The Bereavement Journey® prison pilots. Early indicators of long-term benefits for prisoners and prisons
Author: Deborah Auty
Date: 11th March, 2026
Overview: AtaLoss shares impact from a 2025 pilot of The Bereavement Journey® in prisons, with indications of long term benefits for prisoners and prisons.
AtaLoss has published findings from a 2025 pilot delivering The Bereavement Journey® in prisons, indicating that the programme can offer prisoners a safe and constructive way to process loss, potentially supporting relational stability, custodial progression and factors associated with desistance from crime.
The pilots were delivered across seven prisons in England and Scotland, in partnership with Prison Fellowship in England and chaplaincy teams in Scottish establishments.
Following the encouraging early results, a further ten prisons will trial the programme this summer, with hopes to expand The Bereavement Journey® across prison estates in England, Wales and Scotland from Autumn 2026.
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.
What is The Bereavement Journey®?
The Bereavement Journey® is a 7 Session programme of films and discussion groups developed by AtaLoss where the final, 7th session offers an optional opportunity to explore spiritual questions that can arise when someone has died. Delivered by Chaplains and Christians for their communities, the programme has spread rapidly since packaged publication to over 575 locations, due to its popularity and effectiveness in supporting people through grief.
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.”
Next Steps for The Bereavement Journey® in Prisons
The findings provide encouraging early evidence for the role of The Bereavement Journey® in prisons. The material has been found to easily adapt to the prison context and it is intended that whilst trials continue, a bespoke prison Leaders’ Pack will be developed.
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.”
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
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AtaLoss is a UK wide charity helping bereaved people find support and wellbeing by raising awareness about the impact of bereavement; directing to help through the signposting website ataloss.org; and training and equipping community support, including through The Bereavement Journey® programme.
Yvonne Tulloch, CEO and Founder at AtaLoss or Roger Greene, Deputy CEO and former NHS Trust CEO are available by prior arrangement.
Media interviews can be arranged via WhatsApp message to Adam May on 07736 949 869 or press@ataloss.org
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