mary. I recently left prison having served half my 40-month charge for GBH (Grievous Bodily Harm). I’m now living in an AP (Approved Premise) for women and I’m happy. My charge is so far from who I am.

I’m an Irish Traveller woman with big dreams and aspirations. Unfortunately, being from the community I was born and raised in, I never got to push my potential.

There are positive things about my culture but there are negative also. As a young girl we were to be seen and not heard.

Taken out of school at a young age and taught how to be a respected woman, while the boys were free to be boys.

It’s thought very important that a young girl is taught the right things at the right age so she can one day marry and have her own family. This is all well and good, but the bigger picture is now clearer to me. By taking a young girl out of education and teaching her to be a wife and mother, it leaves us vulnerable in life, having to depend on a man.

With that in mind I’d like to take you back to the prison system. For anybody to go to prison it’s a daunting and scary place. But for someone like me, having been raised in a community where it’s not acceptable to be on drugs or unmarried, you can imagine how hard it was and the struggle I faced.

Not only from my community but also in prison, where unfortunately there were staff uneducated on our culture.

Before I came to prison, I was actually in my own prison: in my mind, spirit and soul.

I was lost for a long time, wasting in the wind. It wasn’t until I came to prison that the chains that bound me for so long were broken. I made it work for me in the end.

Choosing to make it work, getting as much as I could from the experience. I faced my battle with addiction and got to a stage where it no longer had its claim on me.

I was free. The freest I’d felt in so long.

Although I was locked up physically, my spirit was set free. I worked and worked at it. I started thinking differently, fresher inside and out. That joyous person I once was came back.

As rough as my experience was around the stigma of my community, once I decided I wanted more from life I threw myself into the prison education regime.

With hard work and dedication from both me and my teachers and the drug and alcohol service, I started to turn it all around. I got stuck into my recovery and got my grades up. Now I’m a different person completely.

The drive for change that is within me is also within you – you can do it too. I now look back at the woman I was when I first

‘Once I decided I wanted more from life I threw myself into the prison education regime. With hard work and dedication from both me and my teachers, I started to turn it all around.’

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walked in through the prison gates to the one released 11 days ago. I am proud, thankful and humbled.

My belief in myself came from having the staff in the drugs and alcohol services and the education system see in me what I no longer could. But that has all now changed. I have a fresh start and this time I’m going to run at it because I deserve it.

You deserve it. We’re worth it.

All it takes is the first step on’t be afraid, you can do it. You just have to believe you can and you will. I plan to go

on to further education. A Traveller woman, it’s worlds away from who I was told I was, or what is expected of me. But I’ve learnt the only person that can stop me from my dreams is me.

I’m going to give it my all. I can’t wait to start living the life I know I’m worthy of. All it takes is a little hope, belief in oneself, and that drive for change. It’s in all of us.

Just give yourself that chance and you will be ama ed at what you can achieve on’t count the days, make the days count.

Go for it! Good luck and God bless.

FEMALE ACTIVISTS

Celebrating UK female activists Words: Jo Halford and Katie Fraser As we mark the UN 16 days of activism, we wanted to celebrate women who have really made a difference to the lives of other women in the UK through their determination and efforts to act and make changes.

We hope these women inspire you to speak up and take action about the things that are important to you.

Faustine Petron

Faustine Petron found herself in a four-year abusive relationship as a teenager. She felt that if she’d been educated about the signs of abusive relationships, she could have avoided this suffering. This experience inspired her to take action with her friends, while in university, to start a campaign calling on the UK government to make lessons on relationships and sex available to older teenagers, post 16. Including lessons to help them spot the early warning signs of abusive relationships.

She said The first year of the relationship] was relatively normal but there was quite a lot of checking up on me, calling me a lot, wanting to see where I am, what I’m doing…I thought that was kind of loving and caring - but it’s actually a sign of coercive control.”

Alamy, Faustine Petron

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Temi Mwale

Temi Mwale set up the 4Front Project after she lost a friend to gang violence.

She wanted to create change for young people impacted by violence. She felt governments were failing to address the main causes of serious youth violence in the UK. That their approach was to just punish violence rather than having a healing-centred approach and an adequate infrastructure to respond to the needs of young people facing increasing violence. 4FRONT have since developed an approach that empowers the young Black people most affected by violence and the criminal justice system to be at the head of grassroots movement for change. 4FRONT believe there is a difference between reducing violence and building peace.

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Amika George

Amika George is a British activist who has successfully campaigned against period poverty –to not be able to afford sanitary products, such as tampons, for your period. After reading an article about how many poor women in the UK missed school due to the stigma around periods and not being able to afford sanitary products, she felt inspired to take action.

At the age of 17 she started a successful petition addressed to the government, which over 200,000 people signed. She also started the #FreePeriods organisation while still in school.

She organised protests to convince the UK government to provide free sanitary products to school children, and talked about what women do when they can’t afford pads or tampons, including using items of clothing, toilet roll.

In March 2019 the UK government announced it would give secondary schools in England money to provide free sanitary products to poorer young people.

Following a successful career in state schools in Manchester and Bradford Ruth Ibegbuna founded a number of programmes and organisations, including RECLAIM a Manchester-based charity supporting young working-class people into leadership positions.

Ruth used her platform as the CEO of RECLAIM to campaign nationally with young people across the UK for greater levels of equality and to challenge the negative labelling of many pressurised communities.

Ruth is the founder of The Roots Programme, an initiative born out of the 2016 Brexit vote, to bring those from different communities together to connect across divides, embrace difference and to increase compassion for each other.

The programme encourages state and private school children to connect and build a more hopeful UK. She is also the founder and CEO of Rekindle School, a supplementary school in Manchester, supporting young critical thinkers from working-class communities.

