This is a partnership of prison staff, including governors, discipline grades, education co-ordinators, and healthcare staff, probation staff, NOMS representation, representatives of voluntary organizations and the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University. It uniquely combines diverse management, leadership and training skills with a wealth of personal insights, experience and wisdom.

Current Members

Mal Gillan, Residential Governor, HMYOI Huntercombe
Mal became a prison officer in 1980, and is today a Residential Governor at HMYOI Huntercombe. He has worked with juveniles, young offenders, and with adults in an intense therapeutic setting, gaining some experience in every kind of establishment. In 1999 and 2000, Mal was asked by UNICEF to go to Kosovo to devise a training programme for staff working with Juvenile offenders. The following year he was invited to perform a similar service in Serbia. Last year he was one of two working group representatives invited to run a training programme, in Poland, for prison staff.

Maureen Goodman, Programme Co-ordinator, Brahma Kumaris
Sister Maureen is the Programme Co-ordinator at the International Centre of the Brahma Kumaris in London. She travels widely giving workshops and lectures on themes related to spiritual development. She has worked with a variety of community groups, developing the University’s outreach work in the UK in prisons, healthcare, education, youth and women’s issues and interfaith dialogue. She is also the University’s representative at the United Nations, Vienna as well as a member of the UK Committee for Rights and Humanity.

Georgina Long, Befriending Service Facilitator, St. John's Hospice
Georgina, a student and teacher of Raja Yoga Meditation since 1980, worked as a volunteer delivering self development courses in different prisons around the UK for several years. In 1999, Georgina began work at Wormwood Scrubs. After studying for an Adult Teacher Training qualification she worked in the Education Department as a lecturer and then in the Resettlement Unit where she was responsible for the Further Education and training of prisoners, in preparation for release. She was instrumental in setting up the prison mentoring scheme.

Barbara Marsh, Therapist, Coach and former Probation Health Co-ordinator
Trained as a nurse, Barbara's first role in prison was to teach First Aid/Health Education to prisoners at HMYOI Hollesley Bay. This developed into a much wider brief of raising awareness of HIV/Aids within the prison generally, and offering support and ensuring outside support visited prisoners during their sentance, This role later included the provision of programmes and theraputic support for drug and alcohol users. Barbara worked in Hollesley Bay from 1984 until 2001. Today, she works from home as a therapist and coach.

Lee Mitchell, Prison Officer, HMYOI Hollesley Bay
Lee is currently Head of Care at Priory Jacques Hall, a residential school for mixed gender students aged between 11 and 18 who have social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. His primary role is to manage the complete care provision and its future development. His remit includes partnership meetings with Social Services; addressing day to day management issues; going on holiday with the young people; and assisting and leading in the students personnel growth. Until 2007, Lee worked as prison officer for 13 years in YOI’s. During this time he was instrumental in establishing a “listener” scheme for vulnerable inmates, anti-social behaviour and anti-bulling awareness training, and victim support schemes and working as part of substance misuse team.

Ann Renton, Volunteer, Family Matters, New Bridge
Trained as a relationship counsellor, Ann worked for New Bridge as a volunteer co-developing parenting courses for Young Offenders initially but more recently for both adult male and female prisoners. In 1998, she took on the role of National Coordinator for the charities ‘Family Matters’ programme, only recently retiring from this post. She is still involved as a volunteer, delivering courses, giving talks and running workshops for Parenting Courses within the Criminal Justice System.

Tony Revell, Retired Instructional Officer, HMP Gartree

Doug Stephenson, Prison Education Co-ordinator, Brahma Kumaris
Since 1990 Doug has been a volunteer with the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University and, in 1993, moved to the Global Retreat Centre, Oxford to dedicate himself to the work of the University. He became involved in the University’s outreach work in prisons in 1996, running courses for prisoners in Oxford, Huntercombe and Grendon. He currently convenes this working group.

Andy Teare, Bail Officer, HMP Lewes
Working for the Probation Service, Andy has been seconded to HMP Lewes for the past 7 years as the 2nd. Stage Bail Information Officer. He is a qualified counselor, running a small practice as well as developing an online service for those in the farming industry, of which he was part for many years. In 2003, Andy was asked to take the lead in developing a support package for recidivists who have a personality disorder. He currently chairs the Lewes Recidivist Personality Disorder working party

Trevor Willson, Project Director, The Prism Project
Since 1989 Trevor has been working with the Prism Project, a Charity that seeks to help guide and inspire individuals in the prison environment, with the donations of self-help, positive thinking, spiritual books and tapes. He regularly gives talks on the work of the Project. In 1996, Trevor came into contact with the Brahma Kumaris through its outreach work with prisoners and prison personnel. In 2002, he was invited to join the working group and contribute to the planning of seminars and development of this work.

Betty Wylie, Oxfordshire Probation Service
Betty was a teacher for 25 years before working in Security and Education at Rampton Hospital. A tutor of Hatha Yoga for 15 years, she provided classes for staff. Moving to HMP Springhill she provided yoga for the prisoners and was part of the Staff Care Team. Now employed with the Probation Service in HMP Grendon Therapeutic Community she is part of a multidisciplinary team, facilitating group work. Betty has been involved with the Brahma Kumaris since 2003 when she visited ‘The Academy for a Better World’ in Rajasthan.

Past Members

Maria Bryne, Work Skills Manager, HMP Wormwood Scrubs
Robin Barr-Thomson, Prison Service Nurse, HMP Norwich
Lee Cooke, Prison Officer, HMP Norwich
Liz Corrigan, Project Administration, Brahma Kumaris
Gail Bradley, Offender Policy and Rights Unit, NOMS
Kathy Davis, Healthcare Officer, HMP Lewes
Leon Hubbard, Drug Strategy Group Programmes Manager, HMP Wandsworth
Ian Knight, Prison Officer, HMYOI Hollesley Bay
Viv Lever, Education Manager, HMYOI Huntercombe
John McConnel, Trainer, New Horizons, Former Prison Governor
Tim Newell, Governor, HMP Grendon and Springhill
Daniel North, Psychologist, HMP Wormwood Scrubs
Malc Osbourne, Prison Officer, HMP Warren Hill
David Sherwood, Governor, HMP Highpoint

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