Summit Media

Summit Media is an online marketing company which run’s part of it’s operation from within the prison. Summit’s staff within HMP Wolds is partially made up of up to 25 highly trained prisoners who have completed a full training program in order to work in this highly skilled area. The media centre provides online marketing services to companies doing business on the web. Summit’s aim is to provide commercial clients with the best possible creative and business solutions whilst giving the prisoners employed, a realistic chance of employment on release. Summit Media have two media centres in the UK and one in Prague, bringing the number of staff employed to over 90 throughout the company.

Prisoners are able to take part in a training initiative to put them on track for job opportunities after release with the help of the prison's own railway line.

A 120 foot standard gauge line complete with a junction has been installed inside the prison grounds. It will support training that will enable prisoners to acquire practical skills and a national vocational qualification leading to realistic prospects of well paid full time work.

The 10 week course includes practical skills training for certificates of competency in the use of a range of small plant and equipment together with safety and track work, leading to a City & Guilds level 2 national vocational qualification in railway engineering. The course has been devised in conjunction with a specialist training organisation Trackwork who supply the instructors and equipment. It will enable prisoners to find work in the railway industry or in other areas of engineering that require similar skills.

This is the only initiative of its type in a closed prison. The idea came from within the prison's resettlement team. It is being overseen by the prison's head of interventions Les Manton who is responsible for managing a range of prisoner support to reduce the risk of re-offending, including learning and skills development, employment and resettlement.