VOLUNTEERS spent a night locked in the cells at Portland YOI to raise awareness and money for charity.

The eight participants spent time looking around the prison, were booked in through the reception process and were locked into cells from the night as part of a charity challenge to raise money for Footprints. The group hope to raise £10,000.

The charity helps to mentor men and women who are leaving prison in the Dorset, Somerset and Hampshire area to help reduce the risk of reoffending.

The Lock In event coincided with national Prisoners Week and Inter-Faith Week, so the group of representatives from different faith groups decided that going into prison and meeting the young men there would be a good way to highlight both events.

The idea is to bring people of different ages and faiths together to find out more about their neighbours’ faiths and beliefs.

Their experiences will be shared at a Question Time-style event, chaired by ex-BBC news correspondent Kate Adie at the YOI on January 7.

Groups including Quakers, Catholics, Anglicans, Muslims and Buddhists were represented.

The volunteers, including representatives from Footprints, spent time talking to the young men and ate dinner with them before the lock in and lights out at 7.30pm.

The volunteers stayed on the prison wings and were locked in, either in a cell on their own or with another volunteer of the same gender.

Before the event the volunteers said they were a little apprehensive and not sure about what to expect, but looking forward to the experience.

Mark Hudson, a Zen Christian, he said: “I found talking to the prisoners eye-opening.”

Buddhist Sue Sedgley said: “I think what I felt was that the staff are very compassionate and they really want to help the prisoners.

“We were very impressed by them.”

Paul Wilson is the Catholic chaplain at HMP Winchester. He said it had been good to get people of all different faiths together.

Manager of Footprints for Dorset, Jo Wells, also took part in the lock in.

She said: “For me it’s really brought home the support you get in prison.”

She said the prison was well-structured and people were made to feel responsible for their day but, when they came out, prisoners lost that immediate support.

She added that it highlighted the need for support when people leave prison.

Quaker Tony Hamilton said the thing he would take away is that prison should be more about rehabilitation and said staff at the YOI did an ‘amazing job’, but could do an even more amazing job if they had the funding.

Muslim Majid Yasin thanked all the staff for helping them to do the charity event.

To donate to the Lock In, visit mydonate.bt.com/events/portlandlockin/185475 or go to My Donate and search for Footprints.