COMEDIAN Russell Brand spoke of his time at Bullingdon Prison – as he threw his weight behind a reformed burglar’s trailblazing scheme to house ex-offenders.
The 47-year-old, who lives near Henley, was speaking at charity Hope and Vision Communities’ event over the May Bank Holiday weekend. Joining him on stage were the organisation’s founder, Oxford-born Tony Attwood, and the retired Oxford Crown Court judge Peter Ross who had jailed him.
Mr Brand, who has long spoken about his own struggles with alcohol and drug addiction in his youth, described his association with the charity as ‘amazing’.
READ MORE: Read more about reformed addict Tony Attwood's story
“I’ve got to do things like go over to [HMP] Bullingdon with Tony and see how everyone like loved him there and remembered him,” he said.
The comedian joked: “I won’t say everything that happened. Some of it is, I think the phrase is sub-judicial. I don’t know the proper word for it but it could get us all into a lot of trouble.
“But what’s rewarding for me is that when people do actually change – it’s hard to change, isn’t it, anything, lose weight, give up fags, whatever it is it’s difficult - so when people change it’s encouraging and rewarding.
“And Tony, who so immediately understood the spiritual nature of the programme as I understand it; that it is about finding within yourself a deep power that can only really be accessed when you surrender selfishness, I thought ‘this is something that’s going to change me and help me to grow’. And in this assessment at least I have been accurate.”
The charity was born out of Tony’s own experience going in and out of the criminal justice system, having developed a crippling class A drug habit when he was jailed as a young man for dealing cannabis.
It was only after being admitted to Yeldall Manor, a Christian-based residential rehabilitation facility near Reading, as part of a community order imposed for a burglary that his life changed.
During a visit to the manor, Tony told the judge who sent him there – Peter Ross – about his vision for an organisation that could house ex-offenders moving out of rehab.
Now in its third year, the charity has seven properties accommodating 15 men. There are plans in place to increase its number of properties and has ambitions in the future to support women and single mums.
Tony's success inspired a programme at Oxford Crown Court, with entrenched offenders whose crimes are linked to addiction can be offered lengthy spells in rehab as an alternative to prison. The scheme is run by the court, HMP Bullingdon, addiction service Turning Point and backed by public health authorities.
Mr Ross, now retired from the judicial bench, said the charity’s aim was helping ‘those in recovery and, actually, keeping society safe’.
“It’s as simple as that. It gives self-worth. If someone has somewhere to call a home, it brings a sense of worth. If we help them into training, employment, education it brings a sense of worth,” he told an audience at Kerith Community Church in Bracknell on Saturday.
In a powerful closing speech, Tony paid tribute to his mother who lost her life to cancer in the week before the event.
“She was meant to be here today as someone who despite my failings and my experiences growing up was there all the time,” he said.
“She was at every court appearance, every sentencing. We lost her this week to cancer and I didn’t think I’d have the words for today.”
READ MORE: How a judge is working with the man he jailed to help change lives
Joined on stage by his brother, Tony referenced his rehabilitation and the work of the charity: “This stuff has given me my life back. It’s given mum me back.”
Outlining the charity’s plans to develop a social enterprise for its service users, offering a property maintenance service, Mr Ross said: “If our residents can develop the idea of running their own business in the property maintenance field just imagine what that’ll do.”
To belly laughs from the crowd, which contained men currently being supported by the charity as well as probation officers, prison officers, addiction workers and others, Mr Brand added: “And if it goes wrong, they’ve got the tools to do more robberies.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here