MUSICIAN Billy Bragg performed his own version of jailhouse rock in Dorchester.

The singer songwriter jammed with prisoners in the county town prison as part of a rehabilitation scheme.

Bragg is a founder member of Jail Guitar Doors, named after a 1978 song by The Clash, which is an initiative that provides guitars to inmates so they can use music as a means of achieving rehabilitation.

Jail Guitar Doors was set up in Dorset in 2007 when Mr Bragg, who lives in Burton Bradstock, was looking to do something to mark the fifth anniversary of the death of The Clash’s Joe Strummer.

The scheme started in HMP Guys Marsh prison in Shaftesbury and has now reached more than 40 prisons across the country including HMP The Verne on Portland and Portland YOI.

Inmates at HMP Dorchester have now jumped aboard the scheme and were able to meet Bragg in person yesterday afternoon in the prison’s Chapel.

He played Bob Marley’s Redemption Song on his acoustic guitar, a song called ‘April Fools Day’ which was written by inmates at HMP Liverpool (Walton) and one of his own songs ‘I Keep Faith’.

Former Dorchester inmate Billy Gage attended the jamming session with Mr Bragg as an example of someone who had benefited from the scheme.

The father-of-one, who also played a song he wrote himself ‘I Gave My Cape Away’, was released from prison last year but has since helped Mr Bragg to promote the scheme.

Bragg said: “These people are here as a punishment and I am totally in favour of people getting punished for crimes but I believe that while they are being punished and in our custody we have an opportunity to help them turn their lives around.

“This will allow them to leave prison with a method of processing the frustrations that they feel in a non-confrontational way.

“Playing in front of people boosts your confidence and a big part of offending is low self-esteem.

“Billy is an example for these lads because he has been there.”

Mr Gage, 34, said: “The thing that I love the most about it is that when I pick it up and I play it, it doesn’t matter where I am, I can close my eyes and I can be somewhere completely different.”

Eryl Doust, acting head of reducing offending at HMP Dorchester, is helping to co-ordinate the scheme.

She said: “It has had a huge benefit in the YOI on Portland.

“A lot of people come to us and they say all the right things but with Billy, he really means it and the prisoners can see that.”

Billy Bragg will begin working on his new album in March.