Foreign prisoners at UK jail offered therapy and cooking lessons

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 19 Oct, 20:19 · Archive

Foreign prisoners at HMP Maidstone in Kent receive breathing exercises, cold-water therapy and cooking lessons as part of rehabilitation programmes.

HMP Maidstone in Kent is one of three British prisons that exclusively houses foreign criminals. The prison holds approximately 600 inmates from nearly 100 different countries.

According to a recent Independent Monitoring Board report, the prison offers a broad range of rehabilitation programmes. These include pre-release support, criminal records workshops, relaxation and breathwork sessions, cold-water therapy, and practical skills sessions such as soup and bread-making. The report noted that violent incidents inside the prison had 'reduced significantly' over the past 12 months.

A prison insider told The Telegraph that the combination of cold-water therapy and breathwork 'sounds like a yoga retreat'. The cold-water therapy mentioned draws on techniques popularised by Dutch motivational speaker Wim Hof, which combine exposure to cold with specialised breathing exercises.

The Independent Monitoring Board's report praised HMP Maidstone for its comprehensive approach to prisoner rehabilitation and support.

How it is being reported

• Foreign prisoners in UK jail 'make bread and do breathwork - 'sounds like a yoga retreat'A new report said inmates at the prison, which holds 600 foreign criminals from just under 100 countries, combine cold-water therapy with breathing exercises.Daily Express · 19 Oct, 20:04
• Foreign prisoners treated to therapy sessions similar to 'yoga retreat'Foreign prisoners are being treated to therapy sessions likened to those seen on a "yoga retreat" while holed up in Britain, it has emerged. At HMP Maidstone in Kent – one of Britain's three prisons which solely houses criminals from abroad – inmates are allowed to take part in breathing exercises and cold-water therapy as part of their rehabilitation. The Kent prison is home to around 600 foreign criminals from almost 100 different countries. The Independent Monitoring Board recently penned a report on HMP Maidstone, in which it was hailed for its range of programmes. TRENDING Stories…GB News · 19 Oct, 14:28

In this story: HMP Maidstone · Kent · Independent Monitoring Board · Wim Hof · The Telegraph

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