We were delighted to welcome representatives from the organisation, Project ReMake, into school yesterday (March 28th).
Project ReMake is a fantastic entrepreneurship training programme for formerly incarcerated people. The 12-week scheme teaches basic business skills, helping ex-prisoners to build, launch and sustain self-employed businesses.
Sean Quinn, our Head of Psychology, arranged for two graduates from the programme to come into school to conclude our ‘Psychology Bistro Lent Lecture’ series for students in Years 12 and 13.
One graduate had served 30 years in an American prison for racketeering, before being deported back to the UK by the then president, Donald Trump. Having served his sentence, he was put on a plane with two US Marshalls (first-class due to the flight being overbooked!) and simply shown the door at Heathrow to make his own way in life.
The second graduate had suffered an electrocution as a child, affecting his cognitive ability and subsequent education which, coupled with peer pressure, led him to commit his first crime at the tender age of eight, followed by his first incarceration at 15. He ultimately served seven years in UK prisons for multiple theft convictions.
Both graduates now have bright futures ahead of them thanks to the support of Project ReMake.
Mr Quinn said: “The session was highly interactive, with the students freely quizzing our guests on a whole range of issues, from the determinants of their crimes, to conditions in prisons, to issues of parenting on release.
“The students were really challenged on their existing beliefs on criminals, the role of incarceration, and ultimately their beliefs on humanity. The information was hugely valuable in understanding key content of the A Level course on a broad range of issues, such as the nature vs nurture debate, determinism vs free will, the causes of prison violence, in particular the lawless nature of prisons and the need for respect to survive, and the impact of early experiences on later life. One overriding theme was that survival and ultimately redemption were found in books and education. The session created a real buzz and I am sure it will have a long lasting impact on the students.”
Project ReMake was founded by Judge Kameel Khan. For more information, visit: www.project-remake.org.uk