By Zoë (current New Bridge volunteer)
‘In my opinion the probation service finds it easier to recall troublesome ex-offenders. But doing this is just telling them that they don’t have any faith in them so they are best off not changing their lives and just to continue with what they know.’
These honest, and impactful, words are from a recent letter sent by a New Bridge befriendee. In light of current systemic challenges in criminal justice, my response was one of empathy and respect for this honest summing up of a sad reality. More than ever, the broader system seems to lack the capacity to see people as individuals. On the same day that this letter landed on my doormat, I received the link to a blog on the Clinks charity website on the topic of post-release, again from someone with lived experience of the criminal justice system (more below). My letter, the blog, a podcast from the excellent series by Transform Justice and it being our 70 year celebration at New Bridge, has prompted me to share few reflections on how and why befriending (and other voluntary sector support) might counter this hopeless narrative, one individual at a time.
In 2026, even the mainstream media has placed in front of the country the intractable problem of unpreparedness of services post prison release. Changes in the delivery of probation services mean that there are fewer experienced staff and individuals do not have consistent support. Overworked probation staff become risk averse and end up policing licence conditions which they themselves recognise as ‘setting people up to fail.’ There is a cruel irony where offender rehabilitation in prison focuses on the ability to choose pro-social relationships and behaviour. Yet people are released without a support network - or even that one key person who knows and understands. The blog on the Clinks website, ‘The Moment the Gate Opens’ written by a person who has been ‘through the gate’ and back again, describes how far ‘friendly, warm, and compassionate’ support goes to giving a newly released prisoner a chance to make it on the outside. Human connection and care are crucial to ‘hope’ and to counter ‘despair,’ and have as much value as the practical necessities to survive on a physical level.
The moment of release is a moment of opportunity, but also of anxiety, fear and huge sensory overwhelm. Since 1956, New Bridge volunteers have sought to create ‘meaningful connections’ for prisoners with the world outside the prison walls. Whilst there have been different projects over the years, this has remained the charity’s core purpose. In the 2025 evaluation 79% of befriendees say they feel more hopeful about the future. One service user says, ‘Me and my befriender have spoken up about meeting in the future. As a result I look forward to starting a new life on release, with new friends to support me, so I can avoid old habits and a fresh start.’ Another talks about how non-judgmental support and encouragement is fostering in them a confidence that others will see the person (rather than the crime) when they are released. New Bridge befriending takes the long view which means that a trusting relationship can be given time to grow. Where individuals in prison are care experienced, neurodivergent or have experienced trauma they may be unable to trust easily so that being passed from one probation officer to another, or moved from one premises to another, is retraumatising. A rational response might be to withdraw into familiar coping strategies, and to feel better in the short term.
At New Bridge, a safe, boundaried, and consistent relationship is built up over time at the pace of the befriendee. To be clear, alongside debates about the state of the criminal justice system, letter writing is also around shared interests and not without humour and ordinariness. Through letters, emails, phone calls and visits, depending what the person is comfortable with, volunteers offer the option for ongoing contact after release. We are finding that very many service users want to keep connected with that one person who knows them as an individual and not a statistic. At a time when there is little faith in the criminal justice system, even from those working within it, it is unsurprising that service users start to lack faith in themselves. Emotionally supportive, caring and consistent relationships matter to us all. Here’s to the next 70 years of New Bridge, and the ‘long view’ of combatting loneliness and isolation both within and outside the prison walls.
If Zoë has inspired you to consider volunteering with New Bridge, you can find out more about the role here: https://www.newbridgefoundation.org.uk/volunteer