From serving time to Service Manager
Caught in the cycle of reoffending and serving time, Dominic spent over a decade of his life in prison. But, in 2010 he made the decision to try something different – he asked for help.
This would mark the start of a journey that would eventually see him back at HMP Altcourse, but this time on the other side of the bars, leading the Emerging Futures and CGL’s prison leavers pilot to support offenders leaving the criminal justice system.
A valued member of the team, in April Dominic was promoted to Recovery Housing Service Manager in Merseyside.
Recently featured in ‘Beyond the Gate’, a magazine distributed to those in and leaving custody, in his own words, this is his story.
Anything is possible
After the best part of 14 years behind bars, and with 20 years in sentences, I was ready to leave HMP Altcourse. This was not my first release, but I would have passed a lie detector test that this would be my last. I remember thinking “This is it. No more jail. No more heroin or cocaine. I am never coming back”.
I had been through two rehabs in prison over the years and I’d been told many times that abstinence from all drugs, including alcohol, would be the best place for me to start. That made sense, as I had always been greedy with everything I touched, but as I started to count down my final few days inside, I found myself wondering “What harm could a last couple of pints with the lads be?”.
Then it arrived; release day. I planned to have just one pint at Lime Street. None of the hard stuff. Sadly, by the end of the day, I was in a crack house wondering how I had ended up there. I had been so convinced I’d never do it again.
I’d played out this scenario in my head with all my prison releases, and yet somehow I always went back to using and committing crime to fund it. It was like I could set a stopwatch, and time how long I was going to last before finally getting arrested and returning to prison. Most of the time I didn’t last longer than a month or two. By the time I found myself in the sweat box heading back to prison, I was in such a mess that I was just relieved to still be alive and out of the madness that life in addiction had become for me.
My last release from prison was at the end of 2007. By then, I knew I was done with life inside. When I was released I coped by drinking alcohol and using prescription medication, but avoiding anything that would send me back to prison. What I hadn’t realised was that I was still in the prison of addiction.
By 2010 my life had become unbearable. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. Desperate for change, I reached out for help and with the support of my twin brother and our mother, my recovery journey began.
June 20th 2010 is the most important date in my life. It’s my clean date. Since then, I’ve built an amazing life. In the past, I’ve been called a lot of different things, many of them are not nice. But now, I hold the titles I’m proud of. Dad. Grandad. Son. Brother. Partner. Friend. The day before my clean date I could never have imagined I would have all these special people in my life. Bridges had been burnt, and I believed too much water had passed. My recovery journey has enabled me to rebuild my relationships with family and friends.
At the start of my recovery journey, I was fortunate enough to have spent some time in rehab. I know that isn’t an option that is available to everyone, but whilst there I soon learnt that there are mutual aid meetings all over the country (and the world!). In every major town and city, groups of other recovering addicts meet to support each other. By attending these groups I discovered the many different kinds of support and activities people in addiction can access.
On leaving rehab, in my early stages of recovery, I followed my twin brother by enrolling at a college to study a counselling course. Over 3 years I completed my counselling level 2,3 and 4 qualifications and started volunteering as a Recovery Coach for Change Grow Live (CGL). I graduated from college in 2012 and returned to the rehab that I had been through, but this time to work as a qualified counsellor – talk about going full circle!
Then, 7 years ago, I interviewed for a job at a non-profit called Emerging Futures. My twin brother was already working for them, and he explained that they were passionate about supporting ex-offenders and people affected by addiction. They were training people leaving the criminal justice system as coaches and developing pathways into employment for them. He told me that, at Emerging Futures, having lived experience of addiction or offending was seen as something to turn around and be used to inspire others. I loved this vision, and I wanted in. Fast forward to 2024, and I have been blessed to work for Emerging Futures in several different roles across the North West since that initial interview. I was also able to complete my Level 6 BSc (Hons) in Counselling alongside my brother, all whilst in employment.
In November 2021, I was appointed the project lead for a new joint partnership between Emerging Futures and CGL. The Prison Leavers Pilot at HMP Altcourse was formed to support people through their release from prison. By September 2022, I had completed my vetting and was able to draw keys and complete assessments and pre-release check-ins with the men who would enter the Emerging Futures recovery housing service on their release day. The 15 months that the project ran remains one of the most humbling experiences I have ever had. I was able to be a visible example to the men I was working with that change is real.
The Prison Leavers Pilot finished in March 2023, and since then Emerging Futures has launched new recovery housing projects in Cheshire so that we can continue to offer a safe and supportive home for men leaving the criminal justice system in the North West. This year, in April 2024, I started a new role with Emerging Futures as the Cheshire and Merseyside Recovery Housing Service Manager.
When I read this back, it sounds like someone else’s story. Because I know I am no different than any person on this inside who is reading this. But I also know that, on my own, I could never have got this far. Things started to change when I reached out and asked for help. Trust me, if I can do it, anyone can. Whether you are getting out tomorrow, or you have many years left to serve, you can start your recovery journey now.
Reach out and dare to dream, because anything is possible.
Read the Beyond the Gate – June issue here
