Prisons Week
Why the 300? from Reflex on Vimeo.
Reflex exist to empower children, young people and young adults to break the cycle of offending and reoffending. We equip young people with skills, confidence and opportunities to achieve their full potential. Reflex deliver outreach, non-formal education and mentoring to young people identified as at risk of offending or serving a community or custodial sentence. We help young people to creatively reflect on their lives and positively express their hopes and aspirations for the future. We provide holistic support for young people throughout their transition to adulthood.
“The Reflex programmes have been instrumental in helping young offenders break the cycle of crime in their lives and realise their true potential”
Mark Hedley, The Hon Mr Justice
The following moving story is by a young woman called Jodey, who Reflex worked with through prison chaplaincy in the NorthWest:
“I’ve never had it easy, growing up was hard. I had a mother who never showed any love towards me. She was 17 when she had me so it must have been hard for her to bring me up by herself. All I got off her was beatings and abuse, mentally often, although the physical beatings hurt like hell. I was always in and out of family care. My school said I had behaviour problems but I was just crying out for help.
I started going to church and it was the only place I felt safe and where I belonged, my mother didn’t like me going to church as she had no faith, but I was different, I began to want to know more about God. I got baptised and confirmed when I was 15. Things were good for a while until my mum kicked me out of the house and told me to never come back. I went away and when I returned a couple of weeks later to pick up my stuff she kicked off big time and a fight broke out. That was my first encounter with the police and I got arrested. They didn’t listen to me; they just thought I was in the wrong.
That’s where things started getting difficult…I forgot about God and was so angry. I started getting drunk with my mates all the time. When I was 17 I got sexually assaulted and to this day it haunts me. Again I was angry with God. The man got sent to prison but only served a year, I felt like I had no justice. I remained an angry person; always out fighting and drinking. I gave up. I Self harmed. I’d hit rock bottom. I tried returning to church but their only solution was to forgive those who hurt me and I couldn’t do it, so I stopped going again.
For years I went off the rails. My drinking got out of control; I was doing what we call binge drinking. Sometimes it would last for days, and when I was drunk I couldn’t control myself, I didn’t know what I was doing. Then at 19 years old I met a great guy who made me feel special. He treated me well at first, until he drank and then I suffered domestic violence from him. All I wanted was to be loved, but I never felt good enough. I found out I was pregnant and he forced me to get rid of it. I was absolutely devastated and angry at God; I didn’t understand why He was taking my baby away from me. I was two months pregnant and had to get rid of the baby, I was heartbroken. Two days after the termination my boyfriend dumped me, I was so low and depressed that I turned to alcohol again, I just couldn’t cope anymore. I also self-harmed again and ended up taking an overdose.
My mum found me that night and I was taken to hospital. I’m grateful to her for saving my life; if it wasn’t for her I’d be dead. When I came out of hospital I lived with my mother for a while, but our relationship still wasn’t great so I returned to my own house. By this time I was completely off the rails and I didn’t care anymore.
In June 2010 I did something really stupid and ended up in prison. I was so angry. I didn’t know what to do with myself. I got a 12 month sentence. That’s when things started to turn around. I met the Reflex Team in prison. At first it was arts and crafts and then I joined in some of the chaplaincy groups. I was so withdrawn from the group because of the anger I held towards God. I didn’t care what they had to say. Then they invited me to the bible study groups on Tuesdays. I started attending and began to open up, one day they asked me what I wanted to pray for and I said ‘forgiveness’. I prayed for all the people that had hurt me, that they’d find God themselves and that I would forgive them. That very moment I felt Gods peace, it felt so amazing.
From that day on there was a massive change in me. My faith started to grow more and more each day; sometimes it became overwhelming. I was happy again, I had God in my life and realised that through all the hard times God was there, if it wasn’t for Him I wouldn’t have got through them, but I was just too angry to see at the time. I was released from prison in June 2011, after serving 6 months of my sentence, and my faith is stronger than ever.
I’m still in touch with the Reflex Team, especially Hannah, the Reflex Outreach Worker who has helped me through so much. If it wasn’t for Reflex my faith wouldn’t have been brought back to me. So a massive thank you to them. I really appreciate it and I still appreciate all they are doing for me. My faith is still growing and I attend church every Sunday. I feel so much more positive about my future and I’m now working for Youth for Christ in Stoke even though I’ve only been out 8 weeks! I’m staying on the right path now and will share God’s word with everyone. I’m no longer ashamed to say that I’m a Christian.”
Visit www.reflex.org to find out more or www.reflex.org/300 to get involved and help change a life from your sofa.
