Prisoners make benches for Herm's refurbished Mermaid Tavern
February 17, 2023
Prisoners at Les Nicolles are playing a crucial role in refurbishing Herm’s Mermaid Tavern. CLIP was approached towards the tail end of 2024 and asked to produce benches for the tavern. The first batch of the thirty benches is ready for delivery as the Mermaid prepares for its grand reopening.
Dave Le Feuvre, Head of Education Training and Regimes at the prison, highlights the structured approach taken: “We try and get a bit of a production line in terms of cutting the wood and putting them together. ”The proceeds from such projects are reinvested into the charity, funding various educational courses for prisoners."
About 99% of inmates at Les Nicolles engage in work due to the prison’s status as a working prison. Only those beyond retirement age or on remand are exempt, though most still choose to work. Mr Le Feuvre explains the rehabilitation process: “Everybody has a job. They work their way up, generally when they come in, they get allocated a job as a wing cleaner or cleaning the corridors, and then coming to work here is a trusted position.”
Projects like these are a testament to the positive impact of rehabilitation programs, empowering prisoners to contribute meaningfully to the community while preparing for a successful reintegration into society.
Picture by Sophie Rabey, 34024836
To read the full article, visit one of the below links:
Prisoners making benches for Herm’s Mermaid Tavern | Guernsey Press
Guernsey prisoners help build 30 picnic benches for Herm - BBC News