Alamy, Zahra Bei, Christopher Thomond/The Guardian

Ruth Ibegbuna

FEMALE ACTIVISTS

Zahra Bei

Zahra Bei worked as a teacher for almost 20 years in London schools. She loved her job, but over time she started to see changes in the way staff and pupils were managed. She started to see children sitting in isolation at tables in school corridors because they’d broken zero tolerance behaviour rules. She felt that the role of teachers in schools had been eroded to the point that being a teacher felt more like being a prison guard.

Following being made redundant from her last teaching role in a PRU, experiencing a form of exclusion herself, she felt inspired to set up No More Exclusions (NME); a Black-led grassroots coalition movement made up of teachers, parents and students pushing to end exclusions and highlight the race disparity in school exclusions against Black, brown, Muslim and Gypsy, Roma, Traveller children. Also producing anti-racist teacher training and curriculum principles. NME would like to ‘transform education into a nurturing and enriching experience for all children and young people’ and abolish the school-toprison pipeline.

Sources: The Guardian, bbc news, www.nomoreexclusions.com, www.4frontproject.org, www. democracyandbelongingforum.org

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DOMESTIC ABUSE

The warning signs of an abusive partner Sue Penna, CEO of Rock Pool, a charity who provide training programmes to inform people about the signs of domestic abuse, violence and trauma, and how to deal with them, shares the warning signs of an abusive partner.

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DOMESTIC ABUSE

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busive relationships don’t just happen. Perhaps the hardest thing for any woman who has experienced abuse or violence is to accept that it’s not her fault.

Women who experience abuse are groomed to accept behaviour that before the abusive relationship they would never have put up with. It’s never your fault.

Sue Penna, CEO of Rock Pool

WARNING SIGNS A rush to get romantically involved /move in together

There are always stories of people who fall in love on their first date and are never apart again, but this is rare. We know that in an abusive relationship partners usually become full on very quickly. People talk about being love-bombed: inundated with loving texts and calls by their new love wanting to spend all their time with them.

In many new loving relationships we might neglect friends and family during the ‘loved-up’ stage; however, with a potentially abusive partner this can soon move to them being jealous, possessive and controlling around you seeing your friends or family.

A reputation for having lots of previous partners and being dismissive or rude about them

This can be a sign of a person who sees their partners as possessions or as not being worthy of understanding and respect. An abuser will blame others for relationships that have gone wrong and will often talk about their past partners in an angry and aggressive way.

Behaving differently at home and in public

In public they may be more or less attentive, and they may expect you to behave in a certain way when you are out

– trying to control what you wear and who you speak to. Changing your behaviour for someone else because either they threaten to end the relationship or behave badly is a clear warning for the future.

No respect for your privacy and a need to know where you’ve been

While often secretive themselves – with time unaccounted for and no explanation of where they’ve been – they do not respect your privacy. Abusive individuals who seek to have control over you will demand to know where you are or have been.

Checking your phone for texts and emails, and may even set a tracker on your phone so they know where you are.

Lying and gaslighting

Lying is also often a feature of abusive behaviour. It can also be used to gaslight you into challenging what is and what isn’t happening. Being told the lies are ‘for your own good’ or ‘to protect you’ can be confusing when you love someone and believe they are interested in the best for you.

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‘Women who experience abuse are groomed to accept behaviour that before the abusive relationship they would never have put up with.’

Being in control and showcasing authority

Abusive individuals like to be in control, and you may see them making a show of their authority. This is usually to people who can’t respond, like shop staff, waiters, cab drivers. As bullies they will pick on people who might not fight back

Old-fashioned views of gender roles

Having misogynistic and rigid views of gender roles is common with men who are abusive. They expect to be head of the house and will hold other members of the family responsible for their emotions and temper if their demands aren’t meet.

Rough sex

Another early warning sign is rough sex in the name of fun. Abusive individuals will only want sex on their terms and are less interested in their partners pleasure than the need to have control. Pushing boundaries about what their partner feels comfortable doing or sharing or ignoring requests are common with abusive individuals.

Alcohol and drugs

While 80% of people who abuse alcohol or drugs do not abuse their partners, abusive individuals may have alcohol or drug misuse problems. Coercing partners to take part against their will is common

and also involving them in criminal activity – carrying drugs, driving while under the influence

Humiliating and belittling behaviour

Emotionally attacking a partner often allows an abusive person to have increasing control. Many are not violent to their partners, achieving control instead by emotionally harming their partner.

While these are all potential warning signs, on their own some do not create a pattern of abusive behaviour. A person experiencing abuse is never responsible for the abuse. With all the knowledge in the world we can still get caught in an abusive relationship.

Help and support If you feel you are experiencing an abusive relationship or are concerned about someone who is, please see our article on Creating Community Connections on page 46. Link Workers or Women’s Champions will be able to signpost you to support.

About Rock Pool Rock Pool are currently looking at using their Domestic Abuse Recovery Toolkit and Hope 2 Recovery Programmes in selected prisons in the hope this may become a permanent option for women have experienced domestic abuse. https://rockpool.life/

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SHARING RECIPES

Cooking together & sharing cultures through recipes Sharing food is often a way to bring people together, and by coming together we can make a real difference to our own lives and those of others. We hope you enjoy these recipes kindly shared with us by two women in prison.

ROMANIAN STUFFED BELL PEPPERS

Spices – parsley, oregano, or dill – or whatever you like

A hearty meal for this time of year; this is a nourishing Romanian dish. Makes approx. four portions.

Pepper Salt

Ingredients 4 medium sized bell peppers (red, yellow, or orange)

2 eggs

500 kg minced meat, anything will do but pork or beef work well 1 medium white onion 100g rice – cooked Cooking oil

Sugar

2 cans of tomato sauce Method: l Wash the peppers, chop off the stalk and remove the inside seeds and veins, leaving the rest of the pepper whole. Leave upside down to drain.

l Chop, then fry the onions. l Add the cooked rice and

herbs in with the onions.

l In a bowl, crack two eggs into the minced meat mixture and stir. l Add the onion and rice with the egg and mince mixture.

l Fill the bell peppers with the mixture. l Drizzle some oil into the bottom of a deep pot and place the bell peppers inside the pot, open side up.

l Fill the pot with water and the two cans of tomato sauce, so as to cover the bell peppers completely. l Season with sugar, salt, and pepper.

l Bring to boil on a high heat, then reduce to a low heat and leave to simmer for two hours or until cooked, with a lid or some type of cover on the pot.

