Rehabilitation Starts On The Inside…
Can Cook start work training prisoners to understand how to run their own food business
– a concept unique to the UK.
01 Dec 11
“If we want to reduce re-offending, people who go into prison have to come out changed.” Professor Alison Liebling is director of the Prison Research Centre’s Institute of Criminology at Cambridge 2011.
In December 2011, Can Cook start work training prisoners to understand how to run their own food business – a concept unique to the UK.
Set in Liverpool Prison, Can Cook and their team of Chefs take over the staff mess and working with a team of 7 prisoners, will transform the current food offer inside the prison into the first street food café to be set within prison walls.
The street food approach will drive the training and the enterprise model that will sustain the café going forward. Pizzas, curries, pies, fresh stock based soups, stews and a full range of desserts from around the world and all homemade will feature. It will be a street food feast.
Why it matters? Over 80% of prisoners on release leave unemployed and they are 13 x less likely to gain employment compared to those who have no prison record – the situation is dire. Rehabilitation requires routes out that prisoners can see will add benefit to their circumstances the moment they walk through the prison gates and back into life outside. Street Food has clear market opportunities. Ex-offenders with good training could make great, well paid street food vendors on release. Can Cook has a radical plan and phase 1 starts next month with the first 7 prisoners in Liverpool Prison. Further phases are to be announced.
For more information please call 0151 650 6444, email [email protected] or have a look at www.cancook.co.uk.
