As the media headlines often report, today’s prisons are facing severe challenges and some are in crisis. Behind the media reports are the men and women who are locked up, hidden from the public eye behind closed doors. Problems such as self-harm, suicide, drug addiction, violence and mental illness affect prisoners everywhere, and have an untold impact on those who work close to them.
Catholic charity the St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP) is highlighting the plight of prisoners in the final week of its campaign Beyond Boundaries which has been running throughout September. Focusing on the hidden poor, the campaign reveals the work done by the SVP’s 10,000 volunteers across England and Wales to reach people often out of sight in need of practical and emotional support.
