A charity raising awareness among young people about the causes, consequences and penalties of committing a crime saw a large turnout in Hitchin on Friday as they were given the chance to experience what a prison cell is like.

Twenty youngsters who attended the youth club at Westmill Community Centre in Hitchin had the opportunity to experience what being in a prison cell is like, when they took part in the initiative ‘Prison! Me! No-way!’

The teens aged between 13 and 15 years-old had the chance to look inside a replica prison cell which has been specially adapted to fit inside a van.

The cell educated them about the living conditions of inmates with a prison officer giving a sobering presentation about prison life and its effects.

They were also given a talk by a motivational speaker called Anthony Powell – who had served a custodial sentence and has since completely changed his life around.

Anthony now works as the Youth Engagement Manager with Prison Me No Way, so he can engage with young people and explain the consequences of committing crime, such as the teenagers from Westmill.

‘Prison! Me! No-way’ is a charity project aiming to raise awareness among young people. The project was organised by North Herts District Council’s (NHDC) Community Safety team in partnership with Herts County Council and Youth Connexions.