Inmates of the Camp Street jail on Wednesday received a quantity of boxing and barbering equipment from Paul Giddings of Giddings Pay Day Pawnshop.

The idea behind the donation came from former inmate of the Camp Street jail, Mark Benschop, who urged Giddings to make the donation.

After being released from the correctional facility on August 29 2007, Benschop said he had approached many companies to support his endeavours in helping to rehabilitate the inmates.

He told Stabroek Sport that after spending five years in incarceration, he had a first hand look at what went on behind bars and had urged Giddings to show some concern for the prisoners, some of whom would eventually be out on the streets and would fall back to a life of crime if they did not have an opportunity to change.

“A lot of innocent brothers and sisters are in there and we want that when these prisoners get back into society, they’re able to live a constructive life, a life away from crime and away from all the things that would lead to them back in there,” Benschop said.

Benschop mentioned that there were a lot of inmates who had the potential to become very good boxers and very good barbers and may succeed once they have the necessary equipment.

He said he hoped that the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport could, along with the Ministry of Home Affairs, follow his initiative by also donating equipment to the correctional facility.

Giddings told Stabroek Sport that he was privileged to help in what could be a very productive venture for the prisoners, a group of people whom society usually forgets about.

He also added that he knew how it felt to be incarcerated and was of the opinion that a person could change from a life of crime once exposed to educational and recreational activities aimed at their personal development.

The equipment included punching bags of all sizes, boxing gloves and clippers.