LIVE Futures.

 

Tom's Trust is funding a pilot project to introduce script writing/ development and journalism workshops under the credible, respected and appealing brand of Live Magazine into Rochester Young Offenders Institute, to work with young offenders to raise confidence and build achievable bridges with similar magazine and radio drama projects ready for post-release.

The aim is to encourage young offenders to begin transitional journeys to linked programmes on the outside, and thus to help reduce re-offending rates, and following an series of workshops inside Rochester, participants will be contacted on release and invited to one of Live's offices to continue with their learning.

By creating practical pathways from prison to Live, we will assist with the integration and acclimatisation to day-to-day life for young people, help to avoid negative influence and support and encourage ex-offenders to begin a positive, purposeful, law-abiding life, post-release.

This pilot aims to minimise the chances of re-offending for those in custody, and instead allow them to begin to rehabilitate themselves with a decent headstart, gained before the shock of resettlement after release.

Key targets

• Provide young offenders with practical pathways to re-engage with mainstream society after release
• Raise confidence levels and attainment through accredited journalism and writing workshops that transcend their incarceration and continue during and after release, providing a transitional, engaging and rewarding journey
• Exploring issues and topics around offending behaviour and deriving genuine learning for future programmes
• Build links with activities in the outside world, and progress participants onto long term post-release development programmes beyond LIVE
• Encourage creative thinking and application, problem solving and day to day soft skills required to successfully navigate the real world.

'LIVE' magazine is distributed inside these institutions. Currently up to 15 young offenders in custody are taking part in 4-week courses in both journalism and radio drama, delivered by professional mentors.

Once released, it is hoped that a proportion of the participants will engage with Live's Landing Pad initiative in Brixton or Whitechapel, and continue with the work they have started, with support from Live's team of professional media mentors and youth development workers. They will also work on a mini-publication about life post-release which will be distributed back into Rochester to help other prisoners.
www.livity.co.uk
www.livefutures.org
www.livitytrust.org