UK Prison Offers Inmates Job Skills in Printing

KENT, U.K. — Standford Hill Prison, on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, is training inmates to use digital printing technology in an effort to reduce recidivism.

Earlier this year the first fully-digital print center with color capabilities in Her Majesty’s Prison Service opened at Standford Hill, a category D prison, which offers a wide range of vocational training for about 460 inmates as part of an initiative to give offenders useful skills that will enable them to seek employment once they’re released.

According to a recent report from the Learning and Skills Development Agency, prisoners who received training and education had a significantly lower recidivism rate one year after release — around 20 percent versus the national average of 44 percent.

Print work for the prison service brings $3.5 million in revenue each year, according to Wayne Cook, print manager for HM Prison Services. But he believes there are more print jobs available that Standford Hill’s new digital print center, with its short lead times and color capabilities, could fulfill.

The center officially opened late January, after a few months of planning and installation. It features two Xerox commercial machines — the Nuvera 100 Digital Copier/Printer and the DocuColor 5252 Digital Color Press, a specialized booklet maker from Morgana — and a handful of PCs. Prisoners design print materials, including brochures, pamphlets, and business cards, with Adobe Creative Suite software.

Most of the Standford Hill print center’s work will be for the prison service, but it’s possible other government departments or outside businesses will contract work, as well.

The Standford Hill digital print center employs two staff and nine prisoners. As production gets up to speed, prison staff hope to incorporate five additional inmates who will be in training at all times.