The campaign was launched to highlight the adverse effects of releasing prisoners on Fridays and the higher likelihood this will lead to reoffending than releases on other weekdays. This is due to the difficulty of being able to put in place all the basics needed within one day, followed by a weekend when there are no services available: housing, food, toiletries, medication and a probation appointment.
The campaign stemmed from a policy initiative and research among peer organisations as well as our own services’ outcomes.
I had been planning to step up our content to increase engagement. Our surveys among the general public showed that the issue was thought of negatively until the effects on an individual and society were explained. An impactful piece of storytelling was needed to lobby for change and video was the preferred medium. Our talented in-house videographer produced a video using the excellent feature film quality Osmo Pocket system.
This instantly increased engagement with the campaign and was recommended at the influential Justice Select Committee as a must-watch the day after launch.
Using excerpts, we were able to create a social media campaign around #endFridayreleases primarily on our Instagram and Twitter accounts, as well as embedded content on a dedicated new section of our website.
Nacro’s policy team raised the issue with Rory Stewart MP, the then Justice Minister. It remains under review although the Ministry of Justice is continuing a dialogue with Nacro.
