Prison officers locked teenagers in a real prison cell to show the real consequences of crime.
Prison! Me? No Way! is a highly successful crime prevention workshop which visited Gable Hall School, Corringham, and Hassenbrook School, Stanford-le- Hope, following funding from the Thurrock Community Safety Partnership.
Volunteer prison officers were joined by Essex Police, Essex Fire and Rescue Service, Thurrock Women’s Aid and local magistrates at the event. The message from all representatives was the same: committing a crime will affect your life, family, job prospects and ultimately your future.
Essex Police District Commander for Thurrock, Chief Inspector Paul Moor, visited Gable Hall School during the event. He said: “There is often bravado among young people around crime but these hard hitting workshops really show the consequences of something which might just seem a laugh at the time. When the door of that prison cell closed the reality of crime became very clear and quite horrifying for some.”
Gable Hall Director of Applied Learning, Sally Feeney said: “Prison! Me? No Way! really makes our pupils focus on the choices they have and the consequences of their actions. It is an invaluable insight into the lives of those people that make the wrong choices. All pupils should have the opportunity to experience this valuable resource.”