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LELE’S YUMMY SPICY PEANUT AND VEG NOODLES Healthy and tasty noodles; easy to cook and full of flavour. Makes approx. four portions.

Ingredients: 3 packets of noodles

Half teaspoon of chili flakes (you can use chilli seasoning if you don’t like flakes) A pinch of salt

A pinch of pepper

2 onions

Method l Put a kettle of boiling water on the go and pour it into a bowl.

Peanuts (you can get any flavour you like of these; I like chilli nuts for that extra flavour)

l Then, cut your carrots in half and slice then into little sticks.

1 full broccoli

2 carrots (cut into sticks) Illustrations by Camille

Seasoning: Soya sauce (half a bottle)

5 spoonfuls of sesame seeds (add more to taste, if you like)

l Cut your broccoli down into small pieces and place into the bowl of boiling water.

l Slice your onion into chunks. l Cook your noodles in water. l Drain the water from your noodles and place them in a bowl. l Mix your cut carrots and onions together and add to the noodles. l Drain the broccoli from the water and add this to the above mix. l Next add your peanuts and sesame seeds into the mixture. l Mix all the ingredients together and pour your soya sauce, chilli flakes and seasoning into the mixture.

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CHIL

TO PARENT AB SE

No one should have to live with child to parent violence and abuse Words: Helen Bonnick IIlustration: Ulla Helen Bonnick runs Holes in the Wall website, which specialises in providing support and information for child to parent abuse. She has worked in this area for over twenty years, providing training and support for people working with those affected by child to parent violence and abuse.

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hen I started researching how families could find help when their children were hurting them or damaging their homes, I was met with some surprise People thought I meant parents abusing their children, or that I was talking about adult children The idea that even uite young children could be violent or destructive in their own homes goes against what we think about normal family life But twenty years later, following ten years of serious research around the world, we know this happens in as many as in families, and all types of families are affected However, it’s sadly still uite hard to get help Parents face difficulty in talking to friends and family, being told you’re imagining things or making out they’re worse than they are, or just having a bad day They can find difficulty when contacting social services

and being investigated for not protecting their other children When calling the police and receiving more abuse from their child as punishment after the police leave These are all things parents regularly report, and which add to a feeling of isolation and shame, leading to a reluctance to ask for help the next time it happens The behaviour we’re talking about can look like the abuse people experience from their partners, and in some cases the child or young person may have learnt to behave in this way from someone in the family or even been coached to do so That’s why so many parents say it feels like domestic abuse But for other families the physical and verbal abuse, the smashing of possessions, and threats of worse can come from elsewhere It can be because of the child’s anxiety due to exploitation or

threats from outsiders; because they have a neurodiversity and maybe a lack of understanding or support in school; trauma experienced in their childhood; or mental health difficulties, along with many other issues or parents in this situation, it may be hard to think of your child as an abuser, which is why we try to avoid words like perpetrator’, talking instead about the young person using their behaviour as a form of communication and thinking about it coming from a place of stress.

Over the past ten years I’ve been fortunate to be part of a growing movement working to raise awareness of this issue To train people who come into contact with such families, to change how the media talks about it, and to develop resources for practitioners to support and guide families We still have a long way to go, and there are still too many families

who don’t receive the right response however, gradually more attention and help is becoming available.

Trained family workers, youth workers, social workers and others spend time with a family getting to know them and supporting them to make the changes needed to bring a greater feeling of safety and wellbeing There will be some families whose needs are so great that they can’t live together safely, so alternative arrangements are made, but for many the pattern of violence and abuse can change, while for a few it might always be present but at a manageable level.

For more information: To find out more about this subject and the help available to you including podcasts, leaflets and organisations to contact for help and advice go to www Holesinthewall co uk

‘There’ll be some families that can’t live together safely, but for many the pattern of violence and abuse can change.’

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SIGNHEALTH

SignHealth

helping Deaf women find the domestic abuse support they need Photo: David Levene SignHealth is a charity set up to support Deaf people’s health and wellbeing. Part of the work they do is in supporting Deaf women suffering from domestic abuse.

Marie Vickers, Head of Domestic Abuse Services, talks about the barriers Deaf women face in this area and the work SignHealth do to support them.

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anielle* lived most of her adult life in a severely abusive relationship.

When she left her partner, she still lived in fear of him. Every time she saw him at deaf events, she would feel scared and leave. This left her lonely and unable to see her community.

Deaf women are more likely to experience domestic abuse than hearing women, and getting support is more difficult This is for many reasons, including communication barriers. As an organisation, we’ve known many times when a Deaf woman has received inadequate support from local domestic abuse services because they didn’t know

how to communicate with them. Deaf women have even been turned away from refuges because they didn’t have suitable health and safety or access equipment in the accommodation for their needs.

SignHealth provides the only specialist support service delivered in British Sign Language for Deaf adults and children experiencing domestic abuse in England.

Danielle lived in too much fear for her safety to stay in her home. At 32-years-old, she left her flat and moved back in with her parents. She found out about our domestic abuse service when she was referred to our therapy service.

Our Deaf Independent Domestic

Violence Advisor completed a risk assessment and developed a safety and support plan for Danielle. We then supported her in contacting her local services who provided and fitted a video entry system and a personal alarm for her flat Danielle has been empowered by If you are deaf and in an abusive relationship, email SignHealth on da@signhealth.org.uk More information about domestic abuse and mental health services are also available on SignHealth’s website.

receiving support in her own language – British Sign Language – and she is now moving on with her life. Without SignHealth, Danielle would still be living in fear, too terrified to go home That’s no life *Danielle is not her real name. We have changed it to protect her identity.

