This Supermarket Lets Prisoners Shop Using ‘Monopoly Money’ – News18

Last Updated:April 22, 2025, 15:55 is

What makes this initiative truly remarkable is the use of monopoly-style currency that inmates earn through good behaviour. Prisoners can earn up to £25 in fake currency each week for good conduct

Can anyone really lead a normal life while in prison? Or a prison having a store to shop and eat? It’s difficult to even imagine. But across the world, governments are increasingly taking steps to support prisoners as they reintegrate into society after their release. One such unique initiative has been launched at England’s largest prison, HMP Oakwood, bringing new hope to inmates.

You’ll be surprised to know that the UK’s first in-prison supermarket has opened at this facility. Designed to prepare prisoners for life on the outside, this innovative store allows inmates to shop, learn work skills, and plan for a fresh start. Named after the popular food retailer Iceland, the store was launched last month inside HMP Oakwood, located in Featherstone, Staffordshire.

What makes this initiative truly remarkable is the use of monopoly style currency that inmates earn through good behaviour. With this, they can buy branded products like Chicago Town pizzas and Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, which are otherwise unavailable in the prison wings.

The supermarket is part of a larger ‘marketplace’ set up in a huge warehouse within the jail, designed to mimic a real shopping centre. Alongside Iceland, the marketplace includes a coffee shop called Hopeful Grounds, where inmates work as baristas and learn to prepare food and beverages. This not only gives them real-world job skills but also a sense of responsibility and purpose. There is also a fruit and vegetable stand and a leisure store named JP Sports.

Prisoners can earn up to £25 in fake currency each week for good conduct. The prices in the store are lower than those on the high street, making the experience even more practical. In the final stages of their sentences, some prisoners get the chance to work in the store, coffee shop, or train as delivery drivers—enhancing their chances of employment after release.

HMP Oakwood is one of 15 private prisons in England and Wales, operated by security firm G4S. HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, Charlie Taylor, praised the scheme, calling it ‘effective’ and describing HMP Oakwood as the best prison he had visited during his tenure.

This marks a significant turnaround for a prison that, a decade ago, was dubbed ‘Jockwood’ and faced heavy criticism in 2013 for rising violence and drug issues. Today, it stands as a model for rehabilitation.

Iceland’s employment manager, Ellen Herricks—a former staff member at HMP Stocken—told The Times, “Many prisoners think, ‘Who will give me a job now that I’ve been in jail? My life is over.’ But when they get a second chance, they grab it with both hands. These prisoners are less likely to reoffend because they find stability. They are grateful, as they never expected someone would give them an opportunity.”

The brainchild behind the marketplace is Carly Balis, HMP Oakwood’s Head of Employability, who selects eligible inmates for the scheme. She collaborates with Paul Cowley MBE, Iceland’s Rehabilitation Director since 2022, who leads the company’s Second Chance initiative. A former convict himself, Cowley later joined the armed forces and after that became a priest. Under his guidance, Iceland has offered jobs to around 350 former prisoners in the UK, with 300 receiving job offers before release.

Cowley personally interviews all candidates, offering successful ones roles as store staff or delivery drivers. Governor Sean Oliver shared that the scheme helps long-term inmates relearn basic skills such as managing money, using shopping baskets, and paying at the till.

Prison reform advocates have also welcomed the move, noting that meaningful employment helps reduce reoffending and gives prisoners a reason to invest in a better future.

Location :

United Kingdom (UK)