Published date:
Welcome to the third edition of the Probation Board for Northern Ireland (PBNI) Connect Service User Newsletter. It is another packed edition and the fact that so many of you want to contribute to the newsletter is truly inspirational. You are sharing your thoughts, your reflections, and your experiences to help others, and I want to thank you all for that. As Robin Williams said, “no matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world”.
On this year's front cover, we have a photograph of the Aurora Borealis, or the Northern Lights, that we saw in May of this year. They really were a sight to behold for those of us who were fortunate enough to see them. Some of us slept through them, and some of us just didn't
know what was going on in the skies above us but the photographs on the news and social media in the days after allowed us all have a glimpse. It reinforced for me, that at times what we see depends on what we look for. When we look for negativity, that is exactly what we see but when we look for the positive things and look for the good in people, we can be amazed by what surrounds us. Via this newsletter, we are highlighting the good and the positive and we are amazed.
In this edition, we have an interview with Fiona Greene, the Chief Executive of NIACRO. NIACRO are a key partner for PBNI, and a special thanks goes to Fiona for participating in the interview. We have reflections about time spent in custody and how to prepare for release, we have reflections about being on probation and community service, we have feedback about Duke of Edinburgh and many articles about how creative writing and arts help rehabilitation and desistance. We also have some recipes to try, one of which was provided by the Making a Difference (MAD) Service User group in Ayrshire, and I look forward to seeing your photographs in next year's edition.
We couldn't produce this newsletter without the support of Prison Arts Foundation – thank you, and please do read the article by Prison Arts Foundation.
I hope you enjoy reading.
Gillian Montgomery Director of Operations, Probation Board for Northern Ireland