Imagining More than Just a Prisoner: The Work of Prisoners’ Penfriends

60 Pages Posted: 19 May 2015 Last revised: 12 Jun 2015

See all articles by Jacqueline Hodgson

Jacqueline Hodgson

University of Warwick - School of Law

Juliet Horne

University of Warwick

Date Written: April 18, 2015

Abstract

Prisoners Penfriends is a small charitable organisation that facilitates and supervises letter-­writing between prisoners and trained volunteers. In the light of current resource pressures on the prison system and a recent rise in prisoner suicides, it is timely to examine whether this befriending project may be able to contribute to the well-­being and rehabilitation of prisoners. This research project set out to gather and analyse the views of prisoners and volunteers about the work of Prisoners’ Penfriends, particularly its impact on prisoners’ well-­being and on their feelings about life after release from prison. The views were gathered through telephone interviews (volunteers) and through questionnaires (prisoners and volunteers).

Keywords: prisoner suicides, Prisoners Penfriends, befriending project

Suggested Citation

Hodgson, Jacqueline S. and Horne, Juliet, Imagining More than Just a Prisoner: The Work of Prisoners’ Penfriends (April 18, 2015). Warwick School of Law Research Paper No. 2015/12, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2607575 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2607575

Jacqueline S. Hodgson (Contact Author)

University of Warwick - School of Law ( email )

Gibbet Hill Road
Coventry CV4 7AL, CV4 7AL
United Kingdom
02476 524163 (Phone)
02476 524105 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/law/staff/academic/hodgson

Juliet Horne

University of Warwick ( email )

Gibbet Hill Rd.
Coventry, West Midlands CV4 8UW
United Kingdom

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