About

This website was originated as a personal project by Dominic Murphy and launched in October 2005.  It is a free resource for all who support ex-offenders in their efforts to resettle successfully in the community.  You can share teaching resources and publish your own material to spread good practice.

Here is how it came about.  I teach enterprise skills to the inmates of HMP Wandsworth.  I run courses to help my students build viable business plans for their self-employment on release. 

When I started doing this in April 2003 I lacked contact with other professionals teaching the same thing.  I felt I could benefit from being part of a community, sharing ideas and resources about delivering learning and skills to offenders.

I did a survey in 2005 of some 33 of my peers in other prisons to get their views on opportunities for networking and other issues.  I found that many felt they would benefit from more networking opportunities.  The outcome of that work is reported on this site in the "Learning and skills resource centre > The need for networking".

As a result of my findings I decided to build this website and offer it as a community resource.  It is an effort funded out of my own pocket.    I hope my peers will become members of the website.  I hope it will give members an added opportunity for Continuous Professional Development and to get satisfaction from their teaching.  It is by practitioners and for practitioners.  It promotes no vested interest.  You will not be distracted by advertising or preached at by backers. 

The development of a social enterprise

The objective has always been to help to provide an on-ramp through the prison wall, for ex-offenders to achieve successful resettlement.  In the autumn of 2007 TLJ was incorporated as a not-for-profit social enterprise.  We added the objective of  directly helping ex-offenders planning self-employment. 

Our particular focus is on offering graphic design, other media and art services produced wholly or in part by ex-offenders.  So now we offer these services on a commercial basis delivered by a talented and growing team of providers. 

Since the spring of 2008 we have helped eight ex-offenders to start in business.  The outcomes for six of these are chronicled in the News section on the home page of this website. 

Expanding the scope of our teaching materials resource base

In the summer of 2008 TLJ was commissioned to help deliver a project funded by the charity Unlimited.  The project involves broadening the scope of the resource centre, to encompass the offer of teaching materials supporting any subject and not just preparation for self-employment.

The TLJ website has been modified to encompass any discipline and promotional material has been prepared for distribution to all prisons.  At the time of writing, roll-out of this new service is imminent.

The site is now managed by the social enterprise: The Learning Journey (Resettlement) CIC.

When it comes to protection of other people’s copyright and general good behaviour, see the terms and conditions page.    

This site uses the Plone open source content management system.  You can lean more from http://plone.org

Any issues or questions?  You can get me at: dominic.murphy@hmps.gsi.gov.uk. 

However, I’m hoping you will post your messages for all to see on the notice board in the Common Room.  I’m hoping we can work together to improve, refine and expand the fight against re-offending.

Regards,

Dominic