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Rebel Justice Podcasts : Episode 4: Women with Lived Experience Part 2

Madalena speaks to  model and mental health campaigner Naomi Harlow, activist and former prisoner Clare Barstow, prison law solicitor and expert Rob Welsh - from our sponsors, Instalaw, a leading prison and criminal defence law firm - and former prisoner and one of the founders of The View, Farah Damji.

Today we continue to look at whether women with lived experience can be part of the solution when it comes to effective policy and stopping the cycle of crime and reducing reoffending. 

Can Women with Lived Experience Be Part of the Solution? - Part 2

We continue our series on participation of women with lived experience who can be part of the solution when it comes to effective policy and stopping the cycle of crime and reducing reoffending.

 Host of the Rebel Justice podcast, Madalena Alberta speaks to  model and mental health campaigner Naomi Harlow, activist and former prisoner Clare Barstow, prison law solicitor and expert Rob Walsh - from our sponsors, Instalaw, a leading prison and criminal defence law firm - and former prisoner and one of the founders of The View, Farah Damji.

In this episode we explore the lack of openness to new alternatives to imprisonment. Previously Rob questioned why prisoners didn't receive training etc in prison and what qualifications people can get while they are there. Prisons must provide education, learning and skills  for prisoners serving sentences. Clare also mentioned that there is currently a huge shortage of prison psychologists and prison psychiatrists and that it takes six months to even get a referral from a prison GP and then another 18 months to get any treatment.

Naomi said that because she has been working with children and young people, she saw an 8 year old child who refused to go to class. He was pained and angry that someone was ridiculing him for coming from a poor background. During the pandemic, the gap between the rich and the poor grew bigger. Although laptops are distributed in schools, they are limited in number and these gaps, between the children who have and those who don't, increased significantly. His reactions are a raw and direct response to fear and existential trauma. Support for hobbies is also an issue, as lack of money and lack of time prevent poorer children from interacting and having meaningful relationships with their peers. When we talk about choice and recovery, we have to meet people's basic needs, their mental health and emotional needs, for example, support in housing, work, self-advancement and education.

During Rob's experience representing women in prison, he found that there are many people in the prison system who need to re-establish positive family links which is an important thing, and they need to be aware of the charities and assistance available to them. But many will encounter difficulties with leaflets and information about services, loans etc.  Farah mentioned there are serious mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. These can be daunting for those who feel very vulnerable. But if someone is willing to come along with you and help your re-entry into society together, it can make a huge difference.

Everyone needs to be listened to, to feel safe, to be loved. That's why it's absolutely vital to understand how people in the system feel and for women with lived experience to be involved in the healing process of other women.

With thanks to all our panellists and the many people who made Someone’s Daughter possible. The campaign continues, globally, so watch our social

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