The Journey from Prison to Community: Developing Identity, Meaning and Belonging with Men in the UK provides a practical guide for practitioners working with men to successfully make the transition between prison and the community.

Jo Shingler is a Chartered Psychologist and Registered Forensic Psychologist currently working within STRIVE (IIRMS), a co-commissioned service between HMPPS and the NHS as part of the Offender Personality Disorder Pathway. She has worked in prisons and the community for over 25 years, specialising in psychological risk assessment, interventions and understanding and improving therapeutic relationships in forensic settings.

Jennifer Stickney is an Advanced Occupational Therapy Practitioner working part time within STRIVE an Intensive Integrated Risk Management Service (IIRMS) a co-commissioned service between HMPPS and the NHS as part of the Offender Personality Disorder Pathway and part time working within HMPPS's Future Regime Design Team, offering a health perspective to the development of the National Regime Model. Jennifer has over 25 years of experience working as an Occupational Therapist in a wide range of forensic settings.

Part 1: Stages in Transition 1. One more step along the road to freedom. 2. "I can see freedom but I can't have it": Supporting people in the immediate aftermath of release 3. Recall, recovery and re-release Part 2: Specific Issues in the Transition Journey 4. Trauma and release from prison: Understanding and navigating trauma responses in the community 5. "180 prisoners and the noise... it hits you, BANG!!": Sensory systems, incarceration and resettlement 6. Away from the chemical embrace: Navigating substance dependence from custody to community 7. "How could I know what to do?": Supporting people in building practical skills for resettlement and reintegration 8. "I don't have relationships anymore...": Navigating licence conditions and transition into the community for men with sexual convictions Part 3: Professional Approaches to Resettlement 9. "It's not just words, it's something you can feel": How therapeutic relationships can support prison-community transitions
10. "They spoke to me like I was a human, so I behaved like a human": Mattering, hope and release from prison
Afterword: Breaking down barriers to resettlement: Acknowledging and overcoming the "them and us" mindset