Sue’s story
Drug dealing landed Sue in prison. Her story starts like many women in prison: she turned to drugs to block out the pain of childhood traumas.
Dealing heroin to fund her own addiction eventually landed Sue with a four-year prison sentence. But this, she says, was a blessing. Jail was a break from the chaos of her former life and chance to start again. And it was yoga and meditation that were key to her rehabilitation.
“I’d done meditation in the past,” she recalls. “And I knew I didn’t want to be addicted to drugs in prison, so I put myself through cold turkey before I went away and once inside, I reconnected to my meditation practice through the guidance and encouragement from The Prison Phoenix Trust.”
Sue’s been clean now for over 30 years and after jail she found a career as a drugs counsellor, helping others struggling with addiction. Since retiring, she does voluntary work in her community.
Yoga supporting sobriety
Two-thirds of women and nearly two in five men report committing offences to get money to buy drugs. That’s why helping people to beat their addictions is a high priority.
Some prisons have now set up Incentivised Substance-Free Living (ISFL) wings, where people in recovery from addiction submit to regular testing: and are offered support to stay clean.
In 8 of these prisons The PPT has delivered regular yoga and meditation classes to help people develop the skills that will support sobriety.
Sue still meditates every day. The support from The Prison Phoenix Trust continues, but these days that support is mutual as Sue volunteers to train yoga teachers who are preparing to go into prison.
Sue says: “It really felt to me throughout the whole journey that The Prison Phoenix Trust had me held in the palm of their hand and supported me regardless of what was going on, regardless of any of the traumas I’ve been through, any of the difficulties I’ve had, the struggles I’m going through and have always been there for me unconditionally.
“I try to inspire people to support The PPT and also to inspire people in prison to practice meditation and yoga. I say to them, what matters is how you’re going to use your time. What’s important is you change your life and you can become different.”