COMMENDEE 2025-26: Teresa’s Commendation recognises her impact as an Art Teacher on HMP Frankland’s Personality Disorder treatment unit, helping – through her sensitive and empathetic approach – to inspire and empower the men, break down barriers, and assist them in their therapeutic journey.

This nomination was drawn up by Amanda Luke – Progression Strategic Lead, HMP Frankland; and signed off by Peter Jobling – Deputy Governor, HMP Frankland.

Introduction

Teresa O’Brien has been a dedicated art teacher at HMP Frankland since 1995 and has played a vital role within the Westgate Offender Personality Disorder Treatment Service since 2004. With unwavering commitment to prison education, Teresa works with individuals who present complex behavioural and mental health challenges, requiring a flexible, compassionate, and dynamic approach to teaching.

Reasons for the nomination

Teresa’s work extends far beyond the classroom. Teresa engages with the majority of the Westgate population either in structured sessions or through one-on-one support, particularly with vulnerable or disengaged prisoners. She creates an enabling environment that fosters self-expression through art, using an emerging creativity to dissolve barriers between individuals, to build social resilience, improve communication, and discover a renewed sense of identity and hope. A prisoner was asked the question – what does art mean to them, their reply was “Art is about expressing emotions that are stronger than words, being part of something that is greater than a single individual, a sense of being connected and belonging.”

Her encouragement has inspired many to take part in external exhibitions and produce art for public spaces. Teresa’s efforts have led to the development of healthier peer relationships, a stronger work ethic, and increased motivation and among prisoners. She supports those coming from segregation, ensuring even the most isolated individuals have access to creative opportunities, supporting their integration back into a regular classroom environment.

Demonstrating extraordinary personal investment, Teresa completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Therapeutic Arts, equipping her with further tools to support therapeutic progress through creative practice. She brings this knowledge into collaborative projects that break down barriers and promote wellbeing, such as the Westgate 10 mural project—an inclusive art initiative celebrating the service’s tenth anniversary. This project allowed staff and prisoners to work side-by-side, fostering mutual respect, new connections, and a sense of shared achievement. Feedback from a student – “It’s brought everyone together. It’s made me less avoidant – when other people are struggling, I have helped them, it’s made me more confident to do it again”.

She continues to lead similarly impactful initiatives, including a new large-scale collaborative piece marking Westgate’s 21st birthday the concept of how treatment can be transformative when engagement through trust occurs, using colour and a monochromatic scale as a metaphor for change.

Through regular events like Winter and Summer art festivals and “Wellbeing Wednesday” workshops, Teresa creates positive spaces for reflection, feedback, and stress relief—contributing immensely to the overall therapeutic culture of the unit.

Teresa is not only a talented and dedicated educator but a true culture carrier within the Westgate service. Her hard work, resilience, and unwavering support have left a lasting impact for the past 21 years, enriching the lives of those she teaches and works alongside.

Support for the nomination

Feedback from prisoners:

• Teresa has given me the confidence to try new styles in the art class, before I came here, I had mainly done landscape in oils, but since listening to her advice I feel more than able to produce high standards of work in mixed media and especially doing portraits.
• I’ve known Teresa for 8 long years, I wasn’t ready to learn when I first came to Westgate, but for the last few years I have really learned a lot from her. I’m now a good artist who is patient with his work. Thankyou Teresa for everything you have shown me over the years.
• Teresa got me into drawing and painting then I progressed through her help and gained an A* in GCSE in Fine Art, this was my first ever qualification. I went on to do A level and gained an A. Whenever I began to lose focus Teresa would always say the right thing to get me refocused.
• Teresa is passionate in her endeavour to help those in her art class; her delivery and style is soothing and encouraging and insightful. She is honest in her feedback and sets achievable targets. Over the last 3 years I have developed not just in my art but in my internal thinking and behaviour and I can say that a part of that improvement is down to the hard work of Teresa.

Quotes from staff:

• Teresa consistently goes beyond the scope of what is asked from her in her role- she is passionate about engaging with Prisoners in a therapeutic way, and through her work with them , she has been able to effectively maintain prisoners engagement within Westgate during times of difficulty and, through art, has been able to explore issues that formal, more regular talking therapies has been unable to do.
• Teresa has very clear boundaries and resilience that are shared with prisoners, teaching and encouraging more respectful and prosocial ways of being alongside others.
  Teresa works with both staff and prisoners on Westgate, supporting staff wellbeing, expression of emotional and past experiences of prisoners, building self esteem through art, which can then be openly explored alongside therapists. Teresa brings both staff and prisoners together, welcoming staff to work alongside prisoners in her classroom and facilitating large projects that staff and prisoners’ can both engage with, both to improve the living/working environment of Westgate and to mark special anniversaries / celebrations on the unit.
• Teresa has worked consistently with prisoners with personality disorders for over 20 years without losing integrity, hope, passion, and love for the work that she does.
• Teresa only has to walk into a room for her smile and presence to be felt, with a beaming smile and a wonderful positive attitude, its no wonder 21 years later Westgate Art is still such a success!

Sign off

Teresa has been at Frankland for 30 years, the last 21 years working on the Westgate Unit. As described within the nomination, Teresa has been working alongside men {offenders} with complex behavioural and mental health problems, which in itself presents certain challenges. However, through art, as well as her teaching style, she has broken down barriers to enable these men to express themselves. Which in turn enables the multidisciplinary team to explore deeper the intrenched problems these men have had for most of their lives. A valued colleague who embraces the therapeutic approach on the unit.

Peter Jobling, Deputy Governor, HMP Frankland