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Writing their way to freedom

In the second instalment of his series about a creative writing project that aims to rehabilitate young offenders near Bristol, mentor Caspar Walsh finds the lads are back on track
Write to Freedom
If Toothless can stay out of trouble, he'll go far. Photograph: Caspar Walsh

In 2004, a young offender on early release threatened to cave my head in and bury both my parents. After this incident, a close friend advised me: "If you work with people with challenging behaviour, expect challenging behaviour." Harsh but helpful words when things don't go according to plan.

My latest visit to Ashfield young offenders' institution couldn't have been more different from the first. I said to some of the mentoring staff I reckoned it had something to do with the full moon; I got a mixed, eyebrow-raised response.

The young offenders (lads) were literally bouncing off the walls. Some were unable or unwilling to sit in their seats for more than 30 seconds; some stared vacantly at blank sheets of paper unable to think of what to write in their latest diaries. "Nothing's happened this week, boss, got nothing to write." Staff reply: "You told me you lost it on Monday and tried to set fire to your cell. That's a start isn't it?" The same lad came up to me later and said he felt like he was losing his mind but that the diary writing had seriously helped. He then sat down and started to write.

Two lads almost got into a fight right in front of me when some harmless messing got personal and out of control. My teaching partner in crime, Marcel, quickly calmed them down like it was all part of the job – it is. I was impressed. It was as if the first four days of intensive workshops I'd run had never happened and we were starting from scratch. I felt downhearted and my energy hit the floor. Then Dingle walked into the class, late, holding a plastered index finger up to me. "Look at that, boss! Got a blister from writing so damn hard!" Dingle is in the painful process of toughening up his finger skin so he can write even harder. It looked nasty but I was made up.

This kind of work has a lot to do with group dynamics. Finding a navigable path through complex human behaviour is often tricky. I'm good at group work but I'm better one to one. As a result, I've decided to steer the workshops in this direction. In the last wall-bouncing session, when we finally got them to calm down, split up and write, I was able to speak to them individually. The difference in their communication with me was dramatic. When they're not distracted with verbal or physical sparring, the lads appear to respect me, listen to me and, when their best mate isn't sticking a pen in their ribs, more than capable of following instructions.

The success of the article in the Guardian launching Write to Freedom (WTF) on October 15 quickly became clear. The prison staff and lads were made up with the high profile, and within a couple of hours of the article being printed BBC Radio Bristol were on their way to the prison to interview Dingle and 'Toothless'. Both lads spoke amazingly well. Hearing what effect the project is already having on them pretty much moved me to tears.

The WTF lads are working weekly with their assigned mentors, are designing the WTF logo and the WTF website is being built.

Their time in session last Friday with Marcel wasn't punctuated by the sound of mickey-taking and non-stop talking. Marcel told me all he could hear was the click clack of focused, diary-writing fingers on PC keyboards. It seems the full moon has finally released our lads from its insane grip. They're back on track writing for and about their lives.

Young offender profile: 'Toothless'
Toothless has a broad grin with a removable tooth and a trickster glint in his eyes. He is fully committed to Write to Freedom and surprisingly good at writing about his life, experience and hope for his future. He has an ability to express his emotions and ideas clearly and with humour; much more so than me at times. He was invited along to the first staff training day and presented his version of what we'd done in the workshops so far with cheek and confidence. If he can stay out of trouble this lad will go far.

Caspar Walsh's prison memoir, Criminal, is out in paperback on Thursday, published by Headline

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