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THE ICELAND FOODS OPENED IN THE CATEGORY C JAIL NEAR WOLVERHAMPTON - THE LARGEST PRISON IN THE COUNTRY - LAST MONTH. GOVERNOR SEAN OLIVER SAID THE MOVE WILL ALSO HELP PRISONERS LEARN HOW TO
BUDGET 21:21, 22 Apr 2025 Lags can now do their weekly shop behind bars after a branch of Iceland was opened in prison. HMP Oakwood’s new “marketplace” includes a version of the supermarket
chain as well as a sweet shop. It’s part of an initiative to encourage inmates to train for work and adjust to life after they are released. The Iceland Foods opened in the Category C jail
near Wolverhampton - the largest prison in the country - last month. Governor Sean Oliver said the move will also help prisoners learn how to budget. He explained: “Some of our longtermers
don’t understand money. We take it for granted but you lose it after years inside. “Here we try to create normality so they can feel and see what normality is like.” Article continues below
Iceland is the first in-prison supermarket in the UK and is housed in a large warehouse deigned to recreate a shopping centre or high street. Other outlets in the “marketplace” are a fruit
and veg stall, an electrical store and a coffee shop - with prison-trained baristas. There is also an athletics shop dubbed “JP Sports” selling training kit and products like protein powder.
Jailbirds get Monopoly-style money to spend of up to £25 a week earned for good behaviour and taking part in workshops. Those near the end of their sentences can have their details passed
to Paul Cowley, Iceland’s director of rehabilitation and leader of its Second Chance scheme. As a teenager, he served a short sentence for petty crime; served in the army then became a
priest. He vets each applicant and conducts a 40-minute interview before deciding whether they are suitable for a job at Iceland on release, as a retail assistant or home delivery driver.
About 350 ex-offenders are employed by Iceland Foods, and 300 awaiting release have job offers. Iceland’s employment lead manager Ellen Herickx said: “When they get that second chance, they
grasp it with both hands. “They’re less likely to reoffend, less likely to mess up because they’ve got structure, routine, stability, so straight away they’re on the right path. “And they’re
grateful because they didn’t expect another chance.” Article continues below _FOR THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS AND STORIES FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE FROM THE DAILY STAR, SIGN UP FOR OUR
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