True life stories

I got involved in crime with my mates who were an older group. I saw them doing things and thought I would try it myself. I was 13 years old. Things escalated from there. I have been to prison once and that’s enough. My sentence was 16 months for robbery. Prison was a learning curve. Previously I wanted to go to prison to see what it was like but when I saw the big gates I thought 'I'm not going to get out of here’. I was scared - I had heard stories about what people do to you."

My Mum told me about The Prince’s Trust One to One project when I was halfway through my sentence. I went along to the meeting and really engaged with the mentors. My mentor helped me a lot – it was a different person to talk to. There are certain things you can’t talk to your family about. I am not happy about what I put my family through. Since my release I have been tempted to re-offend but haven’t gone through with it. My mentor has got me out of the house and given me advice and guidance. We have regular contact to keep me on track and I let him know when I need motivating.

At the moment I am keeping busy going to the gym once a week and studying. I have plans for the future – I’m looking at a career in painting and decorating. I also like Art, Drama and Music technology and my mentor is helping me find suitable courses. I hope to achieve my goals by staying out of trouble. The One-to-One project has been a good experience for me. The mentors help you to find yourself, build up your confidence and be a better person. They help you to put 110% into your life so that you get the best out of it.