Behind Closed Doors

Nelson Mandela said that “no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails”, but few of us ever get to see for ourselves what life is like inside a UK prison.

Guest speaker: Rob Foreman

Sunday Assembly London’s own Rob Foreman has spent 10 years as an independent monitor observing conditions in London’s prisons. Monitors are volunteers who are granted access to prisons and other places of detention, in order to judge whether the people held there are being treated fairly and humanely, as well as providing an independent voice to those who are marginalised or unable to speak up for themselves.

Rob provided insights into how the reality of prisons matches the public perception, and the difference that volunteering has made to his own life.

Guest poet: Chris Syrus

Chris shared some of his poems from his new book of Poetry, LoveLife6968 Memoirs from The Pen, written whilst he was incarcerated. After turning his life around post release, Chris is now a Personal Development Speaker & Coach, using the creative arts to help young people at risk of offending.

Watch the recording