Inside and Out

An exciting meeting took place in Leicester Central Library today to promote Inside ‘n Out, a magazine for people on both sides of the Criminal Justice System. It aims to encourage the re-integration of ex-offenders into the community and so break the cycle of re-offending. Its editor, Mark Clark, himself an ex-offender, wanted to thank those who helped him during his sentence and to network with those who understand the importance of helping ex-offenders feel valued and connected. Mark invited Sr. Penny Roker to join representatives from the magistracy, prison service, library service, higher education and voluntary agencies in discussing the needs of ex-offenders who want to break with their past.

Penny and Mark reminisced about their days in HMP Littlehey where she worked as RC Chaplain and where Mark served part of his sentence. He recalled the moment, alone in his cell, when he realized how negatively the criminal justice system was portrayed by the media. It was then that the idea was born for a prison newsletter written by offenders for offenders, one which could raise morale by focusing on positive news items. The Peterborough Sisters of Mercy gave practical support to his project, little knowing that, several years on, Mark would be invited to take on the editorship of Inside ‘n Out. For Mark, the years in prison were life-changing though, four years later, he still shares the disappointment many ex-offenders experience of not being able to get paid employment.

Inside ‘n Out has gone from being a local news-sheet to a professional bi-monthly publication distributed to 28 prisons all over the UK and to 654 staff in the criminal justice system. Mark is still working in a voluntary capacity and the magazine has to rely on modest funding from a local trust, but a more holistic approach to offending behaviour is growing, and so is public awareness of the need to put energy… not just into ‘catching’ criminals… but also into re-integrating them. Well done, Mark! Keep up the good work!