A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to chat with Rob, a Shannon Trust peer advocate on probation, and former mentor in prison. I wanted to find out more about his roles, and what motivated him to stick with Shannon Trust.
How did you initially get involved with Shannon Trust in prison?
I would see people upset and frustrated, crying often, because they couldn’t read letters or do other things. I asked prison staff how I could help, and trained to become a Shannon Trust mentor.
What benefits did you see from your role?
It’s honestly like an emergency service. Everyone should support Shannon Trust. I know that it cuts down on self-harm and suicide. After I was released, someone stopped me in ASDA one day. I didn’t recognise him at first! He told me I’d taught him how to read in prison. He said he could now help his kids with his homework and send emails, letters etc. He was so grateful.
What skills did mentoring help you develop?
I didn’t understand at first why people couldn’t read – I was fortunate. I didn’t notice it so much on the outside, but in prison, it’s right in your face. My cell mate couldn’t read. But the more people I spoke to, I realised there are so many reasons – many of the people I worked with had come from the care system because their parents were alcohol and drug dependent. It becomes a vicious cycle. I came to be more empathetic and understanding.
What made you get involved in the community?
I knew that if people haven’t had help on the inside, they’re just going to come out with the same issues. I know Shannon Trust works.
Can you tell me more about the peer advocate role?
My job is to talk to people when they first come into probation, find out if they need help with literacy and get them referred. People in probation can be quite guarded, and don’t trust many people. It helps to talk to someone who is on probation like you. They also trust Shannon Trust because they know it’s there to help them.
What would you say to anyone wanting to get involved?
Do it! As a mentor in prison you’re treated as a human being, not just a prisoner or a number. For me, I felt like I wanted to put something back into society. Everyone should be able to read and write – we can’t ignore the problem, we need to try and help. It makes you proud to say you’ve helped someone to learn to read. It’s something we can all believe in. A Shannon Trust mentor in prison is an important role, but if you’re not in prison you can still volunteer or give money. We can all do something.
Any messages to potential learners?
In prison, it’s not just you doing your sentence but your whole family. Working with a Shannon Trust mentor, they can help you read letters and reply to your family. You can read letters from the prison, or your lawyer. You will get comfortable with it, and be really happy and proud – trust me, I’ve seen it firsthand.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell people?
The only way I made it through prison is because I could read and write, and do courses, so I felt like I was making good use of time. It’s so important for your mental health.
Many people don’t understand how important this is. Everyone should support Shannon Trust!
I also spoke with Chloe, who managed the probation pilot Rob worked on. I asked Chloe what benefits she’s seen from Rob’s work.
Rob’s been great. He’s had so many ideas. It was him who came up with the idea of the role to try and get people opening up and ready to learn. He’s really innovative. Rob is involved with other groups where he knows there are a lot of people who can’t read and write, and has been signposting them to Shannon Trust too.
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