An officer at Wandsworth Prison has won a prestigious award after founding a literacy and numeracy programme for sex offenders.
Neil Lodge received a special award at last month's Prison Officer of the Year Awards after impressing Martin Narey, the director general of the Prison Service, with the Toe to Toe project.
Neil, originally from Zimbabwe, has worked at the prison for four years and started the scheme because many vulnerable prisoners, mainly sex offenders, cannot read or write sufficiently to take part in the prison's rehabilitation schemes.
More than 100 offenders have graduated from his scheme and one has even gone on to complete journalistic qualifications.
July 12, 2002 10:00
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