Exclusive:
Female inmates at HMP New Hall in West Yorkshire have been offered line dancing lessons and can attend film nights featuring popcorn and fizzy pop as part of the prison’s incentive scheme
Five, six, seven, eight – it’s time for you lot to go straight.
Prisoners are being given line dancing lessons to help them sidestep a life of crime. Female inmates at HMP New Hall in West Yorkshire, home to around 380 inmates – 40 of them serving life, including murderer Rose West – can also attend film nights, along with popcorn and fizzy pop.
It could see them bop to hits like Steps’ 1997 smash 5, 6, 7, 8, or tracks by US megastar Garth Brooks. Classes were revealed in a report by prison inspectors. The report states: “For prisoners on the enhanced level of the prison’s incentive scheme, there is a monthly film afternoon on Sunday, complete with popcorn and juice.
“There is also monthly line dancing and a ‘chill and chat’ session three out of four weeks a month.” The prisoners – called ‘residents’ by staff – also praised the food served up, including ‘trendy’ Buddha Bowls, vegetarian dishes with small portions of different foods, served cold.
They usually contain brown rise, quinoa, chickpeas, tofu and vegetables – and are ‘arranged in an artful way’, similar to poke bowls or nourish bowls. Inspectors from the Independent Monitoring Board praised the jail for ensuring lags had a healthy diet and classes which could help them blow off steam.
The report stated: “The catering manager is looking at providing a wider range of healthier and nutritionally balanced meals and has introduced 12 ‘Buddha’ bowls. (These) are all plant based but provide enough protein and the recommended daily average of vitamins and minerals.
“The kitchens offer a five-choice daily menu in a four-week rolling menu, with varied pre-selected choices. The kitchens continue to offer a vegan choice, which is suitable for many religious and dietary requirements.
“There is always halal food, while many other diets can be catered for on a bespoke basis.” The report said catering staff went ‘above and beyond’ to cater for family days and religions festivals – and that inspectors regularly tasted the food.
In a previous report into HMP New Hall it was reported that inmates could take part in face-painting classes and even get henna tattoos. It stated: “Cakes, buns, home-made cards, stickers, rainbow lanyards, face painting, henna hand tattoos and hair braiding could be bought or were available.”
In 2017, the jail hit the headlines after it was revealed that lags were taken belly dancing classes – to help them lose weight. A report stated that inmates could choose from belly dancing, Zumba and yoga classes, stating: “New classes are proposed that will include Zumba, yoga and belly dancing.”
A spokesman for the Prison Service said the line dancing classes were organised by the jail chaplain.
