
Building Futures
Building Futures is our project funded by the National Lottery Community Fund to explore the experiences of people who will spend 10 or more years in custody.
About the project
Building Futures focuses on how long sentences impact prisoners, their families and wider communities. Working collaboratively with prisoners, prison staff and others, the programme aims to provide solutions and shape a prison environment that is safe, humane, encourages accountability and fosters hope. It places a strong emphasis on promoting prisoner leadership and self-advocacy and the creation of inter-prisoner support networks.
What's the issue
In the last twenty years, the prison population has changed hugely.
- Sentences for more serious crimes have become longer.
- At least 11% of the prison population is now serving some type of indeterminate sentence.
- Far more people will now spend 10 or more years in prison.
- The average tariff length for murder has increased from 13 years in 2000 to 20 years in 2020.
- Meeting the challenges of this change will shape the prison landscape for the foreseeable future.
Latest news & updates: Building Futures
View all news and updates
Long sentenced women “invisible” in prison policy and practice
Most women received into prison are serving short prison sentences of less than 12 months. However, ...
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PRT writes to Lord Chancellor following Parole Board comment in the press
Prison Reform Trust director, Peter Dawson, has written to the Lord Chancellor Robert Buckland follo...
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Evaluation of the Building Futures Programme
We are seeking an evaluator to undertake a comprehensive evaluation of the Prison Reform Trust’s U...
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Prison Reform Trust receives National Lottery boost to improve approaches to prisoner rehabilitation
National penal reform charity, the Prison Reform Trust, has been awarded £2.6 million in Nation...
Building Futures publications
View all publications- November 2021 Invisible Women: Understanding women’s experiences of long-term imprisonment Most women received into prison are serving short prison sentences of less than 12 months. However, ... Invisible Women: Understanding women’s experiences of long-term imprisonment
- October 2021 Long-term prisoners: the facts The last 20 years has seen a dramatic increase in the number of people serving long prison sentences... Long-term prisoners: the facts
Building Futures team
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David Maguire
Project Director
David has spent two decades working with, researching and managing projects for excluded and marginalised groups across a range of sectors, including housing, education, prison and the wider criminal ...
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Claudia Vince
Programme Coordinator
Claudia previously worked as Research Officer at HM Inspectorate of Prisons, planning and facilitating research in a variety of custodial settings to aid and inform the independent inspection process....
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Kelly Gleeson
Administrator
Kelly joined the Prison Reform Trust as a trainee advice and information officer while on release on temporary licence from HMP East Sutton Park, before joining the Building Futures team in 2020. In p...
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
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To make a positive difference to the lives of very long-sentenced prisoners, their families and the wider community.
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Long-term prisoners will set the priorities. It is crucial that the programme is built by people it represents. So we will:
- Facilitate listening forums.
- Create inter-prisoner support networks.
- Promote prisoner leadership.
- Bridge the gap between the people who make policy and the people affected by it.
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Working with our Prisoner Policy Network, we are putting together a network of prisoners serving long sentences who will be involved in consultations, research and advocacy work.
Our network members will be key contributors to the project. If you are serving 10+ years and would like to be part of our Building Futures Network then please get in touch.
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Write
Building Futures c/o
Prison Reform Trust FREEPOST ND 6125
London EC1B 1PNEmail
If you have access to email a prisoner, you can contact us at