Home | FAQ | Feedback | Sitemap | Contact Us
Photo Gallery
Links
PROFILES
Mal Gillan
Maureen Goodman
Georgina Long
Barbara Marsh
John McConnel
Lee Mitchell
Ann Renton
Doug Stephenson
Andy Teare
Trevor Willson
Mal became a prison officer in 1980 in what was at the time HM Borstal Huntercombe and this year completed 25 years in the Prison Service. During this time he progressed through the system and is today a Residential Governor dealing with the youngest of those sent to custody, young males aged 15 to 18. He has also worked with Young Offenders in the remand system, and with adults in an intense therapeutic setting. Throughout this time he has had some experience in every kind of establishment.
In both 1999 and 2000, in the wake of the civil war and the war with NATO, Mal was asked by UNICEF to go to Kosovo to devise a training programme for staff working with Juvenile offenders in that country. The following year he was invited to perform a similar service in Serbia .
Last year he and Doug Stephenson, from the working group, were invited to Poland to talk to Senior Psychologists and others who work in the prison service there. This international element of the groups work is seen by Mal as a great opportunity to perform a unique service and envisages that it will increase.
He has been a member of the working group from the beginning. Even with the annual residential seminars for prison staff now reaching double figures, Mal remains enthused, continuing to find joy as he sees participants finding time to relax and explore themselves, their values, and ways of sustaining both as they return to the workplace.
In all of this Mal is supported by his wife, and his two sons, both of whom work for the prison service. A committed family man; he can be seen regularly spoiling his young granddaughter.
back to top^^Sister Maureen has been Programme Co-ordinator at the International Centre of the Brahma Kumaris in London since 1991, and has travelled 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 . In 2000, Maureen was the worldwide co-ordinator of Brahma Kumaris projects for the United Nations International Year for the Culture of Peace.
Maureen has worked in the area of inter-religious dialogue nationally and internationally for over 20 years, serving on several committees inc lu ding the World Congress of Faiths, United Religions Initiative - UK and the Prince's Trust Faith Communities Advisory Forum. She is a member of the advisory committee of 'Respect - it's about time', an initiative launched by HRH the Prince of Wales to bring together young people in Britain 's faith communities. She has also served on the Advisory Committee of the International Interfaith Centre , and the Executive Committees of the World Conference on Religions and Peace ( UK and Ireland Chapter). Maureen is a contributor to 'Testing the Global Ethic', published in 1998 and to the SHAP World Religions in Education Journal 2002/3, 'Religion: the problem or the answer?'
Maureen is the International Co-ordinator for BK Youth Activities and co-convenes the annual International Youth forum at the Brahma Kumaris World Headquarters in Mt Abu, India . The Forum attracts youth from around 50 countries.
Maureen is a trustee of the Janki Foundation for Global Healthcare, a charity that supports the Global Hospital and research Centre in Mt Abu, Rajasthan , India . She is also a member of the UK Committee for Rights and Humanity , an organisation promoting respect for human rights as a foundation for global economic and social justice and human development.
back to top^^Georgina Long has been a student and teacher of Raja Yoga Meditation since 1980. In 1991, she was invited into HMP Gartree, a category A prison, as a volunteer, to deliver self development courses as part of the day time educational programme. These later became integrated into the evening programme.
During the four years that Georgina worked in Gartree, according to the needs of the inmates, she facilitated courses in Positive Thinking, Inner Value Development, Practical Meditation and various workshop sessions covering different aspects of meditation.
In 1999, Georgina began work at Wormwood Scrubs. Initially she was employed as a volunteer, running self-esteem courses in the VPU. However, such was the interest of the prison that the Education Department employed her as a lecturer and to oversee the needs of the Open University students. With time this role was further developed so enabling the provision of personal development courses in prison health care, education and resettlement. Within the Resettlement Unit, as the SOVA Training and Employment Co-ordinator (STEP), Georgina was responsible for the Further Education and training of prisoners, in preparation for release. She also was instrumental in setting up the mentoring scheme in the prison.
