New Bright Space Opens at HMP YOI Isis
We opened a new Bright Space at HMP/YOI Isis in London on April 1st. This is our sixth prison Bright Space of the 67 Bright Spaces we now have throughout the UK.
The new Bright Space has transformed an area of the prison Visits Hall into a welcoming, fun and engaging play space for children, to encourage them to visit and enjoy their time with their fathers and other male relatives.
Research from the Ministry of Justice found that, ‘for a prisoner who receives visits from a family member, the odds of reoffending are 39% lower than for those who do not’, while the 2017 Farmer Review states that, ‘harnessing the resource of good family relationships must be a golden thread running through the processes of all prisons’.
Fundraisers who supported the project included a team of 20 Bright Horizons nursery staff from across London who raised more than £1,600 in sponsorship by climbing the O2, as well as a grant from the David Isaacs Fund.
Tracy Wilkes-Green, from the Bright Horizons Foundation said, “We are delighted to open this Bright Space at HMP Isis. I frequently hear about the impact of our Bright Spaces on families affected by parental imprisonment. We know that the children of imprisoned parents experience many disadvantages, and we hope this Bright Space will encourage them to visit their parents, resulting in the strengthening of their family attachments, in an environment where their needs have been very much taken into account.”
Emily Thomas, Governor at HMP/YOI Isis, said ‘We are delighted to have the opportunity to improve the space within our visits hall to support play between fathers and their children. We know that maintaining family relationships can be really hard when a parent is in prison and this lovely play area will help us to provide better support to those relationships during visits.’