This week 3Pillars attended HMYOI Feltham to aid the delivery of family enrichment days alongside the Physical Education Instructors (PEIs). Family enrichment week at Feltham is
organised to facilitate family members visiting boys in the prison and participating in various activities together. These visits are crucial as they help strengthen familial ties, which play a significant role in reducing reoffending. Research has shown that maintaining strong family connections during incarceration can lead to better rehabilitation outcomes and smoother reintegration into society.
For 3Pillars, participating in this enrichment week was part of our commitment to holistic rehabilitation. It also provided an opportunity for a reunion with eight boys who had previously been involved in 3Pillars courses. This continuity helps reinforce the skills and values we aim to instil through our programs.
The delivery team ranged from Feltham PEIs, 3Pillars staff, both experienced and newbies, to Army Regulars and Reservists on the second day. This diversity in range of backgrounds enabled everyone to take varying approaches towards the boys, which saw successful interactions and breakthroughs with different individuals.
We hosted four groups over two days: two groups of four and two larger groups of eight and ten boys respectively. The sessions involved us leading a variety of activities, consisting of command tasks and team games. These activities had the aim of promoting exercise which can improve cognitive, physical, social, and emotional wellbeing of young people. It is also an outlet for energy and emotions, fostering values and skills such as discipline, teamwork, and confidence. The first session was tough trying to roll with resistance, establishing what makes the boys tick and wouldn’t work to keep them engaged. We were flexible with our approach and gave the boys autonomy to dictate the structure of the sessions and decide what they wanted out of it. We found that the boys were particularly energised by the opportunity to play 5 aside basketball!
By the end of the two days, 3Pillars had delivered four successful family enrichment sports days. All the boys and family members in attendance left with smiles on their faces, and equally exhausted! From speaking to the visitors, they were very appreciative of the day to allow them to bond with the boys, stating that seeing them “just be kids” and momentarily forgetting where they were was heart-warming.
References
Farmer, M. (2017). The importance of strengthening prisoners’ family ties to prevent reoffending and reduce intergenerational crime. GOV.UK. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/news/landmark-review-places-family-ties-at-the-heart-of-prison-reform
GOV.UK. (2018). Sport a pillar of youth rehabilitation: Minister publishes independent review. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk
Ministry of Justice. (2017, August 10). Landmark review places family ties at the heart of
prison reform. GOV.UK. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/news/landmark-
review-places-family-ties-at-the-heart-of-prison-reform
Royal Holloway, University of London. (2018). Improving prison outcomes through sport and
physical activity. Retrieved from https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk
Ellie Grove
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