Prisoners to get anti-sectarian course

PRISONERS will be given anti-sectarian education as part of a £20,000 programme, the Scottish Government announced yesterday.

The pilot will involve offenders at Addiewell Prison in West Lothian and will be run by the Iona Community.

The programme aims to challenge sectarian prejudices and beliefs and to change prisoners' attitudes so they learn to accept diversity and promote citizenship. The programme follows the success of similar courses at Polmont Young Offenders Institution which the Iona Community has run since 2003.

The Scottish Government has awarded a 20,000 grant to the Iona Community youth department to enable them to offer the course for adults.

The Iona Community is a charity which has a history of working with young offenders.