Prison Tea Parties Cheer Up Lonely Lifers at Maximum Security Jail

A high-security prison gives inmates tea parties. Long Lartin prison in Worcestershire holds 650 people and organizes these parties to cheer up some prisoners. Inmates who lack visits get tea and cake. The parties are in the jail’s visiting area, with prison staff and volunteers attending.

Outsiders and chaplaincy workers join the lonely inmates to chat and enjoy cake together. This helps them forget their situation. Notorious inmates there include Jake Fahri, who killed Jimmy Mizen, and serial killer Steve Wright. Vincent Tabak and Nathan Matthews are also incarcerated in Long Lartin.

Charlie Taylor, the Chief Inspector of Prisons, reported on the jail’s activities. He mentioned the tea parties for lonely inmates, noting in his report that 57 prisoners had no social visits. This new program aims to help them, and wing friends can join them for tea.

The chaplaincy and prison listeners also help out and want to expand the support available. However, one prison source had reservations, feeling it was unfair to victims’ families. The source thinks many prisoners are too violent to change.

A report from last year revealed other programs, including a “retreat” experience for twelve inmates with yoga, tennis, and pet therapy. Staff and prisoners want to join the special PIPE unit. Two-thirds of the inmates are serving life sentences. Jeremy Bamber and Abu Hamza were past inmates, and prison officials said volunteers mainly run these visits.