About SignHealth SignHealth provide advice and support for Deaf people experiencing domestic abuse They also deliver prevention workshops and closed groups for survivors of domestic abuse in schools, colleges and within the Deaf

community. SignHealth also provide therapies for Deaf people with anxiety and depression. SignHealth staff work to raise awareness amongst young Deaf people using BSL, as they believe this information should be shared in their first language

Full article in sign language This article is available in sign language through this video, https://vimeo.com/870253553/bdae153a07?share=copy

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OPEN JUSTICE

Open Justice from a prison library to campaigning to change the criminal justice system Open Justice work to change the criminal justice system.

Started by people with direct experience of the prison system, the founding members tell us about how the organisation began, and their work today.

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he original idea for what was to become Open Justice was thought up in a small prison library in 2018.

The library was not an ideal space to think about a new writing project or to develop long-term friendships and a shared desire to see changes to the criminal justice system (CJS).

Those who came for the biscuits and coffee were scuffling noisily between themselves, one woman was threatening another. The librarian and our new group facilitator were trying to keep the meeting together. But what came out of it has had a real impact on our lives and, we hope, will have a positive impact on the lives of others.

First, with the help and support of Women in Prison, we created a new prison magazine called Off the Cuff. A hardhitting publication highlighting issues in the CJS and the challenges those within it

face. A magazine that opened debate and allowed women in prison to share – through their writing, art and poetry – their feelings and experiences of the CJS and prison. Off the Cuff ran for four issues, funded by WIP. It was very popular with women in the prison, both as readers and contributors. It even made it into the hands of MPs in the Houses of Parliament.

Then, unfortunately after four issues, the prison made the decision the magazine couldn’t run without being subject to censorship. Given this choice, we could no longer, ethically, continue.

Censorship of the women’s views and ideas would have defeated the purpose of the publication. The magazine had presented the reality of prison life as seen not only by women in prison, but also by professionals such as university academics and even by Ministry of Justice decision-makers. We felt ‘reality’ should

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not be edited out.

That attempt at censorship was our wake-up call. Four of us decided not to be silenced, but to take the debate forward and open it up beyond the prison gates, to the public and press for those in power to respond to urgent calls for action. To listen to and widely publish the views and experiences of those still in prison; those currently moving through the CJS process; and those who have made it out the other end.

Since 2022, the four of us – two of us now out of prison; one of us still in prison; and the facilitator provided by WIP in our first library meeting have been working towards this goal. In a short time, we have made a lot of progress. We began by responding to the disastrous Prisons Strategy White Paper. Then one of our members successfully took forward a legal action that ended the discriminatory policy of allowing men to enjoy ROTL a full year before women.

Now, we need your support to help us change the system. Our focus right now is on the crisis in self-harm and suicide in Britain’s prisons. There’s currently around one death by suicide per thousand prisoners each year This figure is the

same for women and men, which is an unwanted ‘equality’, since in the general population women are much less likely to kill themselves than men. As for self-harm, there are now around five incidents a year for every woman in custody. This means that the rate of self-harm among women in prison is now ten times higher than among men in prison.

We would appreciate hearing your thoughts and experiences around the current crisis in self har an suici e in ritain s prisons.

To help us present the case for urgent changes to the criminal justice system.

Changes which could save women’s lives.

Email us your thoughts: contact@openjusticeinitiative.com Write to us: Open Justice Initiative, FREE POST, Women in Prison magazine Find out more about us, visit our website: www.openjusticeinitiative.com

‘Now, we need your support to help us change the system. Our focus right now is on the crisis in self-harm and suicide in Britain’s prisons.’

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ALL YOURS

ALLYO As always, we received some great creative pieces from you following our last magazine edition. Drawing on your own experiences and reflections, here are some of the best poems and artworks you sent in.

In a minute Words: Jules Yes miss this Yes miss that Sir can I have a razor Yes but in a minute.

Ten minutes pass, then an hour before you know it it’s another day and still sir says Yes in a minute.

You have to be calm You have to be patient If you kick off you’re given a nicking.

You can ask all you want but it’s still in a minute When all you want is a dam razor for ten minutes.

Woman breaking free: Artwork by Elaine

OURS Star Letter

Words: Maria

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ALL YOURS

Corpse Bride: Artwork by Kait Mave

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Fairy: Artwork by Sue

ALL

O RS

WTF is Normal?!

Words: Nicola Imagine for a second… I was ‘Normal’?!!!

Whose ‘Normal’ would I exactly be?

That man or woman with that made to fit suit, That was made to fit the sidewalk grey sheeple’ sea Or maybe the one where I’m deaf or I’m blind, because most Normal’ doesn’t care to see…

Maybe that Normal’ old lady, whose always alone and in fear, whoever goes around for a cuppa And to wipe away all of those tears Right now I’m sat in a prison, which to some isn’t Normal’ at all But no one knows the path I’ve taken through life and most ironic of all it’s the most Normal’ I’ve felt Clean, strong, healthy I feel nice So maybe what I’m saying is be kind to each other, don’t judge Walk a day in someone else’s shoes, just don’t wear them down too much Be your own ‘Normal’!

In our last edition, we asked you to share your views on what support means to you.

You can read the winning entry by Marcia below.

Life-support Words: Marcia What does good support mean to me I reflect upon this fre uently I leave out Brownies, misguided support About potential careers, typing letters, sitting on the bosses knee This misguided support was meant for me My parent’s raised me, supported me as an Asper girl There love and care, kept me happy and well Support to me comes from my first training bra And tights that stay up, and knicker elastic strong And a good pair of shoes With heels that last long ood support from friends, with a girly night in Ann Summers parties, with a film and some wine Supporting each other, on hen parties and more Supporting each other, fighting for sex e uality In the women’s war Support to me is having a listening ear A shoulder to cry on, supporting each other all year By talking to friends about problems, it helps to unburden the load, makes our travel easier down life’s journey road

Illustration: Benjamin

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44

PPO

What women told us, and what we did!

