The need for regular purposeful activity in prisons is greater than ever.

The Prison Reform Trust’s latest Bromley Briefing  details how little purposeful activity there is now in prisons, with almost nothing having changed since the lockdowns and extreme restrictions of the pandemic.

We know that rehabilitation is vital, but opportunities such as this are vanishingly rare.

Our three sources of funding (public donations, trust donations and ticket sales) have, since COVID, become precarious. That is why we need your support.

We will continue to work with HMP Bronzefield, one of only 13 UK Women’s prisons and the only purpose-built private prison for women in the UK. With so few prisons, a woman is usually a long way from her family and her children are often taken into care.

Bronzefield is the largest female prison in Europe, with a roll call of 572 in four house blocks with a mother & baby unit for 12 women and 13 babies up to the age of 18 months. The prison is operated by Sodexo Justice Services.

The Weekly Sessions

As well as the biennal large-scale project, throughout the year there are weekly classes, headed by Tol Christie and Helen Sennett – a pianist, a singer and a choreographer. Content includes singing, dance, and drama (including the prisoners’ own writing).

These weekly sessions will offer more longevity, consistency and structure to the project. Since confidence, energy, teamwork, and positive thinking all contribute to rehabilitation and social integration, the weekly classes, like the large productions, can facilitate significant improvements, both in the way prisoners view themselves, and are viewed by others.

BBC doc about Pimlico Opera

Guys, Dolls, & D wing (1993) was nominated for a BAFTA

Did you know?

27% of the prison population were in care. Of the under 25s, 50% were in care.

45% of adults are re-convicted within a year of release but 97% express a desire to stop offending.

Of the 85k people in prison today, around 4k are women. There are very few women’s prisons, so an offender is often a long way from her family and her children are often taken into care.

Prisoner testimonials

There is powerful evidence for the benefit that this work has to society, the public purse and the wider economy. Improvements in prisoner rehabilitation and the lowering of re-offending can only be a good thing.

“Taking part in Pimlico Opera has been life changing”.

“Since doing the project I have gained so much self worth and confidence”.

“The project has allowed me the opportunity to invest my excess energy into something both positive and productive”.

Handwritten

Typed

Betty Blue Eyes

‘There’s a pig in the house’

Bronzefield Prison, November 2022