Prisoners don’t have the chance to rehabilitate properly in the prison environment - Judith Maxwell

The offender was convicted of attempted murder, was given a life sentence with a minimum tariff of thirteen years and is still in prison. It was his parole hearing the other week and he is to remain in custody for the time being.

Ever since that day I have held a special interest in anything to do with prisons and prisoners. Any headline conviction on the news I compare to ‘our’ offender, does it seem fair in comparison? Which weapon is the worst knife, gun or hammer (I now regard hammers as weapons and not tools).

I think about should prisoners be allowed to vote, have library books etc? My view is yes to both, too many people I have met in the intervening years have simplified the situation with a dismissive ‘Lock 'em up and throw away the key’. How does that action resolve anything?

The Government’s new Victim and Prisoner Bill claiming to transform victims’ experience is therefore of particular interest. It gives ministers the power to veto the most serious offenders protecting the public from them. Justice agencies that fail victims will face inspection.

Ten years after my dad’s attack we were asked if we wanted to provide a Victim Statement for our offender’s first parole hearing (the contact over the years with the Victim Support department has been professional and supportive). My sisters and I drafted something describing the impact on my father's life and how devastating the attack has been on our lives, especially the long-term ongoing damage to both mental and physical health.

We accepted that he was likely to be released at some point but really hoped that his rehabilitation would enable him to function fully in society so that he did not drift back into his old violent ways. Surely this is as important a purpose of a prison sentence as punishment and protection of the public?

The recent series on the BBC called Parole has been insightful and disturbing viewing and sadly has reinforced my view that, with the best will in the world, prisoners don't really have a chance to rehabilitate properly in the prison environment.

Government cut-backs have exacerbated the problem. Our offender came from a very difficult social background, he was a product of the brutal and depressing world in which he and other people live.

Prison needs to be a punishment but does it need to be equally brutal and demoralising?

Over the years I've worked hard on understanding and forgiveness. I know I have felt imprisoned in my own ballistic anger, sadness and incredulity about how this could have happened to my father. The early years after the attack were almost unbearable.

I recognise now that I have changed, developed and grown but it is a path I’d rather not have had forced on me. I hope the offender has had the opportunity to do this too.

Judith Maxwell is a retired business ethics consultant who lives in Huddersfield.