“CRIME never pays.

“It catches up with you and then takes away everything you ever had and then you’re left with nothing.”

These are the words of a 19-year-old woman prisoner, involved in the Prison Me No Way! charity.

The charity, formed in 1995, works with young people in schools and colleges and serving prisoners to share experiences. The charity also challenges the stereotype image of prisoners and educates young people about what it is like to be on the wrong side of the law.

Huddersfield-based prison officer Graham Holgate works alongside the charity and takes prisoners into local schools.

Mr Holgate, who has worked in the prison service for the last 24 years and who is currently based at Askham Grange women’s prison near York, spends his time off delivering workshops to young people and adults

He has worked most recently with criminology students at Huddersfield University, and trainee social workers and mental health nurses. He has also worked in several Huddersfield schools including Moor End Technology College, Almondbury High School and Sports College and the Nether Hall Learning Campus at Rawthorpe.

During the last academic year he has worked with more than 5,000 children mainly from across the North of England and has taken more than 200 serving prisoners into schools.

Some were women serving five to six weeks for shoplifting offences – others are serving life for murder.

“We are not there to scare them, but to make young people aware of the consequences which crime has on a family as a whole,” said Mr Holgate, who is married with two grown up sons.

“People have stereotypes about prisoners and a typical criminal but anyone can end up there.

“People think they are above the law but anyone can find themselves in situations which lead to prison, like death by dangerous driving.

“We don’t preach to young people or ram it down their throats, it’s all about breaking down barriers and making a difference.”

Three months ago Mr Holgate, a former soldier, was almost moved to tears when working in a school on the notorious St Anne’s estate in Nottingham, which is well-known for gun, gang and knife crime.

The workshops involve making young people aware of the impact which crime would have on their family. He tells them to go home and give their parents a hug after the session and show their appreciation.

“A big African Caribbean lad came up to me after the session and said he knew exactly what we had been talking about.

“He said he’d seen his older brother get a life sentence for stabbing someone and the effect it had on the family, particularly his mother.”

Mr Holgate, who also worked at New Hall prison in Flockton for 12 years, said his own attitude to prisoners had changed since he started delivering the workshops.

The full day sessions include discussing how people are treated when they are first brought into custody, dealing with court appearances and the effect is has on relatives.

Mr Holgate also discusses the responsibility of the press and the effect identification of offenders has on the family members who are left on the outside.

As well as working in schools and colleges, the workshops are also given to students excluded from mainstream education, pensioners, retired professionals and students in a variety of fields.

“If we don’t challenge it we will never change it,” said Mr Holgate. “Many think criminals should be locked up and the key thrown away, but this is not satisfactory.

“These people will never change or be reintegrated.”

Mr Holgate said of the 200 prisoners he has worked with as part of the project, he has only known of one to re-offend.

He would also like a serving prisoner to work alongside every school police officer to educate children about the consequences of crime.