Prison restaurant 'The Clink' opens to the public inside category-B jail

[Pretty Flamingo]

I think this is a great idea. The percentage of reoffenders in the UK is high. They are released and often without self-confidence and accepting of support from the Probation and Social Services they are likely to reoffend.

What do you think? Do you have similar schemes in your country?

Read more here:
Serving thyme: Prison restaurant 'The Clink' opens to the public inside category-B jail | Mail Online

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The Clink (UK slang term for a prison) is the first commercial UK restaurant to open INSIDE a prison, a unique project developed, supported and launched by The McGrath Charitable Trust. The Clink is the dynamic idea of Chef Alberto Crisci, offering an innovative and practical opportunity to help British ex-prisoners build new lives through the gaining of a valuable set of catering qualifications, while working in a functional, fully operational and commercial restaurant environment. THE CLINK restaurant opened in Her Majesty's Prison High Down in May 2009. Here are a couple of interview clips with Chef Crisci.

the clink - chef alberto crisci - YouTube

the clink - chef alberto crisci - YouTube

More about the charity:
The Clink Restaurant



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[saltwn]

wonderful idea. I don't think we have anything this creative. A lot of our prisons have gone to private corps and they just house and collect the money. But maybe someone else knows more than me. We'll see.

[Oftencold]

Originally Posted by Pretty Flamingo

I think this is a great idea. The percentage of reoffenders in the UK is high. They are released and often without self-confidence and accepting of support from the Probation and Social Services they are likely to reoffend.

What do you think? Do you have similar schemes in your country?

Read more here:
Serving thyme: Prison restaurant 'The Clink' opens to the public inside category-B jail | Mail Online

_______________________________

The Clink (UK slang term for a prison) is the first commercial UK restaurant to open INSIDE a prison, a unique project developed, supported and launched by The McGrath Charitable Trust. The Clink is the dynamic idea of Chef Alberto Crisci, offering an innovative and practical opportunity to help British ex-prisoners build new lives through the gaining of a valuable set of catering qualifications, while working in a functional, fully operational and commercial restaurant environment. THE CLINK restaurant opened in Her Majesty's Prison High Down in May 2009. Here are a couple of interview clips with Chef Crisci.

the clink - chef alberto crisci - YouTube





More about the charity:
The Clink Restaurant



.

Sometimes we try things like this. My impression is that they usually fail.

My opinion, is that because we've made shame into a negative quality for everyone, and our education system stresses automatic self-esteem, and almost never self-respect, criminality has lost much of its stigma. And so it thrives.

If I had my way, every felony conviction would carry a life sentence. And the only way out of prison would be for the inmate to develop some marketable skills and proper behavior, then gain a parole. In other word's the convict would go to prison until they showed some good reasons why it would be better for Society to let them out again.

[Pretty Flamingo]

Originally Posted by Oftencold

Sometimes we try things like this. My impression is that they usually fail.

My opinion, is that because we've made shame into a negative quality for everyone, and our education system stresses automatic self-esteem, and almost never self-respect, criminality has lost much of its stigma. And so it thrives.

If I had my way, every felony conviction would carry a life sentence. And the only way out of prison would be for the inmate to develop some marketable skills and proper behavior, then gain a parole. In other word's the convict would go to prison until they showed some good reasons why it would be better or Society to let them out again.

I don't think you can generalise like that. Some may well have marketable skills. Not all are layabouts or gang members with basic or no education. It all depends on the person and the crime. This Clink scheme seems good and I think perhaps could be expanded to other fields. Perhaps hair and beauty therapy, craftwork, even care work. It depends on the person, the crime, etc.

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[Oftencold]

Originally Posted by Pretty Flamingo

I don't think you can generalise like that. Some may well have marketable skills. Not all are layabouts or gang members with basic or no education. It all depends on the person and the crime. This Clink scheme seems good and I think perhaps could be expanded to other fields. Perhaps hair and beauty therapy, craftwork, even care work. It depends on the person, the crime, etc.

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I have seen too many felons upon whom vast sums of money time and patience have been wasted in order to "reform them." Almost always the effort, in my experience and observation is futile. A few of the indiviaduals were even people I cared about personally.

Once someone has reached a point where they coolly choose to commit serious crimes as a matter of course in a civilized society, I think that very few-- with magnificent exceptions, will ever find their way into a normal societal role.

It seems to me that they either failed to develop, or have broken down certain internal barriers that are almost impossible to restore in adulthood.

But this I have found to be true even if what I said above weren't. There are limited resources to deal with any society's problems. When they are heaped upon people who chose to be criminals, they are not available for use to aid the more deserving. Choice, usually harsh, must be made.

[MrLiberty]

If people have a hard time accepting felons back into the community, that's a good thing. And if the guy who broke the law can't live in society without breaking the law then he deserves what he gets.

The taxpayers are already paying enough while he is in prison they don't need to spend more after he gets out.

People make choices in their lives some good some bad and if you end up in jail then you have to deal with the consequences when you get out. It is really quite simple.

[Oftencold]

Originally Posted by MrLiberty

If people have a hard time accepting felons back into the community, that's a good thing. And if the guy who broke the law can't live in society without breaking the law then he deserves what he gets.

. . . .

I don't know if it was always so hard though. It seems to me that I encountered a fair number of ex-convicts turned productive citizens when I was a boy. I think that there was sense that they'd been to prison, it was bad, and unless they were insane, they weren't going to risk going back.

My opinion, is that we do felons no favors by over-softening prison life until it becomes something that they will not strive mightily to avoid once they are released.

[MrLiberty]

Originally Posted by Oftencold

I don't know if it was always so hard though. It seems to me that I encountered a fair number of ex-convicts turned productive citizens when I was a boy. I think that there was sense that they'd been to prison, it was bad, and unless they were insane, they weren't going to risk going back.

My opinion, is that we do felons no favors by over-softening prison life until it becomes something that they will not strive mightily to avoid once they are released.

Exactly, prison isn't something that is feared anymore because of the insane liberalism in our court system.

Over the years we have had several ex-cons do crimes in order to get sent back to prison because it was better inside than out.

Put the fear factor back into the system and they won't want to go back.

[Pretty Flamingo]

The trouble is, for whatever reason, some people don't get the best start in life and are led astray. Or perhaps their luck runs out, they lose their home, job, family, etc. Or a person gets in with the wrong crowd. Or perhaps he/she finds a sense of belonging in a gang. There could be so many reasons a person can end up in prison.

Of course there are hardened criminals who should be locked up and the key thrown away, but the ones in the original post are category B, and deserve a chance at learning a skill. If not they are likely to repeat the cycle of reoffending. This scheme gives them a purpose to get up on time in the morning and face work with all the challenges it brings. It gives them a sense of self-esteem, learning customer service skills which are difficult to learn for a restaurant setting, etc. It gives them a chance to receive and accept praise for a job well done, etc. Perhaps it will be the first time in their lives they have received genuine praise for their efforts.

This scheme and similar will not suit or be ideal for every prisoner but yes, for a certain few, it will make the difference to their lives once outside.

Prisoners can be vulnerable to all sorts of influences on the inside and when released. I am all for this scheme. I hope it continues to do well and is rolled-in throughout our prison system. We have a tremendous problem with overcrowding in our prisons and can't cope with the influx of people being sent to prison time after time.


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