The After-Care Workshop and Its Implications
| Published date | 01 September 1971 |
| Date | 01 September 1971 |
| DOI | 10.1177/026455057101700302 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
THE AFTER-CARE WORKSHOP
AND ITS IMPLICATIONS
Andrew Rutherford and Malcolm Rogerson
Everthorpe Borstal
THE recidivism rate of those leaving borstals has been consistently high in
recent years and it would appear that borstal and its after-care arrangements
have become increasingly out of touch with the social situation and expectations
of trainees. In an attempt to bring some degree of relevance into these situations
Workshops have become a part of the everyday life at Everthorpe Borstal. In
essence they are a tool for switching-on the borstal and its after-care arrange-
ments. For this reason they should be viewed in an organisational rather than a
clinical frame of reference. Structure is left very open so that it becomes res-
ponsive to the participants. Decision-making is widely shared and there is not
assumed to be any special expertise. All participants have both a contributing
and a learning role. In addition to the Workshop itself being meaningful the
spill-over into the borstal and related agencies is of primary importance.
Amongst the different forms that Workshops have taken the After-Care
Workshop would appear to be an especially viable model. It generally involves
between six to ten probation oflicers spending two half-days at Everthorpe.
The formal sessions are on the first afternoon and the following morning.
In the early evening they have the opportunity to make an informal visit to
the borstal and later to meet with some staff. The other participants of the
Workshop consist of about 20 trainees from that area in question and about
six staff from all departments of the borstal. The task is set: How Can After-
Care be Made to Work? After an introduction participants are invited to
suggest the main discussion headings. These include mutual expectations, pay-
offs in the relationships, individual and group meetings, and useful community
resources.
The small groups then set to work exploring these and other issues. They
generally end on the issue of immediate steps to be taken, and report back
to the main group.
There have been ten After-Care Workshops held at Everthorpe since Novem-
ber 1970 involving ten different probation departments (two Workshop have
been held with one department and on another occasion two smaller depart-
ments combined to attend). A total of 70 probation officers, 50 Everthorpe
staff and 180 trainees have taken part.
PARTICIPANTS’ VIEWS ON THE WORKSHOP
The returns from the questionnaire and the reports made available by parti-
cipants indicate that most of those who have taken part found the Workshop
a useful learning situation. One probation officer wrote: &dquo;I must stress at this
stage I was a reluctant volunteer to attend the Worshop for two reasons.
First I had no one in Everthorpe and could see no point in the visit, and
secondly the time away from work was extremely precious. On my return I
had nothing but praise for the experience&dquo;. Another commented: &dquo;A very
68
enjoyable experience - and valuable in providing closer links with staff and
boys&dquo;. A variety of reservations were expressed, some concerning the participa-
tion of borstal staff. One probation oflicer suggested that they were inhibiting
and should be excluded in future: another said he was staggered at the
collusion of staff with trainees’ negative attitudes to court reports and after-
care practices. But another writes: &dquo;Very stimulating experience. Impressed
greatly by discipline oflicer in my group&dquo;.
At least one probation oflicer found the presence of trainees inhibiting:
others regretted that the more senior members of the borstal staff were not in
greater evidence. A borstal officer writes: &dquo;Workshops are a good thing from
the staff point of view as well as the trainees. But I would like to see them held
with the same group several times throughout the training period&dquo;. Another
borstal officer warns that there is a danger of Workshops becoming stereotyped
and that new activities will have to be continuously introduced.
Several trainees said they strongly held the view that there should be more
Workshops and that they should be of a longer duration. One however wrote:
&dquo;I think they are a waste of time&dquo;.
TYPES OF GROUP
The reports and returns tend to support the impression that the small groups
tend to be characterised around one of three approaches:
l.
The academic serninar
Here voices are not raised and most of the group remain quiet whilst...
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