Beyond the Gates – Working with Partners to Break Cycles of Reoffending throughout Society

During their second year on Unlocked’s graduate leadership development programme, participants have the opportunity to complete a two-week work placement with one of our partner organisations. These partners range from multinational management consultancies to the civil service and other criminal justice charities.

Work placements are a two-way exchange and support work towards our mission of breaking cycles of reoffending in prisons and throughout society. They allow our participants to gain a range of skills in a new working environment that they can take back to their prisons, supporting their work on the landings. At the same time, placement hosts gain access to frontline experience and expertise from our participants who can contribute to efforts to reducing reoffending beyond their prison.

We caught up with Tim, an Unlocked participant from our 2023 cohort, who completed his placement with Redemption Roasters earlier this year. We asked him about his experiences on the placement and how it has supported him to have an impact on the landings.

Unlocked: You spent two weeks working with the team at Redemption Roasters, can you tell us more about what you learnt during this time?

Tim: I first met the team at one of their London coffee shops – there was a lot of coffee throughout the two weeks! – before going to HQ to learn about how the organisation operates as a social enterprise. I spent a lot of time with the Impact Team who lead the in-custody training programmes and support those who are employed by Redemption Roasters after release as caseworkers. I was able to shadow the team of caseworkers, meeting people and hearing really interesting stories about the journeys that some of their participants had been on, both in custody and then post release. Seeing them talk about how much they love making coffee was a particular highlight.

What were you hoping to learn from this experience?

I really wanted to see outcomes. I work in a remand jail, where you might not always see the outcomes of the work that you are doing with prisoners. We often see people in the really early stages of their time in custody. We do our best to help and support them, but it was great for me to see the endpoint of this process; somebody back in the community, rebuilding their life, and working with the support from the Redemption Roasters team.

How did the work placement support your own professional development?

I have a much better understanding of my role as a prison officer now than before my placement because I can see the whole picture. I spent time in one of Redemption Roasters’ partner prisons to see their in-custody training. I was able to see the training being delivered, but I also got the opportunity to see the human connections that were built in that training space. I now understand what organisations need from prison officers to facilitate the training programmes they are providing.

What are the benefits for organisations who host frontline prison officers for a work placement?

During the first week of my placement, I gave a presentation about the prison I work in, my role and my time on the Unlocked programme. I work in a remand jail, and I was able to explain what that means, including the operational side of how the prison works and the impact that can have on training programmes. I was also able to complete a project for the team during the placement using my own experience which was a really good challenge.

“This is the third year we’ve hosted an Unlocked Graduate, and it’s always been a brilliant opportunity for us as a business to gain insights from an operational prison officer.”

Redemption Roasters

How would you summarise your experiences on the placement?

It really challenges you in a professional sense. It’s an opportunity to better yourself and bring new things back to your prison – new ideas and a better understanding. Now, when I see external training providers coming into the jail, I have a much better understanding of their perspective. I am able to think about what I can do to support those coming into the prison to lead training programmes for prisoners.

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If you are interested in hosting an Unlocked participant for a placement in the future, or just want to find out more, you can contact our placements team at support@unlockedgrads.org.uk