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Feltham Young Offenders' Institution
Post-16 Citizenship activity at Feltham Young Offenders' Institution (YOI)
Kensington and Chelsea College - West London Campus holds the education contract for Feltham Young Offenders Institution. It is a YOI for 15-17 and 18-21 year-olds and holds a mixture of remand, sentenced and un-sentenced prisoners. The role of citizenship is vital in a instituion like Feltham YOI. Inmates manifest many of the characteristics of social exclusion. Many of them come from socially excluded backgrounds, not only are they removed from their own communities in their currrent situation, but they may not have been fully part of society prior to their imprisonment. The aim of citizenship in Feltham YOI is to help these young men to gain the social skills needed to be active and responsible citizens in order to assist their resettlement and reduce re-offending.
Currently we are running the following courses:
- OCN Citizenship Level 1
- OCN Citizenship Level 2
- OCN Team Work Skills Entry and Level 1
Alongside these courses, we have been developing cultural awareness projects and cross curriculum classes in order to meet the leaners' needs and engage them in citizenship activities.
A cross-curriculum project on citizenship/ESOL/cookery includes examining country profile, traditions, religion; first hand accounts of people from different countries who talk about their lives and experiences including question and answer sessions with sampling of typical foods. Some countries featured so far include: China, New Zealand; South America; West Indies; Africa; Middle East and Poland.
Cultural awareness projects have covered communities, Northern Ireland, Chernobyl, Slave trade, Black History Month, End of Slavery, Holocaust, Ramadam and Christmas. We link these projects to other departments of the institution (Chaplaincy, Race Relations), and we invite guests speakers from these departments to encourage and develop a sense of community.
An Anne Frank exhibition entitled 'a History for today' was organised in partnership with Anne Frank Trust. This exhibition uses the story of Anne Frank and the events of the holocaust to illustrate challenging comtemporary issues: racism, social responsibility. Citizenship students were trained and used as guides.
An active citizenship in prison project results in the production of a DVD produced in partnership with Team Video Productions. A group of students comment on opinions given by the public, Juliet Lyons (Prison Reform Trust) and Helda Swidenbamk (Feltham Deputy Governor), and debate the right to vote for prisoners.
The aim of citizenship in Kensington and Chelsea College/Feltham YOI is to develop a social/cultural awareness in order to create a meaningful bond between inmates and the wider society.
Develop courses/activities to respond to the learners needs Citizenship has to be a living subject. Link citizenship activities to personal and social interests of the students and involve the other departments of your organisation, catering, sport, art, music etc to develop the sense of community through profiling positively the impact of their actions. Learners should be involved and take responbility for the projects. Tutor should act more as facilitator. Deliver all education within a 'citizenship' culture that encourages mutual respect in a safe, inclusive environment that is intolerant of racism, sexism and any other exclusive attitudes. Challenge the students, make them the centre of the project, give them credit, let them see themselves positively.
Citizenship coordinator's top tips for setting up post-16 citizenship activity:
- Develop courses/activities to respond to the learners needs
- Citizenship has to be a living subject. Link citizenship activities to personal and social interests of the students and involve the other departments of your organisation, catering, sport, art, music etc to develop the sense of community through profiling positively the impact of their actions
- Learners should be involved and take responbility for the projects. Tutor should act more as facilitator
- Deliver all education within a 'citizenship' culture that encourages mutual respect in a safe, inclusive environment that is intolerant of racism, sexism and any other exclusive attitudes
- Challenge the students, make them the centre of the project, give them credit, let them see themselves positively.
How this organisation could help you:
Good practice developed in this Young Offender Institution can and should be made available to other YOIs. There have been a number of remarkably successful projects inside the education department. The process of planning and execution can be documented and made available.
We are happy to invite colleges to visit our institution and to participate and contribute to our projects.
There are the inevitable restrictions on the use of citizenship resources produced in prisons (because of consideration of the sensitivites of victims). We are encouraging management to make these available at least for use inside other prisons and YOIs, and more widely if appropriate.
Contact information
Name of citizenship coordinator: Jose Aguiar
Citizenship coordinator’s telephone:
020 8844 5317
Citizenship coordinator’s email: jose.aguiar@hmps.gsi.gov.uk
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