Case Study

Babu begins again

7 Aug 2024

Spending almost 15 years in a high security prison left Babu unfamiliar with modern life. Using technology, which most people now take for granted, was whole new territory for him – as was life back in the community.  

Anxious about his next steps and struggling to adjust to life outside of prison, he was referred by his probation officer to the Ingeus personal wellbeing programme. Part of the probation service’s Commissioned Rehabilitative Services, it provides practical and emotional support for people struggling while living on probation.  

“When you leave prison, you put on a brave front that you can cope because you've coped well in prison, but society has moved on since and it's something that you don't get taught,” says Babu. “I was really struggling; I wasn't able to cope. I was living with my sister and there was a lot of friction, family arguments. I had a lot of mental health and personal issues. I don't know where I was in my life, I was just depressed and didn't have a clue what to do.” 

Working with Stuart, an Ingeus Personal Wellbeing Advisor with his own past experience of leaving prison, helped Babu bridge the huge life-skills and confidence gap he faced. Working closely on his emotional wellbeing helped Babu learn to manage his emotions, while practical support saw him start to rebuild the foundations of his life: housing, accessing benefits and rebuilding relationships.  

“When Babu came out prison last year, he was very nervous about his situation,” says Stuart. “The biggest thing he found was that a lot of things are done by e-mail now, electronically. He didn't know how to use a smartphone, basic stuff really. He's quite unique in the amount of time he spent in prison.” 

His progress has been remarkable. His confidence has soared, he has a new place to live and is dealing with stress in the right way: “His progress had been amazing. Really,” adds Stuart. “The confidence you see in him today, that wasn’t the Babu that came out of prison.” 

He’s also putting his experiences to good use, featuring in an Ingeus personal wellbeing video and volunteering as an Ingeus peer mentor, supporting others embarking on their journey away from the criminal justice system.

“Going through the programme with Ingeus gave me a lot of tools to cope with everyday life,” continues Babu.

“My benefits were sorted out and now I've got my own space. I'm over the moon and obviously doing the peer mentoring myself.” 

Babu also undertook the Ingeus GOALS two-day wellbeing programme which he says was ‘lifechanging’. It develops achievable goals to strive for, and it’s working wonders for him: 

“I got a house, I've got a car, my driving licence. So all three things I wanted to achieve I've achieved. Now I've set myself higher goals and I've got the confidence that I know I will achieve them. 

“The personal wellbeing programme has made my journey to reintegration very smooth. I wouldn’t have been able to cope had I not taken professional advice. I think it's a brilliant service and should be recommended to all prison leavers.”