Students in elementary school in England were not sure what to think when the prison is recently arrived.
“You will now become prisoners,” said former police officer Mick Amos BBC NEWS. “You will be scanned, photographed and fingerprints.”
Students from the St. James Academy in West Yorkshire were brought to cells built from local prisons, stainless steel toilets make an interactive experience as realistic as possible.
A prison project project is designed to teach children a severely affected lesson on the consequences crime.
A few minutes from the inside is enough for most – finding it opening and restless.
The sixth -grader of Ava called the cell “disgusting” and said that her finding in it made her feel claustrophobic and anxious.
“It was very sad to see all the cards and drawings on the walls and think about not seeing your friends and family,” she said.
Another teenager also had a strong reaction, saying, “It made me think that I don't want anything wrong to ruin my life – and I don't want to go there.”
Organizers say this is true. Prison replica helps open the door for hard conversations about subjects such as drugs, alcohol and violence.
“Like the sexting and obscene images, stab crimes – we will discuss this, and they will receive all the information you need to make a reasonable choice that will really help the future,” said Amos, which is behind the prison project.
In the UK, where prisons are not only for adults, early intervention is crucial.
“You can be arrested at the age of 10, so they deserve to know about their duties. It is not the tactic of fear, it is just information and awareness,” said Amos.
The mobile prison does not stop only in schools. He also visits youth clubs and sports organizations, reaching young people across the community.
Prison on wheels works on cash seized from criminals, turning bad money into a good lesson.