Starting on the back foot...

Mitchell grew up in chaos.

With both parents struggling with heavy drug use, he was using himself by the time he was 13. From then on he bounced between Care Homes and whichever parent was in a fit state to take him. Experiences like these don’t make prison inevitable, but they do make it far more likely — and that’s where Mitchell eventually ended up.

At HMYOI Wetherby, he surprised everyone by thriving. The structure, safety, and consistent care gave him what he’d rarely had at home. Our Foundations team worked closely with him to prepare for release, but stepping back into the community was still a leap into the unknown. A serious assault in custody became the moment he decided he didn’t want drugs — or prison — to define his future.

With no safe home to return to, Mitchell spent his first months after release in an Approved Premise in a new town, surrounded mostly by older men also fresh out of prison. Feeling out of place and vulnerable, he kept to himself, trying to stay out of trouble through a pretty lonely few months. But his regular meetings with his In2Out mentor were the highlight of his week, encouraging him to persevere, until eventually he was allowed to move out into some much more suitable supported housing - in yet another new area.

Mitchell still faces challenges, but he’s no longer facing them alone. With consistent support from his mentor, he’s learning how to navigate everyday life, manage setbacks, and make safer choices. The stability of his new supported housing has given him a safe space to breathe and grow. He may present more like a vulnerable younger teenager than an 18‑year‑old, and his progress might have been more steady than spectacular, but given where he’s come from this is so encouraging — a reminder of how starting on the back foot, doesn’t have to define a young person’s whole future.

As Mitchell puts it:

"I feel a lot more hopeful than I did before. Having hope stops me going back to the bad in my life".  Mitchell