Bohemian Foundation and Mountjoy Prison cooperate for Parkrun
The inmates at Mountjoy Prison are on the run – also thanks to the cooperation with the Bohemian Foundation.
The inmates are participating in the Parkrun, a free weekly timed 5km run or walk that takes place at local parks every Saturday morning all over Ireland and around the world. The events are normally open to anybody to participate, but the one at the Mountjoy Prison Progression Unit is obviously a little different. Establishing a Parkrun in prison can be a challenge but a number of ground-breaking initiatives already taking place in the Progression Unit made it possible at Mountjoy.
The Bohemian Foundation is behind many of them, including soccer training and comedy workshops, and their connections opened the doors for the historic Parkrun that launched on September 1 and is now taking place weekly within the walls of Mountjoy.
Parkrun country manager for Ireland, Matt Shields was joined by Lord Mayor Nial Ring, Bohemians FC midfielder Oscar Brennan and local Parkrun enthusiasts for the launch run.“It was really good,” said Shields towards Dublin People. “Everybody was dressed in running gear – the Lord Mayor, staff, inmates, visitors, all just sitting around talking simply as a group of runners.”Shields believes it’s important for inmates and society in general for the prison to forge positive links with the world beyond the prison walls. And Parkrun is a natural expansion of the sport and recreation work being done by The Bohemian Foundation in Mountjoy.
“When they came in with soccer coaching it opened up new ideas to us as to how we can link in with the community,” Governor of Mountjoy, Donnacha Walsh explained. Walsh adds that sport and recreation help minimize the chances of re-offending.
President of the Bohemian Foundation, Thomas Hynes, said he was delighted to support Parkrun at the Mountjoy Progression Unit. “It’s a fantastic event that everybody can get involved in regardless of fitness levels,” he added. “It’s an opportunity for those who don’t play soccer to get involved in something really positive.” Read the full story, here.
Reintegration through Sport
