Spark Inside
Supporting young people in prison to search for the heroes inside
When Spark Inside started in 2012, the reoffending figure for young prisoners serving short sentences was 75%. Since then, its innovative life-coaching programmes – delivered through group workshops followed by one-to-one coaching sessions – have had a proven positive impact.
Young prisoners have often experienced chaotic early lives. Fewer than 1% of all children in England are in care, but 66% of those in young offender institutions (YOIs) are care-experienced. In particular, Black and minoritised young people face significant barriers to engaging in suitable rehabilitation programmes.
Spark consulted with the experts – young people in the criminal justice system. They explained that what was missing was an intervention that didn’t tell them what they should do, and focused on what is right, not wrong, with them. The concept of the Hero’s Journey resonated – the idea that we are all heroes, with challenges to overcome and adventures to face.
In 2019, Spark established in-prison advisory boards to engage young people serving sentences in the development of programmes. As a result, Black Hero’s Journey addresses the specific experiences of young Black men in prison.
Spark has now engaged over 1,300 young people and has plans to expand to reach young women and young people in prisons/YOIs outside of London. Recent evaluation shows that fewer of Spark’s beneficiaries reoffend compared to a matched control group.
This year, it will cost £931,000 to deliver Hero’s Journey to 304 young people. Independent cost benefit analysis has revealed that every £1 invested generates at least £5.94 (and possibly up to £21.71) of benefits.
Individual impact is clear from young people’s feedback. Spark worked with Donell when he was 15 and considered ‘unreachable’ by prison staff. He initially only took part to get out of his cell, but the Hero’s Journey really spoke to him. “You think ‘I can be the hero in my story’.” Donell is now a qualified mechanical engineer and runs his own business.
Awards judge Martin Edwards, CEO of Julia’s House, said Spark’s model of changing the narrative to help prisoners “see themselves as the future hero in their own story”, was very powerful.
Farah Nazeer, CEO of Women’s Aid, said the programme “felt very collaborative, with lots of co-creation and buy-in from the people involved”.
“It also had really good outcomes in terms of how it made people feel and be able to express themselves.”
CC Reg. no. 1148420
