COUNTERBLAST: A Dangerous Success

Abstract

I'm astonished that the one and only dedicated therapeutic community (TC) at HMP Grendon has prevailed as long as it has done. But for almost 50 years Grendon has been at the forefront of treating its inmates in a decent, humane and civilized environment while tackling the deeply-rooted patterns of behavior that have led to some of the most horrendous and shocking crimes in our society. And yet today this unique prison with its track record of success is in real danger of being slowly squeezed out of existence. Its early image as a 'nut house' gave rise to much of its enduring reputation, amongst many inmates and prison officers alike in the mainstream prison system, as a place for those prisoners somehow lacking in character and unable to cope with the tough, and often brutal, life in jail. These attitudes still permeate throughout the wings and landings of almost every penal establishment in England and Wales and have helped to sustain a distorted view about the nature of Grendon. I've personally heard it called a place of refuge for nonces, grasses and nut jobs by some senior prison service staff who were in charge of jails housing the very same category of prisoner. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)