PRISONERS in Hull have made new memorial boards in honour of Hull's First World War fallen.
The inmates have been putting the final touches to 20 boards, which will be displayed around Hull Paragon Interchange.
The wooden boards feature the names of 5,000 people from Hull who died during the First World War.
The Mail revealed earlier this week how Hull has one of the worst rates of re-offending in the country.
Almost 70 per cent of criminals sentenced to 12 months or less behind bars in Hull Prison re-offend within the first year of their release.
Despite the high percentage, the city prison's governor, Norman Griffin, said work was being done at the Hedon Road jail to tackle the problem – including the memorial project.
On top of each board, it says: "In memory of those who left Hull Station between 1914 and 1918 and never returned."
Lee Foster, prison officer in the resettlement department, said: "This is something the prisoners can be very proud of.
"A heap of work went into this and they have got so much satisfaction out of the project.
"It takes a brave man to accept responsibility for doing something wrong and then try to turn a negative into a positive. There is more to prison than just throwing criminals in cells.
"We have to find a way of stopping them from returning to a life of crime when they leave us.
"This particular project took a lot of research online and a lot of organising, but I am pleased with what the prisoners have produced."
Figures released by the Ministry of Justice show 31 per cent of all offenders in the city, including those given suspended sentences and community orders, return to a life of crime within a year. Twelve per cent of criminals are re-offending within just three months.
But Hull Prison has recently been ranked a level-four prison – the highest grading possible – when all aspects of the jail were scored by the Ministry of Justice.
Hull Prison's education centre, including rooms for business studies and computers, means Mr Griffin is confident reoffending rates will have dropped by this time next year.
Talking about the memorial board project, an unnamed prisoner said: "I know people will say we deserve to rot and die in prison, but sometimes people make mistakes.
"So many people will know someone who died in the First World War and I just wanted to give something back to the community.
"I have told my little boy I've done it and he is proud.
"Projects such as this make me realise there is more to life than crime and I will be a better person when I leave."
The boards will be displayed next month.
