Sparrowpit WI July Meeting

Tickets, £5, are now on sale, anyone wanting to order some please contact Angela 07442161046 or Joan 07721184397.

Our speaker for the evening was Eddy Tarry, who works as a prison officer at Styal Women's Prison.

After leaving the Navy Eddy joined the Prison Service in 1980 and has seen many changes in the way prisons operate.

Styal Prison was built in 1890 originally as an orphanage and continued to be one up until the early 1950s. It then housed Hungarian refugees and opened as a women's prison in 1962. It is a medium size prison with both open and secure accommodation.

Eddy gave us many interesting facts, eg. it costs £20.8 millon to run the prison per annum, three meals per prisoner per day cost £2.63, 46% of the women have experienced domestic violence and 53% experienced sexual or physical violence as children.

The focus is on rehabilitating the prisoners via a 'Recycling Lives' scheme which aims to turn womens' lives around and help them not to re-offend. There is a restaurant on site, 'The Clink' run by the prisoners which is open to the Public.

The talk gave a very interesting insight into the reasons why women offend, how the prison works and how women are helped to change their lives.

Our next meeting is at 7pm on Tuesday 15 August at Dove Holes Community Centre when Maggs Pointon will give a flower arranging demonstration.

Visitors and prospective new members are always welcome, for further details about our WI call Liz on 01298 812522.