Georgina is one of the original members of this working group. She is currently working in a London Hospice training befrienders to assist the terminally ill.
back to top^^Barbara has a nursing background, having worked in schools, hospitals and briefly as a location nurse with an international film company. In 1984, she was invited to teach prisoners First Aid/Health Education.
It was to be a significant learning curve for Barbara. She began to see beyond the horrendous crimes the men and boys had committed and recognise the deep care within them and the sometimes desperate desire of individuals to develop skills out of personal compassion. She spent many hours of 1-1 sessions, working through these issues.
It was this working relationship and approach that led to Barbara being offered the unique post of raising awareness of HIV/Aids to staff and prisoners, giving HIV results to prisoners, offering support during their sentence, and ensuring outside support visited in prison, while preparing for release. This post created many links with national support systems.
The post was further development to set up programmes and therapeutic support for drug/alcohol users, offering detox therapies, and bringing complimentary therapists into the prison to work and support the healing process.
It was during this challenging period that Barbara came across the Brahma Kumaris, an experience from which she gained immense strength and support. Their approach to both prisoners and staff had a significant impact on her as she was witness to some most profound 'miracles' of change.
After 17 years working in the prison, Barbara now works from home as a therapist, teaching meditation, positive thinking, personal coaching, and running weekend retreats on the theme of 'healing yourself.'
back to top^^John McConnel is a former prison governor and social worker, who now works as a
free-lance stress management trainer. He conducts seminars on this topic and other aspects of personal development in this country and abroad and is currently working with a number of organisations in the public and voluntary sector, including the London School of Economics and Political Science.
John has been student of the Brahma Kumaris for about fifteen years. His background and experience means that he has made a significant contribution towards arranging and facilitating programmes and retreats for social workers and prison staff. In addition, he co-ordinates 'Spirituality and Men', a group which organises talks, retreats and conferences for men who are interested in exploring their inner being in the company of other men. More recently he has co-designed and presents a course on 'Overcoming Anger'.
His down to earth presentations have a depth of wisdom, insight and understanding, designed to enable participants to take a new look at themselves and reach positive, often life-changing, conclusions.
John has a strong interest in personal growth and development and, in particular, the connection between our inner and outer world. He believes in the importance of using the power of the mind in a positive way and acting in alignment with personal values in order to survive and thrive in this constantly changing world.
back to top^^Lee joined the Prison Service in 1994. During this time he has worked in two extremely different prisons. He started at HMP Chelmsford a local category B prison. Here he played a major part in setting up a 'listener' scheme, a successful peer support mechanism for vulnerable inmates. He also took a lead role in establishing the Young Offender Institute Status and Regime within HMP Chelmsford.
In 2000, Lee moved to YOI Warren Hill, a dedicated Juvenile Prison holding 225, male 15-18 year olds and a very new challenge. Here he has advised and taken the lead on several projects ranging from Anti-Social Behaviour, Anti-Bulling Awareness training and also Victim Support.
More recently Lee moved into the area of substance misuse. Here he began training to be part of a team that takes a holistic approach to the problem by offering support and guidance, counselling, and providing therapy and help for addiction and misuse, including harm reduction.
Lee first attended these seminars in 2000, when a colleague invited and suggested he attend a retreat as he 'thought it would do him some good.' He did attend and on the basis of his experience, encouraged others to join him on residential and one day seminars. This shared experience has had the very tangible result of promoting a positive attitude within his work place. The benefits are also evident in Lees' personal life.
Lee has been a part of the Offender Management Working Group for the past four years. He brings to the group the very important experience, insight and viewpoint of the prison officer. He therefore has a unique contribution to make in assisting the group to develop and produce programmes for a multi discipline approach throughout the Prison Service.
back to top^^In the early 1990`s, Ann trained with Relate to become a relationship counselor. She later joined New Bridge as a volunteer where she was involved with a team developing parenting courses for Young Offenders. In 1998 she moved to London and became a full time employee with New Bridge, taking on the role of National Coordinator for the charities 'Family Matters' programme.
