Cornwall Fire & Rescue Service Newsdesk

at 20/07/2004 11:30

Cornwall County Fire Brigade, Devon and Cornwall Constabulary, the Prison Service, Wadebridge School and the Youth Offending Team are holding a ‘Prison Me No Way’ day on 20th July 2004.

Prison Me! No Way! Is a youth crime reduction programme pioneered by officers at Hull Prison in 1993. It has since grown to become one of the most innovative and rapidly advancing crime prevention and educational aids.

The aim of the day is to show the effects of crime, demonstrate how the law is there to protect and to punish and dispel myths of imprisonment. Young people are encouraged to be more understanding of others who may be less fortunate than themselves, to be responsible for one’s own actions and dissuading young people away from crime.

“Year Seven pupils will be divided up into groups and set a variety of tasks throughout the day. The first is for them to discuss their hobbies and what they would / would not expect to be able to do in prison” explained Community Fire She cont: “The pupils will then undertake a variety of activities including: a talk by the prison service about the realities of prison life, fire control operators outlining the dangers of hoax calls, a courtroom drama scenario where the group will make a decision as to whether a fellow student is guilty of arson, details on fire investigations, a quiz by the youth offending team and a talk by the Phoenix Project and firefighters. We hope the day will demonstrate the reality of being imprisoned, and stop these young people committing crimes in the future”

Helen Truscott Smith who is head of PSHE at Wadebridge added: ”As part of the Citizenship programme of study the school believes in empowering young people to make informed choices; all pupils are encouraged to consider other people’s experiences and reflect on the process of participating in events such as ‘Prison Me No Way.’ Importantly for the pupils, the day will provide many opportunities for them to work collaboratively together and take time to consider how one person’s actions may adversely or positively influence others. The event aims to be both educational and fun, a perfect recipe for a successful day!”
afety Advisor Sarah Webber