A note from the Director
Last week I had the privilege of attending a film screening of ‘Holloway’, at the Hyde Park Picture House. It was quite an adventure for me having never visited this beautiful venue before, I did not quite know what to expect. I had also been asked to take part in the panel discussion which was to take place after the screening.
Well… what an exceptionally informative and moving piece ‘Holloway’ was and is! I would most definitely encourage you to see it if you get the chance. The film reflected upon the experiences of 5 women who went back to this now derelict and imposing shell of a building with bars on its windows and steel frame beds still intact. Each woman had been incarcerated at the prison for varying reasons and for varying periods of time. The women were extremely brave, honest and generous as they talked about their experiences and how it had changed them as individuals. Each one shared something completely unique about their time in Holloway and each one highlighted the complexity of life for women in prison, how they navigate the system, their own trauma, the relationships that they leave behind and what the future may look like for them as they depart.
Here at Joanna Project we work with women who have spent time in prison and are regularly threatened with return. Do custodial sentences ‘work’? It very much depends on what we mean by ‘work’ and the person on the receiving end. We visit women in prison and seek to establish supportive and honest relationships with them in order to help support them upon their release. Quite often these women are left to fend for themselves upon release, with no money, no housing, no phone and no external support.
We are hoping to extend our work in this area by visiting the women more regularly and forming collaborations with other agencies and organisations to provide better support for women upon release from prison.
Get in touch if you can help.