Words: Miriam Minty Miriam Minty, PPO Deputy Ombudsman for Complaints, tells us about changes that will be made to the name of PPO’s complaints investigations department to make it easier for you to understand what they do to support you in making a complaint.

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n 2021, women made up 4% of the total prison population but only 1% of the complaints we received.

Were conditions better in women’s prisons? Were you better able to sort out problems and disputes? Were you more likely to put up with issues without ‘making a fuss’?

We didn’t know the answers, but during 2022 and early 2023 we spoke to women in every women’s prison in England to try and find out We wanted to make sure women knew about us, and to identify and address the obstacles that may prevent you from using our service.

We found that many women hadn’t heard of us, didn’t know who we were, or how we could help. There was a lack of PPO publicity materials in the prisons we visited, and we found many frontline staff were unaware of our role.

Women told us they are less likely to make contact with an organisation they’ve had no previous contact with, and when they don’t know anyone else who has either.

Some women did remember a mention of the PPO when they first arrived in prison, but with so much going on at the time, lots of new things to process and often feeling anxious, it didn’t stay with them. They told us having something in writing about the PPO that they could keep and look at in their own time would be more helpful.

As a result of this important feedback and the conversations that Adrian Usher, the new Ombudsman, myself, and my team had with you during our visits, we’ve decided to change the name of our complaints investigations work.

We want our name to say more clearly what we can do for you if you are struggling to get help with complaints, and how best you can use our service.

On 5 October, we announced we will become Independent Prisoner Complaint Investigations (IPCI) when dealing with complaints from people in prison and those in youth custody.

We want to be in prisons more often, so my team and I will be coming back to all

‘On 5 October, we became Independent Prisoner Complaint Investigations (IPCI) when dealing with complaints from people in prison and in youth custody.’ women’s prisons over the coming months to speak to you about our new name and when this change will happen.

When we come, we will bring posters for the walls and leaflets which you can keep, and which will let you know how we can help.

We hope some of you volunteer to work more closely with us, so you can signpost and assist others who may need to use our service.

Thank you, if you were someone we spoke to about what more we can do to raise awareness of our work. You have

really helped us think about how we can better help those who need our services.

If you have any other suggestions, look out for us coming to visit in the coming weeks, or write to me at IPCI. Miriam Minty Director, Independent Prisoner Complaint Investigations (IPCI) IPCI, Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, Third Floor, 10 South Colonnade, London E14 4PU IPCI will be part of the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman.

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CCC

Creating Community Connections:

here to help you Words: Narinder Panesar, Creating Community Connections Coordinator Illustration: Up Studio Creating Community Connections project is here to help you. We can connect you to specialist services who can support you if you’ve experienced domestic abuse. We can also support you ourselves through one-to-one support from our Link Workers and Women’s Champions and courses to equip you with the right tools to heal.

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f you have any previous history or current experiences of domestic abuse, support is available for you in prison.

It’s really important you ask for help now, so you know where to find the right support at the right time on your release All kinds of help is available, from group work where you can learn about different types of unhealthy relationships to help with securing a civil order which will prevent an abusive partner from contacting you helping to keep you safe If you’re in HMP Low Newton, New Hall, Styal, Drake Hall, Foston Hall, Send or Eastwood Park, you can get help from the

Creating Community Connections project Project Link Workers can work with you on a one-to-one basis to talk about and look at any problems you might have around relationships. They will be able to make sure you’re linked in with specialist organisations who can support you when you are released wherever you are in the country. ou can also attend two different group work programmes designed to help you recognise the harm that domestic abuse can cause you, your children and families, and to e uip you with the right tools to recover.

One such programme, the Hope 2 Recovery Course is delivered by Women’s Champions – women just like you, who have had similar experiences and are serving time alongside you. They are also able to help provide information about the best support for you on release.

‘I feel good about being able to be a form of support for others; be it trauma they have gone through or something they are going through at present.’

Women’s Champion ‘I have been part of the Domestic Abuse course over the past few weeks through my role as a Women’s Champion. I have found the course to be very supportive and informative. It has addressed many aspects of the impact of domestic abuse

as well as suggestions on how to move forward positively.’

Women’s Champion ‘I really found it useful to focus not only on signs (red flags) of abusive behaviour (so I can recognise it earlier In the future), but also to look at ways to move forward and heal.’ Course participant In other prisons, you’ll find courses such as Pattern Changing and the Freedom Programme. All of these are designed to help you find your feet in a relationship and sort out the best way forward for you when you’re released.

Ask an Officer or your OMU for what support is available for you in your prison.

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POSITIVE SELF TALK

Healing from trauma by changing negative thinking We can all suffer from negative thinking. If bad things happen to us over a short period of time or we receive negative messages from people we know, we can lose confidence in who we are. We might start to question what we believe about ourselves and get into a pattern of automatic negative thinking (negative thoughts that just appear) which strengthen our negative self-belief.

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hen you’ve been in an abusive relationship and had to deal with your self-esteem and beliefs being challenged and broken down daily, it’s likely you’ll have developed automatic negative thinking (your general thinking becomes negative).

This may in turn have a negative effect on your feelings and behaviour.

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Here are some ways you can overcome this negative thinking and replace it with positive thinking.

Recognising negative thoughts l They are automatic. They just pop into your head without any effort on your part. l They are distorted. They are not true to the facts. l They are unhelpful. They keep your self esteem low and make it difficult to change. l They seem like they could be true. We don’t think to question them. l They are involuntary. They can be difficult to switch off Keeping a thought diary can help Keep a diary and record your thoughts.

