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Drive Safely presentation at Jurby Prison 13 February 2009  A VEHICLE that had been involved in a fatal accident was recently shown to inmates at Jurby Prison as part of a hard-hitting rehabilitation programme.
The Drive Safely initiative was jointly organised by prison officers and community fire safety personnel to highlight the potentially tragic consequences of irresponsible motoring. The main objective was to provide a positive way of addressing prisoners’ offending behaviour – particularly those with driving convictions. The initial feedback from both inmates and staff has been very encouraging and it is hoped to repeat the exercise in the near future. A number of young offenders, aged 17 to 21, attended the inaugural Drive Safely presentation, with the first session taking place in a classroom setting on C Wing. Some members of the group had been involved in accidents or had previous convictions for dangerous driving, taking vehicles without consent, speeding or drink-driving. Carl Kinvig and Danny Dooley from the Isle of Man Fire and Rescue Service explained that dealing with road traffic collisions was a major part of a modern-day officer’s duties. They shared some of their personal experiences and emphasised the devastating impact that RTCs can have on people’s lives and the wider community. Their words were supported by TV road safety footage and graphic images of real-life incidents compiled by UK fire services. Station Officer Carl Kinvig said: ‘In our professional capacity we are more likely to see lads of this age while attending the scene of a traffic collision than a house fire. Some of the images in this presentation are shocking, but the intention is to provoke a reaction and make the prisoners think about the causes of RTCs, their own actions and the feelings of other people.’ Home Affairs Minister Adrian Earnshaw MHK added: ‘There can be many contributory factors to an RTC such as excessive speed, alcohol or drug use, reckless behaviour or even just a momentary distraction or lapse in concentration. By highlighting the consequences we hope that these young people will exercise more care and better judgment on their release from prison.’ The Drive Safely initiative has been adapted from the drink-driving rehabilitation programme and presentations delivered to older school children and community groups. Prison Officers Paul Wade and Barry Phillips have been instrumental in introducing it at Jurby as part of the wider rehabilitation work undertaken with inmates. In addition to the young offenders, selected adult male prisoners attended similar presentations later in the day. Officer Phillips said: ‘This initiative has been identified as an effective means of addressing offending behaviour and we have worked closely with members of the Fire Service and Probation Service to put everything in place. Vehicles can be dangerous weapons when driven irresponsibly so we are seeking to increase prisoners’ knowledge and to help them understand the importance of staying within the boundaries of the law.’ After the classroom session, the prisoners moved outside on to the exercise yard where they saw a vehicle that had been involved in a fatal accident. The parents of the driver who died have given permission for the car to be used by the emergency services to raise awareness about motoring issues. Officer Wade said: ‘There is a shock factor to this presentation, but if it makes a difference to just one person it will have proved its worth. It seems to have really hit home and the feedback has been extremely positive – better than expected in many ways. Some of the young offenders have been talking about these incidents from the perspective of the victims’ families which represents a real breakthrough.’ More stories >>>
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