Dein Launches Premier League-backed Prisons Project
Former Arsenal vice-president David Dein has launched a new sport-for-social change initiative with backing from the government and key football stakeholders, which seeks to use the power of football to support people preparing for release from prison.
The Twinning Project will pair professional clubs with institutions across the UK’s prison system.
Under the initiative, clubs from the Premier League and EFL will deliver coaching, refereeing and other employability skills training to prisoners, aiming to better prepare them to find work outside of prison.
The programme is designed to help tackle the problem of reoffending in the UK system. The latest figures show that 63.8 per cent of adults and 41.6 per cent of juveniles currently reoffend within 12 months of release.
Dein, who was inspired to create The Twinning Project by his work giving motivational speeches in prisons, was joined by ex-Arsenal playing legend and TV pundit Ian Wright at a launch event at Wembley Stadium.
Very proud to MC this morning’s launch of @ProjectTwinning. A project close to my heart and started by David Dein. pic.twitter.com/x3Yu6csgEi
— Ian Wright (@IanWright0) October 31, 2018
Unveiling the initiative, he said: “Football can be a powerful force for good, and the Twinning Project will use this to help people change their lives when they are released from prison.
“There is already great work being done in prisons across the country aimed at reducing reoffending and this initiative will build on that using football.”
The Twinning Project is being backed by institutions including HM Prison & Probation Service, the FA, Premier League, EFL, PFA, LMA and Professional Game Match Officials.
Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore commented: “David Dein has taken a huge personal interest in this work and has visited more than 100 of the country’s prisons to talk about the Premier League and his own experiences in the game.
“I applaud him for his commitment and for bringing clubs and the Ministry of Justice together in this important area.”
UK Prisons minister Rory Stewart said: “We should embrace sport as a way of giving offenders worthwhile skills and qualifications and I am confident this project will have a real impact on the lives of offenders – and ultimately help to reduce reoffending.”
The Twinning Project hopes to have signed up 20 Premier League and EFL clubs by the end of the year.
