Gordon Allport defines his ‘Contact Hypothesis’ as the psychological theory that direct contact between members of different social or cultural groups can improve relations, reduce prejudice and build mutual understanding (Allport, 1954). Therefore, the easiest way to reduce stigma and build empathy between prisoners/ex-prisoners and members of the public is to bring them together. Easier said then done... either institutionalised and removed from society or silenced by perceived or anticipated stigma in the workplace/socially or even at home — conversations are hard to facilitate. 

This process has tested the powerful position participatory practices have in engaging proactively with systemic issues, especially towards prison attitudes — where lack of education, conversation and understanding are a barrier to necessary change. I look to these methods as ways of redrawing dominant narratives, learning from those within prisons and seeking to build a more rehabilitative community that reduces crime, reforms and redefines what ‘Prison’ can and should be in British society today.

In 2024, the Labour party was elected and with that brought a new opportunity for prison reform. James Timpson, CEO of the famous key-cutting chain and former Chair of the Prison Reform Trust was appointed as Minister of State for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending. Timpson’s beliefs lie in “community sentencing” similarly to in Holland (Timpson, 2024). Unfortunately, Timpsons views clash with Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood who believes in building more prisons and locking more people up (Mahmood, 2024). ‘A Tale as Old as Crime’ seeks to investigate this debate, exploring the consequences of building prisons and the contributing factors of sentencing, underfunding and prison architecture to overcrowding.