HMP Northumberland farm shop to sell inmates' produce

The Oswin Project, a charity aiming to help ex-offenders, will also take over the management of the prisons gardens.

The shop, which is set to open on June 28, will sell a range of fruit, vegetables and baked goods from the prison’s bakery. The charity is keen to keep prices fair to avoid ‘undercutting’ other businesses.

Any profits made in the shop, which will be near the visitor car park, will be reinvested towards the gardens.

Fiona Sample, chief executive, is aiming to create a bridge between life in prison and society through her projects. She said: “It means that any product bought is guilt free because every crumb goes to transforming a life.

"We believe in second chances, we want to stop reoffending. It’s a sort of small wedge in the amazingly revolving door of reoffending."

Last year the Ministry of Justice released shocking statistics showing that more than four in 10 prisoners reoffended within a year of their release and that the average prisoner has been in prison 19 times.

The charity hopes to break this cycle by giving the 1,400 male inmates skills and qualifications through working at the cafe and the prison's horticultural section.

Ms Sample said: “It’s mind blowing. We have the biggest prison population in Europe and it’s going up and up and up.

"We bridge the gap of opportunity. Prisoners can go to work in the shop and the cafe or in the garden and learn so many life skills that will hopefully help them succeed later in life.

"It has been immensely well received by the prisoners – we all need purpose and structure in our lives.”

The Oswin Project has already opened a cafe and a bakery in the Acklington prison, which have gone from strength to strength.

Ms Sample added: “We all make mistakes, prisons store up problems – they’re a breeding ground for crime. The Oswin Project finds its self very lucky to be working with HMP Northumberland.

The prison is, definitely on the rehabilitation side, very open to what we’re doing.

"I work with a fantastic team and our success is due to their commitments.”