Former prisoners to give evidence to Lords committee
Monday 17 March 2025
Tomorrow the House of Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee will be holding two separate sessions, as it continues its inquiry into prison culture: governance, leadership and staffing.
In the first session the committee will hear from people who have spent time in prison and who have experience of mentoring and working with ex-offenders. The second session will focus on the experience of women prisoners with the charity Women in Prison.
The sessions will take place on Tuesday 18 March 2025 and can be followed live on Parliament TV.
Giving evidence from 10:30-11:20am will be:
- Zak Addae-Kodua, Founder and Director, xconversation (former prisoner)
- Kieron Bryan (former prisoner)
- Juliana Rowan (former prisoner)
Questions the committee is likely to ask include:
- How would you describe the culture inside prison, and how does it shape the daily experiences of prisoners? How did the condition of buildings affect culture?
- How visible and engaged were prison governors in the prisons you were in, and what impact did this have on the prison environment?
- In your experience, what qualities make a good prison officer, and how do these qualities impact prisoner-officer relationships?
- What skills or development opportunities were available to you in prison, and how well did they prepare you for life after release?
- When you were serving your prison sentence, did you see it as more punitive or rehabilitative? How do you think that shaped your reintegration?
- What was your experience of the prisoner complaints and grievance processes?
Giving evidence from 11:30-12:15pm will be:
- Kate Fraser, Head of Practice at Women in Prison
Questions the committee is likely to ask include:
- What are the biggest challenges faced by women in prison, compared with male prisoners?
- How visible and engaged are prison governors in women's prisons, and what impact does their leadership have on the prison environment?
- How well do you think prison staff are trained to understand and respond to the specific needs of women in prison?
- Is there sufficient support to equip women for a successful reintegration into society?
