To everyone who contributes to the forums and is looking to move on with their life - it's a new year and a wonderful opportunity to consign any negativity to the 2017 bin!

Whatever your situation, struggles and concerns, remember that somewhere there will be family, friends or colleagues who want to support you, even if they don't always articulate it. Likewise, for those who feel they are on their own or stigmatised because of their offence, there is a network of other people willing to listen, share your concerns and offer help and support (members of this Forum and the staff at Unlock for example).

I spent 2017 worrying over many things, especially the impact of Brexit on future travel (the type of work I do when I am able to find it takes me to many  European countries), changes to DBS checks and so on.

My motto for 2018 therefore is "Don't worry about the things you can't control, keep focused on the things you can..."

Here's to 2018 being a much better year than 2017 for everyone and fingers crossed we finally see some progress with long overdue reforms of the criminal justice system and approaches to rehabilitation. Keep dancin' as Brucie would have said.

I couldn't agree more. Let's hope we start getting some movement on filtering and rehabilitation. This Secretary of State for Justice can't be any worse than the previous two.... Of course, there are the other things, but as Yankee said, stay positive.

=========================================================================================================

If you are to punish a man retributively you must injure him. If you are to reform him you must improve him. And men are not improved by injuries. (George Bernard Shaw)