This will help you recognise when you’re experiencing automatic negative thinking, so you can challenge these thoughts and replace them with more positive thoughts instead.

Identify common negative automatic thoughts errors you can change

There are common thinking errors in automatic negative thoughts. The following list can help you identify some of them and support you in changing them.

All or nothing thinking Everything is seen as black and white, with no shades of grey. For example, if you don’t do something perfectly you see yourself as a total failure. It’s easy to see how this automatic negative thought could have started within an abusive relationship when there would be serious consequences if you did not meet the unreasonable demands of the abuser.

Overgeneralisation One bad thing suggests everything is bad. For example, you make a mistake and say ‘I’ll never get it right’. This automatic negative thinking can be you still hearing the abuse of your abuser telling you again and again that you will ‘never get it right’.

Mental filter You let your mind focus only on the negative things and ignore positive ones.

POSITIVE SELF TALK

Ignoring the positive You notice a positive event but then underplay it by saying ‘anyone can do that’ or ‘it was a lucky guess’. This allows you to hold onto the negative thoughts, even though they may not be true.

Jumping to conclusions You make an assumption with nothing to back it up. For example, you assume someone has fallen out with you or are angry, without asking to see if this is true.

Or you may predict a negative outcome for something you plan to do, even though there’s nothing to say it will go that way.

Making things bigger or smaller You make things seem bigger than they are, or reduce the importance of positive information. For example, because you’re late you think your friend will be angry and will never want to see you again, or someone says you are really interesting and a good friend and you say that they say that about everybody, or are only saying it to make you feel better.

Labelling and mislabelling This is an extreme form of over generalisation. You label yourself with something associated with negative behaviour. For example, you make a mistake, so you describe yourself as hopeless. It is the event that’s gone wrong, but you label yourself not the event as wrong.

Personalisation You assume responsibility for everything that goes wrong even when there is no evidence that it’s to do with you. For example, the washing machine breaks and you blame yourself for mistreating it, even though there is no evidence for this.

You blame yourself but in reality, blame is only reasonable if you intend something, otherwise it is unfortunate and regrettable.

Grounding techniques Grounding techniques are created to connect you to the present moment. Using them can help you cope with upsetting thoughts, memories, or feelings, by taking your thinking away from these thoughts into the present moment. Try these and see what works for you.

Sound l Turn up the TV or listen to your favourite song. l Talk out loud about what you see, hear, or what you’re thinking or doing. l Call a loved one. l Put on some nature sounds such as birds chirping or waves crashing. l Read out loud.

Touch l Put your hands under running water. l Take a hot or cool shower. l Rub your hand lightly over your bedding or a piece of furniture, noting the texture. l Massage your temples. l Drink a hot or cold beverage.

Smell l Sniff strong peppermint, which also has the benefit of having a soothing effect l Get some relaxing essential oils and smell one.

Taste l Suck on a mint. l Take a bite of something spicy or peppery. l Let a piece of chocolate melt in your mouth, noticing how it tastes and feels as you roll it around with your tongue.

Sight l Make a mental list of everything around you, such as all the colours and patterns you see. Saying them out loud is helpful too. l Put on your favourite movie or TV show. l Play a distracting board game. l Complete a crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search or other puzzles. l Read a book or a magazine.

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MINDFULNESS

Body scan relaxation Illustration: PPaint This meditation focuses on the sensations of breathing as you guide your awareness through your body, helping you to relax and bring your thinking into the present moment.

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ou might want to team up with your cell mate or a close friend to support each other with this exercise. They can read the script out for you, to help you know what the steps are and what you should be doing next. Over time, and with a little practice, you’ll remember the steps and will be able to do it on your own if you prefer.

This meditation places particular emphasis on the sensations of breathing as you guide your awareness through the whole body.

Preparation l Get into as comfortable a position as possible. You can cover yourself with a light blanket if this makes you feel warmer and relaxed. l Lie down with your eyes shut, if possible.

If you don’t feel able to do this, then try and make yourself as comfortable as possible sitting in a chair or on your bed. l Allow yourself to settle wherever you are and place your arms at the side of your body with your hands gently resting on your tummy.

Body scan script (for your mate to read out to you, to help guide you in the exercise) l Begin by becoming aware of how your tummy is moving beneath your hands as you breathe. Is your tummy rising up with your in-breath? And as you breathe out can you feel your tummy getting smaller? l SPEAKER PAUSE – Try not to alter your breathing but try to become aware of the rhythm of your breathing. l SPEAKER PAUSE – Can you feel the movement in your chest as your ribs rise and then fall as you breathe in and then out. Breathing in the ribs fall and breathing out they rise. Can you feel your lungs filling and emptying as you breathe in and then out? l SPEAKER PAUSE – As you breathe in your lungs will fill and the muscle called the diaphragm will begin to broaden and flatten allowing your ribs to lower and your lungs to fill, pushing your internal organs outwards in your tummy. As you breathe out the diaphragm rises and your internal organs come back into the body and the

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tummy gets smaller. Can you feel this as it happens? l SPEAKER PAUSE – Continue to breathe in and out with awareness of the rhythm of your breath. l SPEAKER PAUSE – Now allow that awareness to move to your lower back, your middle back, and your upper back.

Become aware of the shape of your back and how it rests on the floor, bed or chair Try and become aware of how your breathing affects your back. Can you feel the breath in your back? Can you feel how it nourishes your back? l SPEAKER PAUSE Reflect for a moment on how your lungs are as much a part of the back of the body as they are the front. This may be a new thought for you but becoming aware of the breath in the back of our body can be naturally calming. Consider that as you focus on the breathing in your back. l SPEAKER PAUSE – Now allow your awareness to move into your shoulders and gently drop them back fully onto the floor, bed or chair, so they are fully supported and you’re not holding them tightly. l SPEAKER PAUSE – Allow your awareness to move to your upper arms, your elbows, lower arms and hands. Feel how they are supported and relaxed. Let your awareness flow into your fingers and thumbs and stay there for a while. l SPEAKER PAUSE – Bring your awareness back to your arms, into your throat and to the back of your neck.

