Prison Outreach

As part of our wider vision Proclaim Trust is committed to reaching out to prisoners. Our Prison Outreach Project consists of four components: sending copies of Once an Addict into prisons for prisoners, writing to prisoners, holding events in HMPs and YOIs and providing video content for chaplains to use. 

In 2007, we launched an initiative to send a copy of Barry’s autobiography, Once an Addict, to every prisoner in the UK, free of charge. We have to date, raised funds and sent out 54,000 copies to prisoners, which leaves 37,400 to send.

During this time, we have received hundreds of letters from inmates who have been impacted by Barry’s story. Barry has responded to each letter.

Barry also gets to meet some of these prisoners face-to-face when he speaks in prisons. Each year, the Trust organises approximately 40 events throughout the UK in prisons and YOIs. These are in partnership with the prison chaplaincies and sometimes with other organisations who work with chaplaincies.

In 2020, we started providing pre-recorded video talks that get streamed into the cells in prisons throughout the UK. 

Prison Letters

Over the years, we have received many letters from inmates throughout the UK. Please read some extracts taken from those letters below.