About us
Our Recruitment
We recently completed the shortlisting process for the role of Study Support Manager with DWRM. We were delighted with the response we received and by the high quality of the applications. Part of this was because we asked for a letter rather than a form and a CV. This allowed for some really personal responses and a very enjoyable selection process.
As specified in our job description, we have prioritised applications from people who have personal and specific experience of studying during their own prison sentence. It is important to us that our team members are drawn from the population of students that we support. And it felt great to be able to explain that in our response to each applicant, especially those who have been shortlisted because of their relevant experience.
With permission, we are sharing a few extracts from these letters to demonstrate how important this was for us and to encourage other employers to do the same – both in the recruitment process and in actually being willing to employ people in meaningful roles.
“While serving my sentence, I experienced both the transformative impact that learning can have and the significant challenges that learners face in prison — from lack of resources to the need for encouragement and structured support. These experiences gave me resilience and determination, but more importantly, they inspired me to ensure that others are not left to struggle alone in pursuing their education.”
“This would not just be a job for me, but a cause that lies close to my heart. I know first-hand what it means to study in a prison cell, cut off from books and computers, handwriting every draft, trying to concentrate through the chaos and noise, and facing delays when staff submitted work late. Despite these barriers, I persevered because education gave me hope when everything else felt impossible. That experience left me with a conviction: a degree earned in prison carries extraordinary weight, because it requires resilience, sacrifice, and strength.”
“I thoroughly believe in the transformative nature of education, not only for what is learnt or the outcome – a qualification, a job, a chance at employment – but for its ability to shift perspectives, on who you are, where you are going, and what you are capable of. It can free people, as it did with me, from the constraints of the mind, and challenge your perceptions of your role and place in the world around you. I believe that everyone, anyone, should get that chance, regardless of past behaviours or situations.”
Our Vision
Empowering People through Education, Employability and Engagement to Create Cultures of Acceptance.
Our Mission
DWRM envisions a future where prison experience drives positive change.
We bring together expertise and evidence with our commitment to inclusion as the catalyst for this change.
We offer a unique insight into the prison study experience and student needs, the specific challenges of becoming employable and finding work and contributing to wider research – all due to our spending time on both sides of the fence.
The Team
Together, we bring a unique and complementary combination of skills, lived experience expertise, management and administrative abilities, and economic prowess, which creates an energetic dynamic. We share a strong commitment to social justice and rehabilitation of people in prison, manifested in providing a prisoner voice and empowerment.
Contact Us
Please get in touch to inquire about Education · Community · Employability · Focusing on Careers · HMPPS Solutions · Prison Education Reform · Incarceration Nations Network · Other