Inmates at La Moye Prison in Jersey, UK, are using their carpentry skills to help local wildlife. They built 20 feeding and nesting boxes for the Jersey Hedgehog Preservation Group. These boxes are made from reclaimed pallet timber.
This project is part of a program at the prison. The program aims to reduce reoffending and help prisoners use their time well.
Learning New Skills
The prison offers many educational courses, including carpentry. Inmates can also take vocational classes, attend gym sessions, and participate in group therapy.
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Start Your News DetoxWithin two weeks of arriving, all prisoners meet with the education department. They discuss their background, take literacy and math tests, and find suitable courses.
Peter Gould, the prison's vocational manager, told the BBC that this project teaches valuable skills. These skills could lead to qualifications and jobs in construction.
Gould added that these classes give inmates a "sense of purpose, achievement, and connection to the community." This is very important for them.
Those involved learn about health and safety, and how to use machinery. They have also worked on other community projects. These include refurbishing bikes, restoring memorial benches, growing plants for charity, and creating other wildlife habitats.
Protecting Hedgehogs
Dru Burdon from the Jersey Hedgehog Preservation Group said the boxes are saving hedgehogs' lives. She also noted that it helps with carpentry training.
Hedgehogs are native to the UK. They are often at risk from road traffic and garden dangers like lawnmowers or poisonous products. The preservation group offers tips for hedgehog-safe gardening.
Giving hedgehogs grass cuttings or dry leaves for a winter nest is helpful. But wooden "hedgehog boxes" offer even better protection. These boxes have no floors, so hedgehogs can burrow naturally while staying safe from above. People can also add newspaper lining and provide hedgehog-safe food and water.
The project started when Burdon met a prison officer at the vet. He had found a hedgehog needing care. Burdon then gave the prison templates for nesting and feeding boxes.
The charity sells these boxes to locals who want to protect wildlife in their gardens. All 20 boxes made by the prisoners sold out quickly. Burdon said the public's response has been "terrific."