Allow this awareness to travel your whole head and face. Let your whole head be fully supported by the bed, floor or chair l SPEAKER PAUSE – If you feel tension on your face, try and relax it – focus for a moment on your breathing and know that it can help to soften your face. l SPEAKER PAUSE – Can you allow the back of your mouth and top of your throat to be soft, letting the breath flow in and out? Unclench your teeth and let your breath flow in and out l SPEAKER PAUSE – Guide your awareness through your body to your hips and let your legs relax and be fully supported by the bed, floor or chair Let gravity take your weight and allow this awareness to flow through them l SPEAKER PAUSE – Allow this awareness to now continue flowing into your feet, ankles and toes. How does it feel? Let all your muscles relax as the awareness settles in them. l SPEAKER PAUSE – Broaden this awareness into your whole body. Can you sense the breath in your whole body?

Very gently lengthen the in-breath.

Can you feel sensations around your body changing as the awareness spreads and the relaxation deepens. l SPEAKER PAUSE l CONCLUSION – Gradually bring the awareness body scan to an end. Open your eyes and gently move or stretch.

Adapted from ‘Mindfulness for health’ – Burch and Penman

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BEAUTY OUT OF ASHES

Beauty Out Of Ashes competition winners

and a new competition!

In our summer issue we teamed up with Beauty out of Ashes to run a competition. It challenged you to express artistically what ‘Beauty out of Ashes’ means to you.

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ere are the winning poems and artwork as selected by Beauty out of Ashes. Congratulations to all you winners and thank you to everyone who took part. We’ve also included some runners up (commended) as we thought your work was so great.

Beauty out of Ashes was so impressed with the entries that they’ve asked us to partner on a new competition. See details below.

Beauty out of Ashes new competition: Protection, support, and therapy At Beauty out of Ashes we emphasise three approaches to domestic violence that will be offered in our proposed new

women’s building: Protection, support, and therapy. We’d be delighted if your entry reflected one or all of these approaches, but anything within the broader theme is fine As with the previous competition, all the winning entries will be exhibited on our Beauty out of Ashes website and other publishing platforms.

About Beauty out of Ashes Beauty out of Ashes was set up to secure the legacy of HMP Holloway. Arising from our consultation with women, women’s organisations and the community – and inspired by models elsewhere – we are working to set up a Women’s Building as a visionary model of support for women.

THE COMPETITION WINNERS

First Prize £20 Words by Jules

We enter the system broken and forlorn Ash left after the fire, dark and withdrawn Approached by many, we don’t know the score Curious eyes follow us and peep through the door Like the phoenix out of the ashes that won’t be me Broken and alone, now an HMP detainee Weeks tick by, we slowly rise Holistic therapies help, much to everyone’s’ surprise We begin to shine like a diamond in the rough Our prison journey isn’t easy, we can’t bluff The creative side emerges gradually from within Rising like the sun, we won’t be those ashes in the bin Making the most of what is on offer Creative work in the art department we proffer Slowly, but surely, our transformation is seen by all Rising from the ashes, standing real tall Holistic, creative and transformative services we’ve used Needs of women are supported, we’re no longer bruised We’ve risen from that dark, dank ash Beauty emerges, is the news flash

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BEAUTY OUT OF ASHES

£10 Prize Beauty from Ashes: a beautiful bloom Artwork

by Janet

THE COMPETITION WINNERS

£10 Prize Artwork

by Rachel J.C.

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58

BEAUTY OUT OF ASHES

£10 Prize No Justice – No piece: Artwork

by Kelly

THE COMPETITION WINNERS

Runners up commended entries

From ashes we show our beauty: Artwork

by Lucy

Phoenix girl freed from the cross: Artwork

by Daisy

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60

COLOURING EXERCISE

Artwork by Erika Flowers, www.recordedinart.com

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62

PUZZLES

WORD SEARCH Find the words - time yourself!

L F R E U E B A F Y Y G H B V K E Y J W L H X N N H H R I S D X J P L E C Z O Y O F T I F S H F Z G D Q S N P P A C T I V I S M U V Z D E S I L Z H E A L I N G P S L Q E M K K N U M P U H T F I P S P O S I T I V I T Y Z J K P Q Q O Z U D O C H A N G E T G T S U R T S T V M E X R C O M F C A M P A I G N L U D B L I I T O G E T H E R T H U M A N R I G H T S F D U S P E A K O U T E Q T T L F Change

Activism

Hope

Campaign

Together

Human rights

Positivity

Speaking out

Future

Healing

9 3 6 8 4 1 7 2 5

5 1 7 3 2 9 8 6 4

7 8 4 1 3 6 9 5 2

6 5 3 4 9 2 1 8 7

1 9 2 5 7 8 4 3 6

3 7 1 9 6 5 2 4 8

8 6 9 2 1 4 5 7 3

4 2 5 7 8 3 6 1 9

L F R E U E B A F Y Y G H B H R O F P P E S L Q I P J K G E X R L U R T H U M A N R I G H T S F D U S P E A K O U T E Q T T L F

Answers

Puzzle by websudoku.com

2 4 8 6 5 7 3 9 1

5 7 1 9 6 5 4 3 7 4 6 7 1 8 3 5 4 3 2 7 1 4 3 2 5 4 9 6 8 2

How to play? Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 to 9, without repeating the number.

