Hundreds of pupils in the Craigavon area this week will be freed from the rigours of school work but will instead get a sample of prison life, as officers from the Northern Ireland Prison Service visit their schools to warn of the consequences of a life of crime.

The students will ‘escape’ lessons for a day to take part in the Crime Days programme, which is organised by the Prison!Me!No!Way! Northern Ireland team, which comprises volunteers from the Prison Service.

The three participating schools have been selected because of their excellent record on pastoral care and their desire to work with the statutory agencies to warn their pupils of the dangers of falling victim of a life of crime.

The Northern Ireland Co-ordinator of Prison!Me!No!Way! Colin McAllister said: “It is very easy for young people to get caught up in crime and our aim is to point out to them the realities of prison life. Prison is not a nice place to be and anything we can do to prevent young people getting involved in crime is not only beneficial to them, but beneficial to the community at large.

“Every year we choose schools from different parts of Northern Ireland to deliver our message. The schools that we have selected this week have been excellent role models in supporting their pupils both educationally and in their wider pastoral remit. I am looking forward to working with the staff and pupils from the schools over the next three days.”

The schools taking part in the Crime Days this week are;

Clounagh Junior High School, Portadown (Monday 12 May), St. Paul’s Junior High School, Lurgan (Tuesday 13 May) and Lismore Comprehensive School, Craigavon (Wednesday 14 May).

The Crime Days programme, which happen bi-annually, consists of a series of workshops exploring different aspects of offending behaviour. They will be conducted by officers from the Northern Ireland Prison Service, the England and Wales Service, the Northern Ireland Fire Service and the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

The ‘Street Scene’ workshop, which is run jointly by prison and police officers, will make use of a street scene constructed by young offenders from Hydebank Wood to explore the problem of anti-social behaviour. The children will be encouraged to take part in various role play exercises, simulating the interaction between homeowners, police officers and young people.

The Northern Ireland Fire Brigade will host a workshop on the havoc caused by hoax 999 calls, while staff from the ‘Love for Life’ charity will explore life and relationships with the pupils.

Mrs Carmel Donnelly, whose son was killed when the stolen car he was in crashed, will discuss the devastation caused to families by so-called ‘joy riding’. The PSNI will also host a workshop on internet safety.

Notes to Editors

• The Prison!Me!No!Way! initiative was launched in Northern Ireland in 1999.
• For further information please contact Brian McAvoy at 028-90525354 or 07884490658.

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