Grief Support in Prisons: The Bereavement Journey® Pilots – a Response to Call for Faith-Based Action in Criminal Justice Reform
11th March 2026
AtaLoss has published findings from trialling The Bereavement Journey® in prisons, indicating that offering the programme can provide a safe and constructive way for prisoners to process loss. The publication follows the launch yesterday of the report Picking up the Pieces, which highlights the growing role of churches, charities and volunteers in supporting people affected by the criminal justice system and calls for stronger collaboration between government and faith-based organisations.
The pilots were delivered across seven prisons in England and Scotland, in partnership with Prison Fellowship volunteers in England and chaplaincy teams in Scottish establishments. The programme was facilitated by trained volunteers working alongside prison chaplains, whose pastoral leadership and experience were central to the delivery of the pilot.
Jo Henderson, from Prison Fellowship, highlighted the need for greater provision of bereavement support in prisons yesterday during the At the Living Christ’s Mercy, Justice and Hope event in Westminster, organised by Bishop Rachel Treweek where the report Picking up the Pieces was launched. The Bereavement Journey® offers a practical example of how churches, volunteers and prison chaplaincy teams can work together to address this need.
Whilst no causal claim can be made regarding re-offending, the pilot findings indicate that The Bereavement Journey® provides a new structured way for prisoners to process grief, supporting relational stability, custodial progression and factors associated with desistance from crime.
Why Bereavement Support Matters in Prisons
Bereavement is a significant, yet often hidden challenge in prisons. Those who enter custody are disproportionately likely to have experienced high levels of parental loss and traumatic and multiple bereavements, with disrupted family networks and limited opportunity to grieve. Many are then bereaved while serving their sentence, where there are further barriers to healthy grieving from privacy being limited and separation from family and support networks. Without opportunities to work through grief constructively, loss can remain unresolved and contribute to emotional distress, instability and destructive behaviour.
As one Programme Leader observed:
“Prisoners have limited access to their natural circles of support that they may have outside of the prison. Inside prison, it is more difficult to find help or people to trust, even for talking and sharing.”
Chaplains are available to support prisoners on a one-to-one basis, but specialist bereavement counselling is not always readily available while demand for support continues to grow. The Bereavement Journey® addresses this gap by offering a group support programme in which prisoners can explore their bereavement alongside others, and begin to understand how it has, and is, impacting their lives.
Yvonne Tulloch, CEO of AtaLoss, said:
“Grief is a hidden factor in many prisoners’ stories. We have long wanted to see The Bereavement Journey® in prisons and before we could address how that could be, Prison Fellowship and prison Chaplains approached us saying it is just what they needed. Desistance research highlights mechanisms that support movement away from offending, including emotional regulation, identity reconstruction, narrative reflection, future orientation and relationship repair. The Bereavement Journey® offers all of this and more. With the right funding we could expand its provision to prisons across the UK.”
Pilot Participation Across Seven Prisons
Seven prisons across England and Scotland participated in the pilot.
59 participants registered to attend
43 participants (73%) completed all 6 main Sessions, with all choosing to attend the optional Session 7
Transfers and early release were the primary reasons for non-completion. Where participants were unable to complete the programme, facilitators sought to ensure that appropriate alternative support was available.
The pilot reached individuals bereaved before, as well as during prison, with varied losses including parents, siblings, children, and significant friends.
Encouraging Outcomes
Participant feedback and facilitator observations indicate meaningful impact.
Participants described profound personal shifts:
“After 50+ years I have processed the first close loss I ever had and have held onto that sadness for all those years.”
“Without the help of The Bereavement Journey® I would never have faced my grief at all.”
94% reported coping with grief significantly or moderately better.
Programme leaders highlighted the value of providing time, structure and a safe group environment in which participants could reflect on their grief and share their experiences. Facilitators observed increased willingness among participants to discuss difficult emotions and engage constructively with others. They noted that the programme worked best alongside other support provision, with effective communication between chaplaincy, prison staff and other services helping to support participants and sustain their engagement. Group delivery also enabled chaplaincy teams to meet growing demand, while one-to-one support remained important for prisoners with greater vulnerability or complex needs.
A Programme Supporting Stability and Progression
The pilot findings align with wider rehabilitative goals within the prison system including greater relational stability among participants.
At HMP Foston Hall, extended delivery of the programme over an 18-month period additionally showed:
Increased engagement with the prison regime
Progression to enhanced prisoner status
Participants taking on roles of responsibility, including peer mentoring roles
Several individuals released without returning to custody over a 2-year period.
A recurring pattern emerged in the life histories of participating women:
Criminal offending had often followed significant bereavement
Alcohol and drug misuse were frequently used to mask unresolved grief
Unhealthy or abusive relationships compounded vulnerability
Financial instability and caregiving pressures limited space to grieve
Subsequent losses reinforced cycles of addiction and offending behaviour.
While the research does not claim direct causation, these patterns suggest that addressing grief can play an important role in stabilising behaviour and supporting rehabilitation.
Voices from the Pilot
Revd Douglas Creighton, Facilitating Chaplain at HMP Edinburgh, and former Facilitating Chaplain at HMP Perth said:
“Grief is a powerful and often unspoken reality for many people in custody. The Bereavement Journey® offers prisoners the rare opportunity to talk honestly about loss in a safe environment. We have seen how that space for reflection helps people develop healthier ways of coping and relating to others. In some cases, I have observed reduced volatility among men who have completed the programme.”
Stephen Hawkins, Operations Manager at Prison Fellowship, said:
“Our volunteers see every day the complex personal histories that many people in prison carry with them. The Bereavement Journey® offers a constructive way for people to address unresolved grief and begin to move forward. It is encouraging to see how well this model can work within the prison environment.”
Partnership and Next Steps
Following the success of the pilots, AtaLoss and Prison Fellowship have agreed to formalise their partnership to support the ongoing roll-out of The Bereavement Journey® across the prison estate in England and Wales.
In Scotland, AtaLoss Prison Ambassador Douglas Creighton is supporting the development and roll-out of the programme across Scottish establishments, working alongside chaplaincy teams who have been instrumental in delivering the pilot.
AtaLoss also hopes to introduce the programme in Northern Ireland in the future, building on the experience gained through the pilots.
Read the full report: The Bereavement Journey ® in Prisons
To explore opportunities, offer funding or learn more about delivering The Bereavement Journey® in prisons, please get in touch: office@ataloss.org.uk