Its taken me almost a year to read your reply to my earlier request for literature re working with young people in prison. I have to say that I think there is a lot of hope and a lot can be done to help these young people if a different framework is applied rather than a pathologising model (conduct disorder etc.). In looking at a sample of 67 young people whom I saw during the year, more than 90% were survivors of family violence, more than 50% had a family member who had been locked up or was currently locked up, and 50% had a parent who was currently or historically using heroin. This contextual view of a young person's growing up, the socio-economic conditions and the family traditions which they take on makes more sense to me than a DSM style categorisation. The young people in our centre work well with us and the unit staff, and are interested in making changes in their lives. (We have only a small number, up to about 30 at any one time). They voluntarily participate in group work, in individual sessions and sessions with family members, and are especially proud as they discover talents and abilities which they have not known they possessed. We do work with the Alan Jenkins responsibility model, along with a Winnicottian framework which considers developmental and systemic issues in the young peron's life. I agree with you that there are often learning difficulties for these young people, especially if they have not been to school since age 8 or 9. Not every young person has a success story of course, but they are often hungry and thirsty for knowledge and relationships, and when provided with these resources they can start to perceive a different and more hopeful future. In Australia, one major problem for these young people is the lack of support once they have been released from custody. Accommodation and post release support can be a nightmare, especially for marginalised young women. However, I don't think young people in custody are by any means a lost cause, not from our experience or theirs. I had to write this note of hope which I believe is a real hope. msheehan@hotmail.com