Thousands of books have been donated to a Merseyside prison as part of a social justice initiative at Liverpool Hope University.
HMP Liverpool received 3,000 books from the HMP2Hope Applied Arts Project, which is ran by academics from the University’s School of Creative and Performing Arts with the aim of encouraging more prisoners to consider higher education as a possibility upon their release.
Staff, students and associates of Hope contributed to the Books for Prisoners scheme and their generous donations will enhance HMP Liverpool’s limited library collection, aiding prisoners’ educational achievement and providing a valuable resource for the men engaged in the HMP2Hope programme.
"We were humbled by the amount of support we received from, staff, students and associates of the University,” said HMP2Hope co-founder, Dr Niamh Malone.
“We received so many valuable books that will really enhance the prisoners' educational journey. All the donations were accompanied by so many positive messages for the prison learners.
“People really do believe in education as a form of liberation and an important step in the rehabilitation of prisoners.”
Founded in 2017, HMP2Hope is the brainchild of Dr Malone and Dr Gary Anderson, who are both Associate Professors in the Department of Dance, Drama and Performance.
The project, which will run for 10 years initially, reflects the social justice agenda of the School of Creative and Performing Arts.
It is ran in partnership with HMP Liverpool and Warrington’s HMP Risley, with university academics providing teaching within the prisons.
“The comprehensive range and large amount of books donated by Liverpool Hope University will give prisoners more choice about their reading and greater opportunities for reading for pleasure,” added Esther Kelly, Novus Hub Manager at HMP Liverpool.
“We plan to set up mini libraries around the prison so that books can be shared and discussed leading to an increase in prisoners' enjoyment of reading and literature.”
Books for Prisoners was delivered through the collaborative efforts of staff from across both the Hope Park campus and the Creative Campus, including Amy Courtenay, Natalie Dermott, Chris Hitchen and Dave Kerry.