Press Release

“RIBI President goes to prison!”

12 November 2006

On a recent visit to District 1220 RIBI President Peter Offer was very surprised when he was whisked away immediately after a lunch time meeting to look at a literacy project undertaken by the Rotary Club of Sherwood Sunrisers. Peter was asked to remove his regalia and hand over his mobile phone which he reluctantly did!

However, Peter was not told until the last minute that he was going to spend the entire afternoon in Nottingham Prison with District 1220 Assistant Governor Val Leivers, a member of Sherwood Sunrisers!!

As Nottingham Prison is near to the clubs meeting place the Community Service Committee have undertaken to work with prisoners on basic literacy and numeracy, an ongoing RI preferred project. Peter had a conducted tour of the prison during which he was shown the comparison between the Victorian buildings and the improved buildings that are now in use. The highlight of the visit was time spent in the ultra modern educational facility where he met prisoners who were undertaking a variety of activities. Peter was surprised at the rapport between the prisoners and Val who volunteers to spend two afternoons a week working with prisoners who have English as a second language and those with little or no literacy skills.
Despite the obvious improvement in facilities Peter was shocked to learn that all prisoners spend eighteen hours a day in their cells, two to a cell, where they have all of their meals and share a toilet with no privacy whatsoever.

Sherwood Sunrisers hope that, with their help, some prisoners will learn sufficient skills to enable them to work and not reoffend.