Bob Turney spent 18 years of his early life drifting in and out of prison. He was an alcoholic and a drug addict. His profound dyslexia hindered Bob's schooling. He has the reading age of a ten year old, with his spelling age even less. Bob has been quoted as saying "My spelling is so bad that when I put my spell check on, my computer will first ask me what language I'm using!"

That's how it was. Here's how it is:

Bob has an honours degree in forensic social work from the University of Reading. He is an active member in his local church. Bob works as a speaker, an author, a broadcaster, and having been a Probation Officer is now a consultant to the Probation Service.

Why? Because no one told him he couldn't change and live to his potential!

Testimonials

Bob Turney is a true champion of human rights in the penal system. Baroness Kennedy QC "Bob Turney's life experience provides a touchstone to which many offenders can relate. From that experience he is able to motivate groups and demonstrate the potential for change, identifying realistic opportunities to build crime-free lifestyles." Peter M. Sturge MBE, Head of Regimes, HMP High Down. Bob Turney has been visiting our school for the last four years to give a presentation to Year 9. This is always warmly received and the pupils find his personal experiences very helpful in their understanding of what it must be like to spend time in prison and to be dependent on drugs. It is an excellent starting point for further discussion within school time. I would certainly recommend Bob as a visiting speaker as his experiences are so varied that he leaves a lasting impression on both staff and pupils. Pam Russell, Head of 6th Form, Bedford Modern School. I know Bob Turney, and I know his work. I have witness him hold an audience spellbound Dr Deborah Cheney Kent Law School, University of Canterbury 'Bob Turney is a remarkable man who triumphed over the label 'stupid boy', alcohol and drug abuse, 20 years in and out of prison - and maintained a sense of humour! Bob speaks with a painful honesty about his appalling childhood, his criminal activities, and how he found a way to overcome a multitude of difficulties to take a degree and become a Probation Officer, writer and teacher. Bob is a great friend of Prisoners' Education Trust, a charity that aims to enrich and extend educational opportunities in prison. He has spoken for us on many occasions and was our speaker on a Radio 4 Weeks Good Cause appeal in 1999. Bob has a powerful message - never give up on any one however hopeless their situation may appear to be. He makes audiences laugh and cry in the same sentence. A Judge who heard him commented that it was one of the most moving talks he had heard in 30 years.' Ann Creighton Prisoners' Education Trust Bob Turney is hugely inspiring both in what he says and how he delivers it. I have never before had the kind positive response to a speaker which I got following Bob's talk to our staff conference, and that was from staff who are working with homeless people on a daily basis. We could have listened for hours. Bob's story of how he built his life in the face of massive obstacles and difficulties is astonishing, humbling, and moving, but it is all done with a light touch and a profound sense of good humour and fun. If you need to reignite your campaigning fire, get back in touch with your commitment to an issue, remotivate and enthuse, in a thoroughly enjoyable way, then Bob's your speaker! Gary Lashko, Chief Executive of Providence Row Housing Association, March 2003 Bob Turney is an inspirational speaker and also an extremely funny raconteur. His talks delight after-dinner audiences as much as they do conference delegates. Drawing on his own remarkable experiences as an ex-armed robber turned university graduate probation officer, he delivers his moving message with a light touch that never fails to amuse and inspire his listeners. Angela Devlin, writer, journalist and prison campaigner. Bob Turney is a social chameleon; he can flex his style to suit his audience. He is an amazing speaker, interesting, arresting, and with an ironic sense of humour. Roger Singer Bob Turney is an accomplished after dinner speaker who is equally at ease in the House of Lords or at a small voluntary sector event. He combines humour and seriousness in a very engaging way and draws on his own life experience to emphasise the needs of other people for understanding and support. Margaret Carey, Director of the Inside Out Trust, says: "Bob has spoken at lots of our events and never fails to stimulate, entertain and inform. People always say that they wish he had gone on longer and that they could listen to him for hours!" Margaret Carey, Director, Inside Out Trust Bob Turney has been a popular and successful speaker at many New Bridge events from talking to volunteers at our Annual Training Seminar, to addressing over 1,000 sixth formers at our annual Youth Conference on Crime and Punishment. His message and story is always put across with warmth, humanity and most importantly humour. Having been on both sides of the criminal justice divide both as an offender and as a probation officer, he is uniquely placed to tell an audience who the offender is and what is likely to happen to them. Pauline Austin, London Regional Manager, New Bridge Bob Turney is an ex-prisoner - who ended up on drugs and drinking strong liquor (and sleeping) on a bench in the street. One day, while sober, he found he could work a computer. He wrote a book using the spell check - and brought it to our offices. Bob failed miserably at school (he's dyslexic). His story told how he slid into crime. After 20 years in and out of prison he was 'institutionalised' - so much so that he would not even move his chair unless someone said it was okay to do it! His book showed that people can spring back - including through education. After sobering up, Bob got a degree at Reading University and then became a probation officer! He now travels the UK as a freelance consultant, telling people about his life - and has spoken in numerous prisons, at the Oxford Union, Eton College and the House of Lords. He's even toured parts of Germany and the USA doing the same thing. They're going to make a film about it. If you want real inspiration, listen to Bob. Bryan Gibson, Partner, Waterside Press Bob Turney is a probation officer and author, but as a splendid after dinner speaker his knowledge of how and why the local criminal performs comes over in a convincing, funny and sometimes cynically witty way. Well worth listening to! Brian Warren - President of the Rotary Club of Reading What can I say about Bob Turney's presentation to the sixth form at Pangbourne? Engrossing, informative, uncomfortable, soul-searching, honest, uncompromising and salutary. A must for any general studies or speaker programme, Bob talk about his life, crimes and rehabilitation, will leave your students discussing his visit long after he has gone. Highly recommended. Paul Clark Head of General Studies, Pangbourne College I had the opportunity to attend an after dinner talk by Mr. Bob Turney at the House of Lords in the summer of 2001. Not knowing quite what to expect of that environment or Bob, I was quite anxious about the course of the evening and it's content. My first observation was Bob's reception; he was greeted and well recieved by all. People made reference to his previous talks and how much they were looking forward to hearing him again. The presentation itself held my full attention from start to finish. It had elements of life experience, struggle, relationships and most importantly how he survived and became the person he is today. Bob's humour added to the enjoyment of the evening and like the other guests, I too, am now talking of Bob Turney's presentations. Tracey Thornhill, Senior Social Worker