Storybook Dads
HMP Channings Wood | |
Location |
|
---|---|
Key people | Patrons: Julia Donaldson Terry Waite |
Website | www |
Storybook Dads is a non-profit charity in the UK founded by Sharon Berry and first launched in HM Prison Dartmoor in 2003. The charity enables serving prisoners and detainees to record bed time stories which can then be sent home to their children, and aims to maintain connections between serving prisoners and their families.[2] In women's institutions the project operates under the name Storybook Mums.[3][5]
By 2019 the scheme was in place in about 100 British prisons, including women's prisons
History
Berry began the project in 2002 while she was working at
With the possible closure of HMP Dartmoor, in 2015 Storybook Dads moved to HMP Channings Wood with an increased staff of 18.[4]
Patrons of Storybook Dads are children's author Julia Donaldson[14] and humanitarian and author Terry Waite.[6]
Storytelling
The bookreading recording can be carried out by volunteers from the charity, library or education staff, members of the chaplaincy department, the Offender Management Unit or pact.[15] Readers will read aloud from books and may use puppets or toys to animate the story. One prisoner at HMP Dartmoor explained "It’s really weird at first, sitting there reading a story to camera with a toy monkey on your shoulder.”[13] Readings can be edited to remove mistakes or prompting help for people with reading difficulties, effects and music may also be added. Recordings were originally made on MiniDisc recorders.[1] At HMP Channings Wood, where the charity is based, trained editors (from the prison population) then edit and convert these audio or video recordings onto CD and DVD.[3] The recording is then sent to the child with a personal message.[7]
Some additional elements and adaptations to the process have been locally introduced. At
In 2018 the Bedtime Stories programme, run by Stratford Literary Festival in conjunction with Storybook Mums and Dads, ran workshops to help inmates write stories for children which they then either sent or read and recorded to their children outside.[16]
Impact
According to statistics gathered by the
In 2012 Storybook Dads won an award for e-inclusion from the European Commission.[10]
In 2017 Liz Truss identified Storybook Dads in a discussion at the House of Commons as part of a reading of the Prisons and Courts Bill 2016-17, stating the importance of such charities in rehabilitating offenders and preventing reoffending. The Guardian questioned whether the new bill would lead to any practical opportunities of funding for such charities or whether they would be expected to continue to make up the deficit between government proposed rehabilition strategies and the actual prisoner's experience inside.[19]
Awards
- 2005: Butler Trust award[20]
- 2005: Home Office Justice Award, individual category, Outstanding contribution to working with offenders[21]
- 2006: Public servant of the year award, breaking new ground category[1]
- 2007: The Guardian Public Services award (children's services category)[22]
- 2007: National Health and Social Care award[23]
- 2008: Third Sector Excellence Award[24]
- 2011: Chris Dredger for Storybook Dads, Talk Talk’s ‘Digital Heroes’ Award[25]
- 2012: European Commission e-inclusion award[26]
- 2014: Children and Young People CYP Now award, charity of the year[27]
- 2016: Criminal Justice Alliance award for most inspiring organisation[28]
See also
- Koestler Trust
- Prison Advice and Care Trust (PACT)
Notes
References
- ^ a b c d e f McHugh, Joseph. "Inside story – Sharon Berry – Winner: Breaking New Ground the innovator award". Public Finance. Archived from the original on 2 February 2019.
- ^ a b "Cornwall's finest honoured in Queen's birthday list". 12 June 2010. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
- ^ Huffington Post. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
- ^ a b c "Our story". Storybook Dads. 27 June 2018. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
- ^ a b c Shaw, Dougal (23 March 2019). "Reading bedtime stories helped me survive prison". BBC Stories. BBC News. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
- ^ a b "Services fathers record stories". BBC News. 10 July 2008. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
- ^ a b Kemp, Rob (31 October 2008). "My daddy is the man in the telly". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
- ^ Sterritt, Spencer. "Storybook Dads program helping father figures in prison stay connected". Nanaimo News. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
- ^ Dungey, Kim (4 September 2010). "Father's Day behind bars". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
- ^ a b "Dartmoor Prison's Storybook Dads scheme wins award". BBC News. 25 June 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
- ^ Young, Niki May. "Charity Awards winner among Queen's Birthday Honours list". Civil Society. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
- ^ Shaw, Douglas (23 March 2019). "Reading bedtime stories helped me survive prison". Retrieved 23 March 2019.
- ^ a b Kemp, Rob (21 April 2015). "How Imprisoned Dads are using bedtime stories to connect with their kids". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
- ^ Hemelryk, Simon. "People We Love: Julia Donaldson". Saga Magazine. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
- ^ a b c "Family Learning in Prisons: A Resource for Prisons and Learning Providers" (PDF). Learning and Work Institute. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
- ^ Horton, Clare (19 March 2019). "'It's not just you who does the jail sentence, it's the whole family'". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
- ^ Donnelly, RR. "Learning, Skills and Employability A review of good practice in Scottish prisons" (PDF). HM Inspectorate of Education. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
- . Retrieved 2 February 2019 – via ResearchGate.
- ^ Wyld, Grace (28 March 2017). "Privatising prisons won't stop reoffending. Charities will". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
- ISBN 9780415445900. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
- ^ "Top justice award for team that cut out crime". Wired Gov. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
- ^ "Public Services Awards 2007 – winners and runners up". The Guardian. 2 October 2007. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
- ^ "Top award for Storybook Dads". Tavistock Times. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
- ^ "Third Sector Excellence Awards: Small Charity, Big Achiever". Third Sector. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
- ^ "Offender scoops award for helping prison dads". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
- ^ "Category winner of the 2012 e-inclusion awards: Storybook Dads". European Commission. 10 July 2012. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
- ^ Hayes, Derren. "Winners of 2014 CYP Now Awards revealed on celebratory night". CYP. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
- ^ "CJA Award Winners 2016". CJA. 18 November 2016. Retrieved 2 February 2019.