They leave their cell blocks and talk to real people in the real world every working day.
Young prisoner "SB" hands over chips for morning tea. Photo: RNZ David Steemson
A group of inmates at Auckland Prison is making coffee and baking muffins for hundreds of construction workers at the site of new maximum security prison facilities at Paremoremo. It’s all part of a plan to prepare the prisoners for life on the outside
When I arrive at the "Paremoremo Canteen" , they're queuing out the door, even though it's not quite 10 o'clock – morning tea time.
James the trainer Photo: RNZ David Steemson
Inside, behind the counter, there are four inmates working hard, frying eggs and steak and chopping tomatoes for the burgers, cooking the chips, tending to the muffins as they come out of the oven, and most importantly, manning the espresso machine.
There are about 200 construction workers here at the site of the new Paremoremo maximum security prison facilities right next door to the existing jail.
This $300 million project is due to be finished by the end of next year, and will replace the present maximum security blocks at Paremoremo. At the height of construction there’ll be up to 600 people working on the site.So this little canteen will be more popular than ever.
After all, the next food outlet is about eight kilometers away.
"Hugh" the muffin man whips up a new batch Photo: RNZ David Steemson
This morning young inmate "SB" is taking some of the orders, working alongside canteen instructor James Edgoose, who is today decked out fetchingly in his Corrections uniform, walkie talkie ear piece and a pinny!
Prisoner "Hugh" is quite new to the canteen, so he's making the muffins – a relatively simple task says James.
"Hugh" is looking forward to trying out the coffee machine.One of the other more experienced workers has manufactured a delicious looking kumara salad, and there's his fruit salad too, ready for sale in small plastic containers.
The inmates have all been up early this morning , and have already dealt with a breakfast order of forty burgers for 7.00am and a large order of muffins for a catered morning tea elsewhere onsite.
Manager of Industries at Auckland Prison Raewyn Jamieson says the canteen work helps prisoners in the final steps to a real job.
"What we've always done well in the prison kitchens is training in cooking and food preparation up to a certain level, but what real employers need to see is customer skills and cash handling, and the confidence that brings to the inmates".
Raewyn Jamieson and Eric Bishop Photo: RNZ David Steemson
James Edgoose says some of the men are just not used to dealing with the public, and he has to train them to deal with problems as they occur without getting angry or frustrated.
"If things go wrong, they learn to stop, think, and then move forward from there". Best of all, his men come out as fully qualified baristas, and they get a national certificate to prove it.
Eric Bishop is in charge of the new prison project for Fletcher Construction. He says the quality of the food at the canteen is excellent, and the coffee "can't be beat".
He reckons it's great the workers can get food on site, rather than having to traipse kilometers away for takeaways.
Once the new prison is opened in 2018 there'll be two new canteens staffed by inmates, serving to prison staff and visitors. And with luck, there may be a few new jobs for the workers from this little canteen once they regain permanent re-entry to the outside world.
Paremoremo Prison Photo: RNZ David Steemson
