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Take 10 in the criminal justice space

Take 10

Who is it for?

  • People living in prisons or who have lived experience of the criminal justice system.
  • Staff in prisons or probation settings to celebrate and model reading for pleasure in their settings.
  • Families of people in prison, to read together during visits or over the phone.

About the Take 10 to Read campaign

Take 10 to Read is our campaign to increase reading for pleasure by promoting the wellbeing benefits of reading. Criminal justice settings are often difficult environments for those who live and work there. Reading is a great way to relax, boost your mood and escape the pressures of daily life.

This year, in the week ahead of World Mental Health Day, 10 October, we’re encouraging everyone to take 10 minutes to read, to feel the wellbeing benefits of reading.

Plan a Take 10 to Read activity for people in prison or probation settings

Bring people together on the wing, in the library or in their workplace or classroom.

Take a break with a topic-focused book during an industries session, host a ‘listen in’ to an audiobook in the library or run a ‘behind the lyrics’ activity on the wing using popular songs. Using a diverse range of texts and media can help make reading feel accessible and expansive.

Plan a Take 10 to Read gathering in your workplace

Your team can take 10 together and show how reading can build connection and improve mental wellbeing. By reading at work and embedding it into your prison regime you can be a positive role model and support a whole-prison reading culture.

Get involved

Sign-up your setting to commit your support for Take 10 to Read and help to foster a culture of reading at work and within your setting.

Our Take 10 to Read partners receive:

  • A free pack of printed posters, ‘my favourite read’ postcards, bookmarks and flyers to help promote the campaign.
  • A free selection of books from our publishing partner Headline Books, including titles from award-winning crime writer Martina Cole.
  • Advice and tips on how to create your own Take 10 moment in your prison or probation setting for staff and people in prison e.g. through organising a ‘drop everything and read’ moment in your classroom, on the wing, or even in the gym.
  • Graphics and copy to share on your social media channels and for your colleagues in staff newsletters.

Please note

  • Due to funding restrictions, we cannot change the number of books or titles for each setting. If you would prefer not to receive books, you can select this on the sign-up form.
  • You must sign-up by 15 September to receive a printed pack, settings who sign-up after this date will receive a downloadable pack.