On Friday 8th July, Year 9 pupils at Woodham Academy will play host to a team of volunteers from “Prison! Me! No-Way!” as part of a Crime and Safety Awareness Day, funded by Great Aycliffe and Middridge Partnership (GAMP).
Originally set up by prison officers, “Prison! Me! No-Way!” is a national charity which aims to raise awareness of the causes and consequences of becoming involved in antisocial or criminal behaviour.
The Crime and Safety Awareness Day will be delivered by qualified and experienced professionals through a number of hard-hitting, factual and engaging presentations, workshops, dramas and role playing activities, which will encourage the pupils to make positive decisions and to stay safe.
Whilst at Woodham Academy pupils will attend a number of workshops, these will include: Prison Life – delivered by long-serving prison officers, this session will cover the realities of prison life and the general impact of the loss of freedom of choice. Pupils will be given the chance to visit a life size replica and fully furnished prison cell to get a real feel for an inmates’ living conditions.
Street Scene – through a role playing activity on ‘Confrontation Street’ pupils will look specifically at the impact of antisocial behaviour.
Choices and Consequences – pupils will meet with 3 serving inmates from HMP Askham Grange near York, to talk about the reality of life inside a prison. Pupils will hear a first-hand account of being locked in a prison cell, the lack of freedom and the impact a prison sentence can have on family and friends. During the day the pupils will be taken from their normal daily school routine and are treated like offenders to ensure maximum realism.
A Crime and Safety Awareness Day has recently been delivered at Greenfield School, thanks to GAMP funding and along with Woodham Academy the project will engage with a total of 353 pupils across both schools.
John Palmer, Ambassador for Prison Me! No Way! said: ‘The core aim of Crime and Safety Awareness Days is to enhance the understanding among young people about the causes, consequences and penalties of crime.
The workshops assist in redressing the exaggerated, and often incorrect, images of prison life portrayed through television and the media, and any myths or misconceptions young people may have.
These days encourage participants to respect the value of their freedom whilst experiencing the restrictive regimes of a real day in the life of an offender.’