Prisoners could soon be helping to bridge the skills gap in repair work on a canal.
Discussions are under way for inmates from Shrewsbury prison to lend a hand on the Montgomery Canal.
The aim is for inmates to learn new skills as they help upgrade sections of the 35-mile waterway.
British Waterways regeneration manager Andrew Stumpf said it was hoped the scheme would come into effect early in the new year.
The initiative would be aimed at helping inmates achieve recognised qualifications, he said.
Mr Stumpf said: "A lot of prisoners have skills already. If they are not skilled they can train on the job. There's a wide range of tasks that can be undertaken.
"He said the prisoners would be paid in line with the money they would earn for work inside the jail".
Prisoners are paid peanuts for work inside prisons. In my view, any work undertaken by prisoners should be paid at the National Minimum Wage. What British Waterways is attempting to do here is re-introduce slave labour!
1 comment:
Heck of a lot of jobs on the out for skilled canal menders, I hear. Or was it something else I heard?
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