First night in prison project

A year ago, Novus began a visionary collaboration in the North-East region, aimed at enriching learning opportunities across our education provision.

This approach initially focused on how we could enhance our delivery of functional English skills and has since progressed to include the wider curriculum. This collaborative approach has enabled Novus colleagues to work together, pooling their efforts towards a shared goal and fostering a culture of creativity across our education teams and throughout departments ultimately benefiting our learners. 

From this, learners had the opportunity to take part in an exciting collaborative project with Mike Garry called ‘First night in prison’. 

Mike Garry collaboration

One project that has formed part of our approach was the ‘First night in prison’ project where we worked collaboratively with Mancunian poet Mike Garry to offer a new creative enrichment opportunity to learners. 

Our shared intent was to cultivate a love of reading through implementing strategies that make the experience enjoyable, and it was very well received by both colleagues and learners. Leveraging Mike’s expertise, we looked at the importance of reading and integrated the art of poetry and creative writing in education departments, helping to nurture an appreciation for literature within an inclusive environment that embraces diverse perspectives and experiences.

The development of the First night in prison project

Initially, we wanted to explore innovative approaches to improving the engagement of hard-to-reach learners, in the essential skills of reading and writing, and we hosted a number of opportunities with external partners including Mike Garry to reach this goal. The sessions were received well, with teachers across the North-East region being particularly enthused and keen to discover more.

Mike Garry was then invited to visit establishments to facilitate his understanding of Novus Education Departments and the mix of learners, whilst also providing colleagues with a greater understanding of his approaches to engagement. 
Following the visits, there was a definite buzz amongst teachers and learners. As a collective we then discussed ideas, and from this teamworking approach came the exciting idea for a North-East collaborative book project, with learners’ contributions at the heart of it.

An overarching theme for the book was needed, and after further discussion it was agreed it should focus on experiences familiar to those in custody, such as what the first night in prison was like. The idea was that learners would be encouraged to write about it; the way they felt, the sights, and the sounds and smells they encountered, but also to include a degree of reassurance, so that although it can be intimidating and it can feel like your whole world has caved in, ultimately you get through it.

We perceived the project would provide a holistic opportunity to fulfil a number of goals, including: 

• Engage hard-to-reach prisoners in reading and education.
• Facilitate and improve understanding amongst prisoners as to the value of reading and education.
• Provide a resource that other prisoners could find relatable and supportive.
• Provide Novus colleagues with opportunities to share the experience within their teams, as well as showcasing how collaboration and teamworking results in a culture of shared vision and aspirations for new thinking.

Once the vision and rationale were decided upon, Mike ran a series of seminars involving representatives from all five prisons within the North-East men’s estate. Colleagues from HMP Low Newton were also invited, to provide balance and perspective from the women’s estate. Mike led several creative writing activities, designed to inspire and engage teachers, providing them with ideas and new perspectives to enhance their teaching toolkit. Within the sessions there was space to discuss how the activities could be effectively adapted and implemented in each establishment, with consideration given to specific cohorts and learner needs.

Colleagues from each establishment were involved in shaping the next steps and were empowered to take things forward in their respective departments. After the initial implementation of the project, Mike returned to each site to perform readings of the work produced and provide feedback. Further workshops were facilitated to provide the opportunity for additional contributions from learners. 

A selection process to whittle down learners’ entries was decided on by a wider team from within Novus. The consensus was to not just select the most well-crafted pieces of work, but also to give merit to those who had stepped out of their comfort zone to engage and had demonstrated progress, as well as those who have amazing experiences to share, but who aren’t always the most able.

The project has been a huge success with learners engaging positively and creating fantastic pieces of work for the project, which has culminated in a book called ‘First night in prison’. 

Below is an example of one of the fantastic poems featured in the book: 

The Cell Companion
I have a long road ahead of me,
It’s my road and mine alone, 
It’s my walk, no-one can do it for me,
Don’t beat myself up,
Pick myself up,
Keep going.
Find support,
Make some plans, 
Step onto that road,
Place one foot in front of the other,
Take a deep breath,
And just keep going.

Engaging learners in education through creative enrichment

Projects like these give prisoners the opportunity to engage in education in a way that meets their individual needs. Throughout the establishments, there has been a collective investment in the vision to succeed, but a key indicator of the project’s success has been how adaptable and responsive it has proved to be.

Over time the programme has evolved as a result of our learners’ enthusiasm for the activities and their insightful feedback. This approach has ensured that the programme has remained dynamic, with content tailored to meet the specific needs and interests of all the learners. By incorporating feedback and observing responses, the programme has evolved into an engaging and effective learning experience for all involved.

When asked about the project, Hilary the head of quality improvement for Novus commented positively:

The book, written by learners in prisons across the Northeast, is a wonderful collection of creative poetry. Based on the theme of 'first night', learners have found their creativity and have a produced reflective, positive and heartwarming collection of work.

 

To learn more about how we engage learners in education through our creative enrichment provision, take a look at the 2024/25 creative enrichment strategy.