Jail inmates are learning to write comedy, there is a purpose behind it, many people find it funny

Training in arts and skills for prisoners in jail is not a new thing. Such training is given in many types of jails in the world under vocational courses. But can writing training be included in such programs? Such a unique course has been seen in the UK, where prisoners are being taught comedy writing in particular. Here prisoners are learning to write sitcoms, i.e. short comedy articles in a 10-week course.

The course teaches inmates to write jokes, as well as develop ‘comic timing’ and humorous characters. It is hoped that teachers will discover some telly talent after they pass. The course at HMP Highpoint in Suffolk, England, which houses more than 1,200 inmates, begins in early 2023.

This course can train 10-15 students at a time. At the end of the 10-week course, the inmates taking the course finish writing a comedy sitcom script and submitting it to the tutor. The aim of the course is to ‘develop budding talents’ that can be sold to TV companies.

The most recent report from Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) inspectors praised the scheme, which has already launched a second course. It said prisoners could attend a “multi-skills taster course” in the northern part of the prison, where they could choose the courses they wanted to try.

“A multi-skills taster course was introduced at the northern site, bringing together all the vocational workshops at that site,” the report said. “Short courses for the construction skills certification scheme, food safety and comedy scriptwriting continued from last year.”

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It said some new courses had also been introduced, including art and plumbing. “Within the provision of the prison education framework, new courses in plastering, art, employment, peer mediation and plumbing continued,” the report further said.

A prison source who has worked in prisons for more than 15 years said the course was a “joke”. “At first I thought someone was making fun of me, but it turns out the joke is on me,” he said.

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