Students get lessons in prison life

Students get lessons in prison life

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Pupils from Siddall Moor Sports College got a taste of life behind bars as part of an innovative scheme to teach them about the consequences of crime and anti-social behaviour.

The Year 9 pupils heard first hand from two women who are currently serving sentences at Styal prison in Cheshire about how they ended up in jail and what the personal consequences have been for them.

The powerful talk was part of a crime day organised by the Prison Me No Way charity which runs similar sessions across the country.

As part of the day, the students also swapped the classroom for a replica prison cell and tried on the standard prison uniform of second hand clothes which have been worn by other prisoners.

The consequences of anti-social behaviour were brought home when the young people turned actors to role play different people affected by it on a portable street scene. From the mother whose baby wakes up because of noise outside to the shop keeper who has to close down because he is intimidated by young people trying to buy alcohol, the group learned about the wide ranging impact that anti–social behaviour has on the community.

The teenagers also had lessons on knife crime and the importance of staying vigilant online while the fire service dropped in to teach them about the dangers of hoax calls and arson.

Councillor Sultan Ali, Cabinet Member for Strengthening Communities at Rochdale Borough Council said: “The vast majority of young people in Rochdale behave very well and are a credit to the borough and the fact that anti-social behaviour has been reducing throughout the year is testament to this.

“But a small minority of young people may be tempted to make bad decisions and this is why workshops like these are so important. By giving them the facts we are putting them in the best position to make the right decisions and fulfil their potential.”

The crime days, which are sponsored by Rochdale Boroughwide Housing, have been taking place at schools across the borough, with students from St Cuthbert’s Roman Catholic Business and Enterprise College, Middleton Technology College and Kingsway Park School among those who have already hosted the volunteers from Prison Me No Way.

The sessions are part of Safe4Summer, a Greater Manchester-Wide Campaign which sees the police, fire service, council and other agencies come together as the community safety partnership to reduce anti-social behaviour during the summer months.

Throughout the summer, a huge range of activities will be available for young people through the Youth Service and Link4Life, while the police will be stepping up their anti-social behaviour patrols in key places like parks. Trading standards officers will also be out in force with young volunteers to ensure that shops are not selling alcohol to youngsters.

For more information on the Safe4Summer campaign, visit www.safe4summer.com.