In a few days time the 28-year-old will start life outside prison having graduated as a holistic beauty therapist, thanks to Peterborough Prison, where she was serving time for robbery.

Tammy’s earliest memories involve her alcoholic dad battering her mum. At the age of six, she was physically, sexually and emotionally abused by her father who was subsequently convicted of child abuse and jailed for three years.

Troubled relationships with men saw her drift further and further into trouble and convictions followed – for benefit fraud, then assault.

It wasn’t long before Tammy’s spiralling booze addiction led to further brushes with the law. “I got several arrests for drunk and disorderly,” she said.

Shortly afterwards she befriended Tom, unaware he was hooked on heroin.

Tammy (not her real name) says: “I didn’t know what it was. I’d never seen drugs before. Cigarettes and alcohol was all I’d ever done.”

Before long, Tammy, who stole his heroin and copied what she’d seen him do, was also addicted.

In 2003 she was jailed for robbery after admitting stealing a handbag from an elderly victim.

She had to serve additional time because she was out on licence when the crime was committed.

Three years ago, Tammy was transferred to Peterborough Prison which, she says, changed her life.

Supervisor of the prison’s Bridge Holistic Therapy Centre Amy Leverton encouraged her to train as a holistic beauty therapist.

The Bridge is the brainchild of prison director Mike Conway, who introduced the scheme to boost prisoners’ confidence and reduce self-harm.

Tammy says: “I got an A plus in my first ever exam.”

With a diploma from the College Guild of Graduates under her arm she was qualified to practise reflexology, massage, aromatherapy and reiki.

Tammy is due for release this week and has a job lined up at a salon in Peterborough.