The HSE, Gardaí and prison services have developed a pilot programme in Tipp to create an awareness about the impact of crime for young people.
The project ‘Inside Out, Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover’ brought the agencies together, with the help of volunteer solicitor Kate Fleming and funding from the council.
Students will hear from victims of crime who are elderly or have disabilities and also from those in the prison service.
Development Worker with the HSE in Disabled Services, Anne Bradshaw, explained how the project came about as a collaboration.
“Together as the three agencies, with the HSE, Gardaí and the prison services, that we could come together and address this is in a way that would make a positive change in young people and the perpetrators of crime in the community.
“So, again the prison authorities were on board straight away and said ya this has great potential for us to work together in a unique way and it hasn’t happened in the past.
“That’s where the project came about and then I had a lot of people with disabilities and older people who were willing to come forward as victims, to offer their stories and victim impact statements.”
