Trainee Blog: Simon’s Story

From Rock Bottom to Biomedical Sciences

Simon completed the StandOut Programme in HMP Wandsworth in 2018. Simon has worked closely with StandOut since he left prison to achieve the goal he set with coaches during the four-week course.

“People don’t often think about the mental impact of going to prison. They think "oh you just sit in your cell and watch TV or read.” It’s hard to understand how lonely, low and vulnerable you can feel at any given moment. There are also things going on related to your family and the worry about how they are coping outside – because it’s not just me that’s affected by my prison sentence. If anything, I’m the least affected.

And as your release date gets closer, the apprehension builds. I knew I couldn’t go back to where I was before, but I didn’t know which way to go next. As soon as I heard about StandOut I thought “this is what I need”.

I was nervous because I didn’t know who else was going to be in the classroom and I thought the only thing we would have in common was being in prison. But I was wrong. We were such a diverse range of people, all ages and backgrounds, from some who had been in and out of prison most of their life to those who had never been to prison before – and amazingly we all gelled. Some of the people I met on the course became good friends of mine which I never expected.

Doing StandOut inside prison really gave me focus and hope. It encouraged me to think about what I really wanted from my life, and made me realise that I wasn’t on the scrapheap. I didn’t think it would be possible to get back into education but talking with the coaches gave me clarity on my criminal conviction and the opportunities available if you’re willing to work for it. This is a chance for a new beginning.

StandOut is about so much more than employment. We discussed the stigma of having been to prison and how relationships with family might change. When I went to prison, I thought everything would just go back to how it was before. The coaches prepared me for reality, and helped make a plan to handle certain situations.

Life hasn’t been all been plain sailing since leaving prison two years ago; I’ve hit a lot of road blocks and rejections but StandOut has been there every time to help me find alternative routes around them. The coaches have a wealth of knowledge and connections, but they aren’t there to hand it to you on a plate. StandOut gives you a kit with all the tools you need to do it yourself. I’ve gone from rock bottom to studying Biomedical Sciences at university in the space of two years. And I couldn’t have done it without StandOut.

It has certainly been strange starting a degree during the pandemic. Despite the high online content, I am now engaging with other students on the course which has been great. I am looking forward to the festive break though!”