First Scottish Prison Participates in Anne Frank Education Project

HMP Kilmarnock in Ayrshire, Scotland, hosted the Anne Frank exhibition in November 2009 and was the first prison in Scotland to participate in the Anne Frank Prison project. The prison's education department and the Workers Educational Association combined together to integrate the project into the prison's existing literacy programme. Their aim was to engage and stimulate offenders who hadn't before actively participated in educational activities.

“We were delighted that we were selected to host this very important event at the prison. The prisoners involved provided very professional and informative tours for all the visitors to the exhibition. In addition, the excellent work they undertook will go towards the achievement of an SVQ qualification.”

Scott McNairn, Director of HMP Kilmarnock

In the two weeks that the exhibition was at the prison, the volunteers guided more than one hundred prisoners, their families, prison staff and students from a local College around the exhibition.

In addition to being trained as guides, volunteers were encouraged to keep a reflective journal and research further into the Holocaust and Second World War.

As part of the project prisoners attend poetry workshops some which offenders perform at the closing ceremonmy.

Paula Cowan, Senior Lecturer in Education at the University of the West of Scotland, wrote up her thoughts on the project for the Scottish Review. You can read it here.