“Actions have consequences”.  This seemed to be the motto of the day, words that Lasswade’s S3 pupils will not likely forget anytime soon.  From the outset, the staff of the “Prison, Me?  No way!” workshop made it crystal clear that imprisonment, a reality for almost 900 young people across Scotland, is far from fun.  The workshop, which aims to highlight the consequences of crime to those most at risk of committing it, took place over a full school day.

Even during the introduction talk, general misdemeanours that may have gone unpunished on a normal school day ‑ for example, an untucked shirt or a failure to line up neatly ‑  were seized upon by the real‑life prison officers present.  They subjected offenders to a somewhat louder verbal reprimand than any teacher would ever dare to give, but the end certainly justified the means, as the pupils quickly smartened up!

The day’s activities kicked off with the pupils being exposed to a reconstruction of a car accident, which involved the input of the Police and the Fire and Rescue Service.  They were told about the dangers of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and about the dangers of travelling in an unsafe vehicle.  The scene was acted out by two S6 pupils and Mr Chisholm (Guidance), who managed to get himself arrested several times over the course of the day!  The Fire Service cut up the car and rescued the trapped passenger in the way that they would have had the activity been a real life situation – a process which took around half an hour.  This certainly allowed the pupils time to think about the consequences of such actions.

Afterwards, the pupils split into their prison wings, named alphabetically (which, eerily, mirrors Lasswade’s wings), and attended various workshops.  These included a talk from a police officer who works with the force’s dogs, which was later backed up by a display of the dogs’ abilities.  The sight of a seven‑and‑a‑half stone German Shepherd with 250lb of biting pressure chasing after a full grown man at 35mph served to destroy any fantasies of out‑running a police dog!  Other workshops included highlighting the consequences of anti‑social behaviour, which is undoubtedly a problem in the local area, through a role play.

 At the end of the “highlight of a prison day” – exercise (namely, walking around in a circle in a playground), the pupils twice failed to line up quietly without their hands in their pockets, which resulted in punishment.  Despite this hiccough, the pupils generally responded well to a seemingly enjoyable programme of activities, and several were presented with prizes at the end of the day for “good behaviour”.