Transformation

What a difference 2 years, a new style, a new suit and a whole new outlook can bring about.

When 3Pillars first met Freddie (name changed for anonymity) in 2023 at HMP it was clear

he was an intelligent, inquisitive young man who had such great potential. But being unable

to control his anger at times, meant that he was not always able to make the best of opportunities. 

Fast forward to 2025, lessons learned, 3Pillars remaining in his corner, Freddie today

successfully completed an internship placement with one of our supporting companies, a

Barristers chambers. 

Freddie had never attended an interview before, and we had fun practicing possible questions.

The important thing with an interview is to be yourself and go in with a positive attitude,

believing in yourself. There may be a question that you can’t answer directly as you have no

prior experience; be honest and say that, but you can say ‘if I was in that situation I would’...,

or you could say I have no experience of that, but I once had a situation when…, and talk

about something that could be similar.

The day of the interview Freddie dressed up in the suit and tie he had bought, and in that

moment something shifted. Freddie said that walking around town he felt that people looked

at him in a completely different way. Gone was the ‘drug dealer, gang member, criminal’

image that he felt was almost tattooed on his forehead as he walked down the street. Freddie

said he walked with his head high in a way that he had not felt before; ‘I felt like I had

instantly transformed into someone different, someone the world could accept and respect’. 

On the first day of his placement Freddie was nervous and he said that he felt an element of

imposter syndrome. He felt like these ‘important’ people are going to look down on me and

question what is this ‘criminal’ doing here. But it wasn’t like that at all. In reality once I

settled in, I felt that for the first time the real me was being seen and not the made-up version

that I had to assume to survive gang and prison culture.

The first week was hard, learning to do the different things without messing up. The structure

of a working day from 8.30am to 5pm left me so tired by the end of the week. But it was a

tiredness overridden with happiness; because I felt ‘normal!’. 

By the second week I felt like I had become part of the team, and when the last day of the

placement came, I felt gutted! I met so many great people who helped me to see that I can

have a different life than the one I had become used to.

What a journey it has been! Freddie said, ‘3Pillars sees beyond what I can see for myself.

You guys have a vision of where I can be which gives me confidence and optimism'.

Freddie’s story is far from over, but he knows that as a graduate of a 3Pillars programme in

custody, they are always going to be there to support him through the highs and the lows. For

us, his story is a powerful reminder of why we exist: to walk alongside those who are ready

to build a future grounded in community, purpose, and possibility.