A mobile phone in an In2Out Leaving Custody Kit helps a young person, just out of prison, keep their licence conditions.
“My tag hasn’t been fitted!”
George was in a complete panic. One of his licence conditions for being released from prison and back in the community was having an electronic tag. And yet, at the end of his first full day ‘on the out’ it still hadn’t been fitted.
It had already been a stressful day. George had been increasingly anxious as his release approached. I met him at the gate with his Leaving Custody Kit – two big bags of food, toiletries, recipes, current job vacancies, clothing and food vouchers - and a mobile phone with £10 credit.
A social worker, whom he had never met before, picked him up and dropped him off at his new flat. The two bags of supplies from In2Out were really helpful, providing the basics for starting out in independent living and helping him to settle in.
The mobile phone not only had credit, but I’d put on contact numbers that George would find helpful. Later that evening, I texted him asking how things were going, after exchanging a few messages I thought he seemed to be doing OK.
It was the following evening when George called in a panic about his electronic tag. “I’m worried I’m in breach [of my licence conditions] and I’m going to go back to prison.” I could hear in his voice how worried he was. We talked it through, and I encouraged him to stay where he was which was the address given on his licence. George phoned the tag monitoring company and was put on hold for 30 minutes. When he managed to get through and explain that his tag hadn’t been fitted, the company realised that they had the wrong address. Because George had taken the initiative and contacted them, they were able to reassure him that he wasn’t in breach and that they would come and fit his tag. This put his mind at rest.
A small error caused George a huge amount of stress and anxiety but because In2Out provided him not just a phone but with enough credit on it, he was able to be proactive and make the crucial call which prevented him from breaching his licence conditions.
Every In2Out participant receives a mobile phone and credit when they leave custody as part of their Leaving Custody Kit. Each Kit costs £50 and are provided with the help of donations from individuals, churches and grant making trusts and foundations.
Donate today and help a young person leaving custody start their life ‘on the out’.