The focus of Journeyman is to assist participants to find their own strategies to build hope, resilience, a positive sense of the future and a greater sense of well-being and self-efficacy. Each programme is delivered with up to eight prisoners identified as struggling with imprisonment, anxiety or depression, addiction issues, experience of self-harm or suicidal thoughts.
The programme uses active exercises, role-play, metaphors such as ‘the mask’ and fictional scenarios to allow the men to explore challenging issues at ‘one-step-removed’.
We work with prison Safer Custody teams to identify suitable participants for each programme.
Journeyman was the subject of an impact review conducted by the University of Birmingham’s Forensic Psychology team in 2016. To read the study, click here.
Journeyman was originally commissioned in 2016 as part of an HMPPS pilot and successfully delivered at HMP Hewell and HMP Bristol. HMP Hewell recommissioned the programme in 2018. Journeyman at HMP Brixton was funded by Cicely Northcote Trust in 2019. Since 2025 the City Bridge Foundation has been funding the project in both HMP Pentonville and HMP Wormwood Scrubs.
