Prisoners given Lego to play with in attempt to cut violence in jails

A pioneering strategy has seen prisoners successful a jailhouse successful Lincolnshire being fixed Lego bricks to support them occupied and docile - and the program seems to beryllium working

Prison bosses anticipation inmates tin rebuild their lives by playing with elemental toys similar LEGO.

Lags are being fixed sets of the kids’ bricks arsenic portion of a pioneering strategy to chopped unit successful jails.

Things look to beryllium clicking, arsenic determination person been zero superior assaults successful the twelvemonth since LEGO was introduced astatine HMP North Sea Camp, Lincolnshire. And not 1 situation serviceman had to usage unit to power an inmate.

Its 300 men were besides fixed dominoes and Scrabble boards, paid for with a £3,000 grant, portion a elephantine jigsaw has been installed successful the eating country too.

A root said: “LEGO keeps kids quiescent but present we cognize it tin person the aforesaid effect connected hardened criminals. The alteration successful inmates’ behaviour has been remarkable. Let’s conscionable anticipation they retrieve to enactment each the pieces backmost successful the container oregon we could extremity up with each mode of flare-ups.”

The strategy was praised successful a study by jailhouse inspectors. The Independent Monitoring Board added: “While determination person been respective insignificant scuffles betwixt prisoners, determination person been nary superior assaults.”

LEGO, invented successful Denmark successful 1932, is played with by millions. Celebrity fans see Ed Sheeran and the England shot team, who spent their downtime astatine the summer’s Euros successful Germany playing it.