Prisoners at HMP Highpoint in Suffolk are reportedly set to begin creating scrubs and face visors for NHS staff in the fight against coronavirus.
Prisoners at the category C prisons in west Suffolk will join fellow inmates at seven other jails across the country in making personal protective equipment (PPE), in a bid to save the health service money in light of surging prices.
The prisons will make scrubs for around £5 a set, compared to the £15 price tag on the open market, justice secretary Robert Buckland reportedly said to The Daily Telegraph.
An intitial order has been made for the manufacture of 5,000 scrub tops and 5,000 laundry bags for the scrubs.
It has been reported the prisoners will be paid their standard weekly wage of around £12.50.
Mr Buckland told The Daily Telegraph: “Staff in our NHS are doing an incredible job... and I’m delighted that inmates are supporting them by producing equipment to help keep them safe,”
Other category B and C prisons involved include Swansea, Channings Wood in Devon, Wakefield, Whatton in Nottinghamshire and New Hall in West Yorkshire.
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