Words by Smiley Team
Along with his fellow inmates in HMP Leeds, Joe Outlaw hopes to turn his life around by fundraising for charity through their own organisation, System Grown. Together they raised £100 for homeless people’s charity Simon on the Streets and collected food to help 50 people sleeping rough in Leeds.
As IPP (Imprisonment for Public Protection) prisoners, many of them have been kept locked up longer than their original sentences and charity work is one way they can build back their credibility and self-respect.
Joe explained: “The fundraising gave me and the lads something positive to work towards. It really made a big difference for us. Even though in the grand scheme of things, the effort was quite minimal, it makes a difference if you have aspirations.
“Being in the papers was amazing for everyone and the feeling that I got from the positive comments was brilliant. As prisoners, we always feel like we’ve just made loads of mistakes. But the lads involved with the fundraising felt that no matter their mistakes, they could tell their families that they were in the papers for having done something good.”
Homelessness, mental health problems and drug addiction affect many ex-prisoners, so Joe and the other inmates decided that these would be appropriate issues to help tackle. Recently they reached out to offer their support to mental health charity Mind as well as Criminon, a charity that helps prisoners and ex-offenders with drugs awareness programmes and educational support.
Growing up away from his parents, being passed from one care home to another, Joe has experienced homelessness himself. He often preferred to sleep in doorways and garden sheds rather than being shuffled around a system in which he didn’t feel comfortable.
“I have spent all my life in absolute chaos,” he said. “I got put into care at the age of three, had been through 22 children’s homes by age 11. My mum is a manic depressive, my father was absent. Growing up in that environment teaches you bad behaviour. Even if you know it’s not right, you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do to survive. I’m 34 now and it’s time for me to make a change.”
Unsurprisingly, organising a fundraiser from inside prison is no easy feat. But despite the lengthy bureaucracy to go through and despite having so little to give to charity, the inmates persisted.
Joe says he is much indebted to Leeds HMP Custodial Manager, Sean Kelly, who helped him and the other inmates organise the fundraiser after Joe asked him what he could do to give back.
Sean commented: “We asked him to take on the role of a peer support worker to support all 145 inmates in the wing and he has thrived in communicating with fellow prisoners, providing support and resource packs. His workload is immense. Joe comes up with lots of ideas, one of which was prior to Christmas to work with a designated charity to offer food and donations from the ISFL wing via the design of a Christmas jumper competition.”
With the help of another inmate, Luke, Joe initially wrote a letter to Simon on the Streets explaining his idea to them.
Natalie Moran, the CEO of Simon on the Streets, said: “We were surprised to receive a letter from Leeds prisoners but gladly welcomed Joe, Luke and the other inmates support for our cause. A prison may seem like an unlikely place to receive charitable support, but they have been amazing in helping us to feed a further 50 people across the streets of Leeds. Joe has been keeping us updated with further fundraising plans, as well as spreading the word about Simon on the Streets to fellow inmates who may need our help.”
After the charity sent promotional flyers to the prison, the inmates set about raising money. They received donations of seedlings and seeds which they sold to prisoners and donated the proceeds to charity. Their charitable efforts included collecting snacks and packaged food to donate to Simon on the Streets as well as an art competition for which competitors donated £1 to enter.
Simon on the Streets operates in West Yorkshire, offering emotional and practical support to homeless people. In 2020 alone they helped people find a bed for the night 449 times and organised permanent housing for 53 homeless people.
To follow Joe’s example and support their work, donate here.
