HMP Birmingham, better known to some as Winson Green Prison, is running a course called 'The Family Man' designed to help prisoners improve their family relationships. 'The Family Man' is an intensive four week programme designed to challenge male prisoners' attitudes and behaviours associated with family problems. BBC WM recently broadcast one of their docu-dramas. To listen to the drama-documentary please click here:
Radio Drama
 | | HMP Birmingham |
Antonia Rubenstein is the director of the charity 'Safe Ground' – a group that specialises in family relationship education – and is a key coordinator of the Family Man project: "In 1995 Safe Ground was established as a charity that uses drama to address the needs of prisoners and young people at risk of social exclusion," she says. "The objective of Family Man is to make prisoners more active members of their family while in prison. The skills and confidence they acquire during the course help them engage not just with their family, but also with the prison system itself." This is done by the use of drama, to encourage the development of prisoners' social skills, radio production to avoid the risk of social exclusion. "Family Man uses drama techniques to engage large groups of learners of mixed ability," he says. The finale is a presentation which allows the students to show off their new knowledge and skills (and the benefits of the course) to a wider audience." BBC WM
 | | Prison |
WM's Phil Maguire was invited to the prison to look at the course and to produce the radio play. "I was surprised to find myself sitting in a room with 15 – 20 prisoners talking so openly about their very personal, family-related problems," he says. "I was also surprised to see how supportive they were with each other." In Phil's opinion, the course is having a positive effect on the prisoners and their families: "The change I saw in these men was incredible," he says. To listen click the link at the top right of the page | 
