Inverness prisoners working with Highland Homeless Trust Gateway and New Start Highland to help those in need
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PRISONERS in Inverness are working on two initiatives aimed at helping the homeless and those in need in the area.
Staff at HMP Inverness have been working with Highland Homeless Trust Gateway and New Start Highland to prepare nutritious meals as well as undertaking laundry work at the prison.
They are two of a number of initiatives which are currently running and aimed at rehabilitating the prisoners as well as benefitting the wider community.
Martin Goodenough, a regimes officer, said they began working
with Gateway which provided the ingredients, or funds towards the cost, and the meals were distributed to those in need within the local community.
An average of 15 prisoners were involved between both initiatives and they prepared between 150 and 200 meals every week for Gateway as well as cleaning around 10 duvets at a time for New Start Highland, when required.
Mr Goodenough said: “The benefits of both initiatives are extensive. From the inmates’ perspective it provides them with a sense of purpose whilst they are serving their sentence and, also, provides them with the platform to feel that they are giving back to the community.
“Moreover, many of the inmates involved with the initiative have been in similar situations to those requiring the output of the initiatives; thus, they are able to directly relate to the positive impacts that both initiatives can bestow.
“The initiatives allow the charities to further maximise their output without putting excess additional strain on their resources and workforce; therefore, they can provide services and output to an increased number of those who may require them.”
He said the two projects had been running for five years and were a success – he expected them to continue for the foreseeable future.