SUDOKU

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USEFUL CONTACTS

LEGAL & GENERAL ADVICE Prison Reform Trust Advice and Information Service: 0808 802 0060 Monday 3pm–5pm Wednesday and Thursday 10:30am–12:30pm Prisoners’ Advice Service (PAS): PO Box 46199, London, EC1M 4XA 0207 253 3323 Open Monday, Wednesday and Friday 10am–12:30pm and 2pm–4:30pm, Tuesday evenings 4:30pm–7pm Rights of Women l Family law helpline 020 7251 6577 Open Tuesday–Thursday 7pm–9pm and Friday 12–2pm (excluding Bank Holidays). l Criminal law helpline 020 7251 8887 Open Tuesdays 2pm–4pm and 7pm–9pm, Thursday 2pm–4pm and Friday 10am–12pm l Immigration and asylum law helpline 020 7490 7689 Monday 10am–1pm and 2pm–5pm, Thursday 10am–1pm and 2pm–5pm

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE National Domestic Abuse Helpline: 0808 2000 247 Open 24 hours.

LGBTQ+ Bent Bars A letter writing project for LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming people in prison.

Bent Bars Project, PO Box 66754, London, WC1A 9BF Books Beyond Bars Connecting LGBTQIA+ people in prison with books and educational resources.

Books Beyond Bars, PO Box 5554, Manchester, M61 0SQ HOUSING Shelter Helpline: 0808 800 4444 Open 8am–8pm on weekdays and 9am–5pm on weekends.

FAMILY SUPPORT National Prisoners’ Families Helpline: 0808 808 2003 Open Monday-Friday 9am–8pm and on Saturday and Sunday 10am–3pm (excluding Bank Holidays).

OTHER Cruse Bereavement Care 0808 808 1677

Open Monday–Friday 9:30am–5pm, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 9:30am–8pm and weekends 10am–2pm.

Samaritans 116 123 Disclaimer: please be aware that some helplines will be operating under new opening hours due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

NACRO information and advice line: 0300 123 1999

HARMFUL SUBSTANCE USE SUPPORT Frank Helpline: 0300 123 6600 Open 24 hours, 7 days a week.

Action on Addiction Helpline: 0300 330 0659

PPaint

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CONSENT FORM

Women in Prison (WIP) Consent Form We love to receive artwork, poetry, stories, articles, letters, knitting patterns, recipes, craft ideas etc., for publication in the magazine from women affected by the criminal justice system in prison or the community. Please complete and tear out this form to send along with your piece so that we know you are happy for us to publish your work and what name you would like to use.

Please note that we are unable to return any of the written pieces or artwork that you send to us for publication.

Thank you for your contribution! All the best, the Women in Prison Team.

Please use CAPITAL letters to complete First Name

Surname

Prison or Women Centre (if applicable)

Prison No. (if applicable)

Any Contact Details (email, address, phone)

Title of your piece (If relevant)

Basic description (e.g. a letter in response to... or a poem or an article on...)

I give permission for my work to be used by Beauty out of Ashes (as outlined in the competition on page 59)

Yes

I give permission for my work to be used by Women in Prison (PLEASE TICK): WIP’s magazine (Still I Rise)

Yes

No

WIP’s online platforms (our website, www.womeninprison.org.uk, and social media, including Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn)

Yes

No

WIP’s Publications & Promotional Materials (i.e. reports, leaflets, briefings)

Yes

No

Please note we only publish first names (no surnames) and the name of the prison or Women’s Centre in the magazine (we don’t publish prison names in other publications or online).

You can of course choose to be Anonymous (no name used) or write a nickname or made up name.

I am happy for my first name to be published Please write exactly what name you would like to be used:

Freepost – WOMEN IN PRISON (in capitals) No stamp is required and nothing else is needed on the envelope.

Yes

No

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WIP BELIEVES

What does Women in Prison believe?

How does that influence how we work?

Chris Tchaikovsky set up Women in Prison (WIP) over 30 years ago, after serving a sentence in HMP Holloway. Upon her release, she campaigned tirelessly to improve conditions inside prison, to widen the knowledge and understanding of the judiciary about women affected by the criminal justice system, and to end the use of incarceration for all but a tiny number of women.

Chris said: ‘Taking the most hurt people out of society and punishing them in order to teach them how to live within society is, at best, futile. Whatever else a prisoner knows, she knows everything there is to know about punishment – because that is exactly what she has grown up with. Childhood sexual abuse, indifference, neglect – punishment is most familiar to her.’ l Women in Prison continues to campaign for the radical reduction of the women’s prison population and for significant investment and growth in community-based support services, especially the network of Women’s Centres. l Women in Prison recognises that every woman has her own assets and capabilities.

These are valuable tools in making real and lasting changes to their lives, but they are too often undermined by the experience of prison.

l Women in Prison is a women-only organisation. It believes that men and women’s experiences of the criminal justice system have some similarities, but many more differences. Too often these differences, such as being a single parent and primary carer, fail to be properly acknowledged and understood, which adds to the punishment already exacted. l Women in Prison workers, inside and outside prison, endeavour to offer individual women a consistently professional relationship based on trust and mutual respect, and kept within appropriate boundaries. Their aim is to work with women affected by the criminal justice system, so they can achieve the change they choose to make. l Women in Prison knows, from experience and research, that prisons do not deal with the root causes which bring women in contact with the criminal justice system. l Women in Prison believes that the most effective way to reduce women’s offending is to deal with its root causes – including poverty, gender and racial inequality, and other social injustices – through community alternatives like Women’s Centres.

Artwork: Emily & Victor,

by Kate Mave

The national magazine of Women in Prison written by and for women affected by the criminal justice system

Sixteen Days of Activism Women driven to harm Saying ‘no’ to domestic violence Big Mumma’s story Irish Traveller with big dreams UK female activists Warning signs of an abusive partner Child to parent abuse Helping Deaf women find support Open Justice Initiative Creating Community Connections Cooking together and sharing cultures Healing from trauma All Yours Body scan relaxation Beauty out of Ashes PPO: What women told us Colouring exercise Word search and Sudoku puzzles.