The Power of Peer Mentoring

Much of the UK’s criminal justice sector recruits people with lived experience of the justice system as volunteer supporters. These ‘peer mentors’ or ‘peer volunteers’ take on a range of different roles within organisations, both within prisons and in the community, hugely supporting services. Peer volunteers can benefit from the experience of giving back and improving their own self-confidence, and evidence suggests peer volunteering amongst prisoners can also prevent re-offending. Today, Catch22’s Josie Cochrane explores the power of peer mentors, the challenges, and some of the considerations needed when working with peer mentors. We are joined by Russell Webster, a well-known commentator on justice issues and a member of the Advisory Group for Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation, and David Breakspear. David, with lived experience and part of RECONNECT, helped Russell with the development of a best practice guide on how to support peer volunteers. Catch-22.org.uk #catch22minutes https://www.russellwebster.com/peers-who-volunteer-a-guide-on-how-to-support-people-with-lived-experience/