Thursday, 19th October 2006

Put your pens down please

Yes, it’s over. At least for the time being. On Monday morning I took my latest Open University exam on State, Economy and Nation in nineteenth-century Europe. The exam went very well and all that revision certainly paid off – I hope.

So I have approximately 4 months to enjoy study free before I resume in February.

Yesterday I had a very interesting day as I visited HMP Whitemoor in March, Cambs for the Family Friendly Prisons challenge that Action for Prisoners’ Families run each October. Together with a couple of other visitors I was given a tour around the prison establishment to see first hand the workshops, education dept, gymnasium, chapel and one of the wings. It was quite emotional especially as my two other visitors had loved ones on the wing. For them, to be able to visualise where their loved ones lived and worked each day is so important. “I always imagined that everything was grey” said the mother of one of the inmates. It was a true honour to share that moment with her and I don’t mind saying that it brought a tear to my eye. Later in the day I got the chance to meet her son and to watch them share just a few precious moments together. I was also privileged because HMP Whitemoor is a high security prison and therefore it was the first time that the prison had run an extended family visits day and to open up the establishment for us to visit beyond the visits room was groundbreaking. In fact, we were the first civilians to have ever been shown around the prison.

For more information about Action for Prisoners Famiiles click onto www.prisonersfamilies.org.uk . I have been working for APF for over 4 years now on a part time basis and have learnt so much in that time about the needs of prisoners families. You can find out more by looking at the website above.

That’s it for tonight but be sure to keep a look out on the bathtimeblog as I’ll need something to do until February.

Posted by Daddy @ 8:49 PM  

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