A teenager named Ioan was devastated when his mother was sentenced to five years in prison for drug offenses when he was just 13 years old. He felt alone and wished to be around his mother more than ever before. However, Ioan is now 15 and is supporting a new scheme launched by the Prison Advice and Care Trust (Pact) to aid pupils affected by imprisonment in Wales. The scheme includes classroom discussions to address the stigma surrounding imprisonment. After serving half of her sentence, Ioan’s mother is expected to be released later this year, and Ioan cannot wait to embrace her.
Having his mother committed to jail was heartbreaking for Ioan, as it is during a time when children most want to be close to their parents. Ioan adjusted to the situation, but not without difficulty. He is looking forward to seeing his mother again very soon. To try and generate some positive results from this experience, Ioan hopes his mother will not repeat past mistakes and stay with him forever.
Ioan’s family’s situation received media attention, and he believes that students in his class at Ysgol Bryn Alyn, in Wrexham county, should be aware of the issue. Though there were haters, Ioan says that everyone was relatively understanding when they found out. However, he is aware of how difficult life can be for children with parents in prison.
The Pact program, which Ioan supports, provides guidance and resources for teachers to navigate class discussions surrounding imprisonment. This may address the bullying and shame that children may feel in a class setting. Aimee Hutchinson, a representative from Pact, stated of the program that “the current estimates are that around one in 15 school-aged children will be affected by the imprisonment of a loved one at some point in their school career. So that’s at least one in every class.” The program’s creators at Ysgol Bryn Alyn and Gwersyllt Primary School in Wrexham hope that the plan will soon roll out across Wales and England
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