It’s been 10 years nearly since I joined Victim Support as a volunteer. The reason I joined? I am a prison officer with the Scottish Prison Service and the vast majority of my time and energy is spent with prisoners who have committed a wide variety of crimes, from the petty to the serious. Spending so much time with offenders made me want to use what I have gained and give something back to victims of crime. When I look at the resources given to offenders there seems to be an imbalance regarding the time and support for victims. The biggest majority of the Criminal Justice budget is spent on prisons, courts and offenders, compare that to what is set-aside for victims and you see what I mean.

My time with VS has given me the opportunity to use my skills and help people. I never imagined that I would gain so much personally in this experience. The training I have received has given me the insight in to the traumatic experiences people have to endure and it never ceases to amaze me when I look at the cross section of the public who work as volunteers and the unconditional support they provide. I have had the privilege to meet people I probably wouldn’t have in my daily routine and I’m honoured to call some of them friends now.
 

My role with the prison service includes delivering the Reasoning and Rehabilitation programme Cognitive Skills. Coaching prisoners on a wide variety of skills such as problem solving, social skills, considering consequences and looking at morals and values. This is where my two roles “cross over” and I can explain the consequences of crime and how it affects people, victims. On the other hand it has been helpful to have the knowledge of the prison service and Criminal Justice System to answer questions from victims about any misgivings they may have or apprehensions. Sometimes just to understand the Criminal Justice System is a comfort. The most asked question I get from victims of crime is…WHY? Being able to understand that from a prisoner’s perspective and passing that on can be so helpful because as we know, we don’t always get to know “WHY”.  Fellow volunteers have also said it’s helpful to use my experience in helping them understand an area of life that isn’t always readily available to the public. As volunteers we all bring with us various skills that can be resourced by each other. Hopefully my time with VS will continue for a long time and I’ll continue to support and help people come to terms with the impact of crime.