Prison Counsellor, The

Sarah Templeton didn’t even think about training to be a counsellor until she was 49 years old. By this time she had spent 25 years working in recruitment, enjoying running her own financially successful employment agency. But it wasn’t enough! She had also dabbled in volunteering and had hugely enjoyed helping the London homeless, those impacted by addiction and others who had come into contact with the law. But it wasn’t enough! With only six CSEs, four ‘O’ levels and one failed ‘A’ level behind her, she didn’t think she would ever be able to do anything professionally to help these people. How wrong could she be. Let Sarah take you on her incredible journey from a comfortable career running her own business in the Home Counties, to some of the most dark and dangerous places the criminal justice system had in store for her. Find out what drove her to undertake nearly six years training for a completely new career when most of her friends and colleagues were eyeing-up retirement. Follow her story as she moves closer towards working professionally in the prison system and just what she found there when she arrived. Sarah will take you deep into the prison world which she initially found almost impossible to navigate but soon became all too familiar with. She will introduce you to the many people she met, the hundreds of clients she worked with and share many stories that will make you angry and break your heart all at the same time. Sarah’s roller-coaster ride has as many gut-wrenching lows as breathtaking highs but she wouldn’t change it for the world. Little did she know that in less than a decade she would become one of the U.K.’s most high profile advocates for those behind bars. She is as surprised as you will be.