But help was at hand. Darren was fortunate to benefit from a pilot project funded by the Welsh Assembly Government, where young offenders from Bridgend and Denbighshire placed in custody in England were given access to Welsh youth workers.
Despite the Youth Justice Board guidance stating that young offenders should not be housed more than 50 miles from home, Darren ended up in Ashfield YOI, near Bristol, 60 miles from Bridgend. There he was visited twice weekly by Sam Jones, a youth worker from Bridgend, who became a constant reassuring presence. Jones was a local voice, able to update him with all the neighbourhood gossip.
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