COMMENDEE 2025-26: Jo receives a Commendation for her work as Learning and Skills Manager at HMP Haverigg, collaborating across departments, and with external partners, to transform training, and open up new job opportunities, for men who often struggle to find employment because of their offences.

This nomination was drawn up by Karen Stewart – Head of Business Assurance, HMP Haverigg; and signed off by Adam Connolley – Governor, HMP Haverigg.

Introduction

This nomination is for Jo’s determination and drive ensuring that our prisoners have the best opportunity for learning and gaining skills that will lead to employment on release.

Reasons for the nomination

Jo’s work in bringing the Forests With Impact (FWI) programme to HMP Haverigg, and her ongoing leadership within the wider partnership, has had a genuinely transformative impact – not only on the lives of the prisoners the programme supports, but on the success of the programme overall.

Alongside her day job, Jo has also taken on a key role as the FWI Prison Lead for HMP Haverigg. She has supported the development of the programme, overseen the partnership working with the FWI Prison Growing Team, and worked closely with us to ensure the day-to-day operations of the nursery remain focused on delivering meaningful outcomes for prisoners, partners, and the wider community. She has played a vital role in shaping how the programme is delivered and continues to drive improvements by working in collaboration with others.

Jo has never treated this as just another programme. She has treated it as a movement – something bigger – something that could change lives. Her vision, warmth, and unshakeable commitment have helped build a space that gives prisoners practical skills, but also belief in themselves. She has enabled dozens of individuals to achieve City & Guilds Level 1 and 2 in Horticulture, ensuring emotional and practical support is part of the wider programme experience.

Jo’s collaborative working with Forests with Impact will allow our prison to make a tangible difference to the environment and to help reduce reoffending rates by equipping prisoners with employability skills, offering a pathway to employment upon release. By supporting prisoners’ rehabilitation and reintegration, this project aims to prevent future victims of crime and create safer communities.

This partnership working, enables our prison will play a pivotal role in addressing environmental challenges and meeting sustainability goals. Jo has introduced both training ROTL and paid ROTL opportunities for prisoners and has promoted HMP Haverigg with numerous partners involved in the project across the country.

Jo’s work on FWI culminated with our Governor being invited to the House of Lords to be presented with a nationally recognised award. Jo is a FWI Regional Partner, dedicating time each month to attend collaborative meetings, brainstorming sessions, and decision-making. Her insight into the prison community, and local community, gives guidance in aligning initiatives with the unique environmental needs of our region. Jo has introduced two large external Poly tunnels and one large internal Poly tunnel, fully funded by this project, helping increase purposeful activity spaces.

Jo’s creative work in allocation of funding for learning and skills places at Haverigg was identified as ‘most impressive’ by Charlie Taylor HMIP Chief Inspector, in our recent (April 2025) Inspection her collaboration with the education provider was mentioned in his review; in creating a curriculum that was aimed at giving prisoners the skills that would help them get work on release. This was critically important because of the limited employment opportunities for men convicted of sexual offences. As a result, the prison had some of the highest numbers of men in employment six months after leaving the jail.

Support for the nomination

“Jo co-founded FWI with me in January 2020, when FWI was an ambitious idea. She saw the potential from the outset; not just for environmental change or employment outcomes, but as a real opportunity to unlock hope, pride, and purpose for people in prison.
Jo helped shape the concept, created space within the prison for us to test the idea, and navigated early barriers with determination and purpose. She championed the programme at every level, supported the initial business case, and brought people together to help us engage positively with probation and prison leadership. Without Jo, the very first commercial tree nursery at HMP Haverigg may never have taken root.
Jo leads with care, integrity, and purpose. Her contribution helping make HMP Haverigg a national model for innovation in rehabilitation; her leadership continues to shape the expansion of the programme to new sites.
She truly embodies everything the Butler Trust was created to celebrate, and we are incredibly proud to work alongside her.”
Sarah MacGregor Sunbelt Rentals, Forests With Impact Programme Lead

Prisoner quotes:

• ‘What an amazing venture. What an amazing lady Jo Marsden is. Thank you for giving me hope.’
• ‘Being around the natural world is a boost to my mental health, working with Forests with Impact gives me a drive to make a better world for my daughter. Thank you, you have made my life better.’
• ‘The work being done here at Haverigg by FWI is proving to be exceptionally good for my future prospects and my current mental health. It is really impressive to me, the amount of work that has been done by prisoners and staff here, particularly Jo Marsden, to get this set up and running in the way it is.’
• ‘I would like to say a huge thank you to Jo Marsen for giving me the opportunity of working with FWI. It has re-sparked my passion for nature, and I have found a second chance to repair what damage I have done in my past, even if it is not known by others it is enough for me to know I’m making a difference.’
• ‘Hearing about the (employment) opportunities that are possible in the future has given me hope that I can progress to a positive job and be a good citizen.’
• ‘I never thought I’d have this type of opportunity outside of prison once released, let alone whilst serving a sentence. FWI and what it is designed to achieve should be something everyone respects and are thankful for, in my personal opinion this type of out of the box thinking is what is going to be the start of a change for the better for prisons across the country, the general public and the environment.’
• ‘I’d like to say a massive thank you to Jo Marsden and everyone else involved in making FWI become a reality from the first thoughts of this project all those years ago up to this point. I am very proud to be a part of this project.’

Sign off

Joanne is an outstanding Learning & Skills Manager who collaborates across departments and external providers to get the very best outcomes for prisoners and protects the public in doing so. The very recent HMIP report that includes an Ofsted inspection highlighted her amazing work and the grades of 3 Goods and 1 Outstanding reflects and evidences her commitment to achieving the very best delivery models. Her work with a CIC “Forests with Impact” is also a fabulous initiative that Jo has “grown” and it will see funding streams being created for additional learning for prisoners and people in the community.

Adam Connolley, Governor, HMP Haverigg