“I am a person. I am worthy of coming out of prison and living a normal life like everyone else. Why shouldn’t I? I want to pay taxes. I want to pay my bills. I want a roof over my head. To be able to do that, you have to have the skills to go into an interview and be confident in front of employers. Today I’m living my best life … I am. And I’m glad that I can mentor other people, help support them and give them the opportunities that I was given.”
Chanel has experience of the care and the criminal justice systems. She has courageously acted to regain control of her life after a custodial sentence served at HMP Downview. She has experienced first-hand, the power that paid work can have to transform the lives of people who come from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Chanel’s role at RADICAL is an important one, as an expert in all things young people, criminal justice, and care; she helps to ensure the services we offer young people are relevant, effective and accessible. She is available for public speaking engagements and her voice is featured on our various social media pages. She looks forward to continuing to dispel negative stereotypes and myths about young people, especially those concerning young people from ethnic minority backgrounds who have had contact with the criminal justice and care systems.
