Our mentors support women who find themselves in the justice system as part the SHINE women’s mentoring PSP. Here, one of our SHINE customers share’s her story and the importance of her mentoring relationship.
“I first met my mentor, Diana, when I was moved to HMP Greenock in September 2019. Diana was really warming and I found her really easy to get on with. She was very approachable and I looked forward to meeting with her every time she came to visit me in prison. It was my first time in prison and she really helped me cope with the situation.
When I got released from prison, Diana came to support me at the High Court in Glasgow and she also supported my mum and dad who were at the court too. A couple of days after I got out of prison, Diana picked me up and took me to the Homeless Department at Rowan Park in Govan to register myself as homeless. She was very helpful as I really struggled and was shut down when I first came out. She spoke to the Homeless Officer for me and helped me complete my application. Diana has kept in regular contact with me by text and phone since being released from prison. We met up on a weekly basis and she has supported me with a lot of different issues I have faced over the last few months.
Diana took me to my benefits appointments and helped me get my Universal Credit set back up. She also took me to a PIP assessment and was really helpful in putting my case forward and supporting me.
Diana helped me get a room in the Women’s Elder Street Project as I had been living with a friend at the time and was looking to move out and get my own place. She arranged for a colleague of her’s to collect me and my things from my friends house and take me to the project. She visited me in the project regularly too, and brought me a food parcel with cleaning products which was really helpful.
From the Women’s Project, I was offered a temporary furnished flat and Diana came to visit me here until we went into lockdown, but we have kept in regular contact over the phone. Diana also put my name forward to get a tablet from the Wise Group which has been very useful for me to do my online Cocaine Anonymous meetings and I was very grateful to receive this. There are also modules on the tablet which have been helpful to me.
Diana has written me very supportive letters throughout my case to the judge which I have been very grateful for too.
I have always had a very good relationship with Diana, I trust her and find it easy to talk to her about anything. She has always treated me with respect, love and compassion. I have really benefited from having Diana as my mentor. None of my family stay nearby, so I feel the support Diana has given me has been very helpful and I could not have managed to undertake some of these tasks on my own.
I am very happy with the support I have received from Diana and the Wise Group as a whole, and I would recommend this service to others in the criminal justice system.”
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If you’d like to work with the Wise Group to support people in the justice system, please get in touch.
