Bringing Lifesaving Skills to More Men in Custody Through Film

At the HJLH, we are committed to creating opportunities that empower people with practical skills, confidence, and knowledge that can make a real difference. One of the most exciting projects we have recently been involved in is a partnership with YourStance to develop a film that teaches lifesaving skills to men in custody.

We are delighted to share that the film has now been fully edited and has an official launch date.

This project has brought together a wide range of people who recognise the importance of equipping individuals with the knowledge and confidence to respond in an emergency. The film focuses on essential lifesaving skills, including CPR, the recovery position, and how to manage and cover wounds while awaiting further assistance.

While the primary audience is men in custody, the benefits of these skills extend far beyond the prison population. They have the potential to improve emergency responses across the entire prison environment, including among staff.

Throughout my time working within prisons, I have witnessed situations where officers have been faced with medical emergencies and lacked the confidence to act immediately. I remember one incident where someone had fainted and the officer responding was unsure how to place them in the recovery position. This is not a criticism of prison staff. Officers operate in a challenging environment where security is rightly a priority, and healthcare matters are often left to healthcare professionals.

Most officers receive first aid training during their initial training and may only revisit those skills occasionally. Although some prisons provide refresher sessions, the reality is that officers spend much of their time responding to the daily demands of prison life. As a result, many naturally rely on healthcare teams when a medical issue arises.

However, emergencies do not wait.

In a prison setting, when someone becomes seriously unwell in a cell, it is often a cellmate who first raises the alarm by pressing the emergency bell. The responding officer may already have attended several bells that day that were not emergencies. A request for toilet roll, while important to the individual making the request, requires a very different response from a life-threatening medical incident. When an officer reaches the cell door, they must quickly assess the situation, make a judgement, and communicate the appropriate emergency code over the radio.

Those moments are critical.

The time between recognising an emergency and receiving healthcare support can have a significant impact on the outcome. Confidence, knowledge, and the ability to act immediately can save lives.

This is why the partnership between the HJLH and YourStance is so important.

Alongside the film, YourStance continues to deliver face-to-face training sessions within prisons. These sessions typically reach around 20 men at a time and provide hands-on opportunities to learn and practise lifesaving skills. However, with the constant movement of people through the prison estate, classroom-based training alone cannot reach everyone.

The film allows us to expand that reach.

By making this learning available to a wider audience, more men in custody will have access to skills that could one day help them save a life. It provides an opportunity for individuals who may never attend a training session to still gain valuable knowledge and understanding.

This project is about much more than first aid. It is about empowerment, responsibility, confidence, and creating safer prison communities. It demonstrates what can be achieved when organisations come together with a shared vision of improving outcomes and giving people the tools they need to help others.

We are incredibly proud to have worked alongside YourStance on this project and look forward to seeing the positive impact the film will have across the prison estate.

Because lifesaving skills should be available to everyone, regardless of where they are.