While in this role, Ann further developed the parenting course to include both adult male and female category prisoners. All courses are now accredited with ASET.
Following work on the Mother and Baby Unit in HMP Holloway, a further course has been developed by Ann in conjunction with The Anna Freud Centre (specialist in child development) called 'New Beginnings'. This involves working with the mother and baby together. This course is presently being evaluated by London University and NOMS are considering rolling it out to all Mother and Baby units across the country.
Ann recently retired from her job as National Coordinator for New Bridge Family Matters but is still involved as a volunteer, delivering courses, giving talks and running workshops on Parenting Courses within the Criminal Justice System.
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. Currently, he convenes this working group. Within the last year he has run programmes for prison staff both in Poland and the Caribbean .
The natural communication skills that Doug possesses continue to be utilised as he runs both the Positive Thinking and Stress Management courses offered by the University. He also facilitates the Self Management Leadership programme and has been trained in the technique of Appreciative Inquiry, for which he regularly creates and presents seminars both in the UK and abroad.
He has developed a special interest in the central role that awareness plays in being the precursor of our thoughts and the connection between thoughts, vision and language and their significant impact on the creation of our own future. He regularly speaks on topics of personal growth and development, spirituality and leadership, and meditation around the UK .
Doug also represents the Brahma Kumaris on a consortium of organisations who aim to develop spirit-led, values-based approach to outdoor development work with young people and the fostering of associated leadership development.
back to top^^After 25 years as a shepherd/farmer and as a specialist, running breeding programmes in different parts of the world, Andy joined the Probation Service in 1992. Initially, he worked in the Brighton Bail Hostel as an assistant warden, as well as supervising those offenders serving their sentences in the community. Since 1999, he has been seconded to HMP Lewes as the 2 nd . Stage Bail Information Officer. He is in the process of joining the Post Incident Care Team at HMP Lewes.
Trained as a counselor, he runs a small practice in the town of Lewes . He is also at an advanced stage of setting up an on-line counseling service to the farming community, offering support to that fragmented, isolated and 'high suicide risk' rated industry.
In 2003 Andy was asked to take the lead in the organisation of a conference entitled: 'Personality Disorder: The Recidivist. Does Prison Always Have to be the End Game?'
From this conference the Recidivist Personality Disorder (RPD) working party was set up at HMP Lewes, which he chairs. The RPD working party is composed of multi agencies (statutory and voluntary), who have contact with this category of offender. From the work and research undertaken by the working party, funding has been attracted for the setting up of a pilot Specialist Mentorship Scheme where highly trained mentors will support their clients, whether they be in the community or in custody. It is hoped that by this intervention the cycle of persistent repeat offending, conducted over many years, will be broken/reduced.
Having worked in many different and isolated parts of the world and absorbed the profound silences and space in those places, Andy now finds an application in his current working life for both the spiritual/psychological and practical strengths learnt.
back to top^^Since 1989 Trevor has been working with the Prism Project, a Charity that seeks to help guide and inspire individuals in a prison environment with the donations of self-help, positive thinking, spiritual books and tapes. Much of his time is taken up in sourcing the books or tapes and then contacting authors, publisher and members of the public to donate the titles, following up the delivery to the prisons, and obtaining feedback from the prison librarian, education departments or drug units.
In 1996, Trevor came into contact with the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University through its own outreach work with prisoners and prison personnel. He subsequently attended many of the seminars that are offered to those who work within or care about prisons, for his own personal and spiritual growth. In 2002, he was invited to join the working group and contribute to the planning of seminars and development of this work.
Trevor regularly gives talks on the work of the Prism Project and the need to help offenders be aware of their choices, helping them to build self-esteem and self-worth and access spiritual knowledge that will contribute to them leading a happier, more rewarding life.