Pitch perfect in Pentonville Prison

It has been a hectic and rather distressing couple of weeks for those who want genuine prison reform. I have written about the direction in which I fear prisons may be moving after ‘earned progression’ was paused, then watered down. Now I see that the justice adviser for one of our country’s ‘serious’ political parties has said she supports the return of capital punishment, so we may end up having that dreadful debate once more. Vannessa Frake, formerly head of security at Wormwood Scrubs and now Reform UK’s prisons ‘tsar’, says she believes that it should be used on certain criminals, so presumably she would pick and choose who to execute.

Mind you she has yo-yoed back and forth on the matter. When she first retired from prisons, she was opposed to executions, and up until a few weeks ago she was still adamant they would be wrong, but at the time of writing says she believes they would be OK in some cases. I have no idea what her view will be by the time you read this. Reminds me of the Groucho Marx gag when he was playing a politician. “Those are my principles, and if you don’t like them … well, I have others.” But putting someone to death is not, in my view, something on which serious people change their mind so easily.

So this week I wanted to be positive and decided to write about an event I attended a few weeks ago, organised by the education department at HMP Pentonville. They’ve been running a Dragons Den-themed series entitled ‘Unlocking Potential’ and I went along to this year’s final session, Pitch Day. It was well worth attending.

The aim of the programme

There are many people in prison with skills and experience in various trades and businesses, who may decide when they walk out of the prison gates that they want to set up their own small business. This programme enables the men to build up that ambition, assess market needs, consider their abilities and potential, and then devise worked-out schemes that they can begin on release.

On this last day, they have to sell their concept to a panel of judges, each of whom has business experience. They have to stand in the prison chapel and give a verbal presentation to these experts, in front of their fellow competitors and an audience of their fellow inmates, plus people invited to attend. The judges take it very seriously and probe them on their calculations of turnover and also on costs, to ensure the ideas do not just generate income but actually would make profits. Speaking to an audience and then responding to expert interrogation is difficult.

There are cash prizes for all those who complete the course, with significant rewards for the first three. Prizes are arranged by Clifford Chance and Urban Lawyers. The first prize is £1,000, second £500, and for the person who comes third, £250. The sum is deposited in an account until they are out. All finalists receive £50.

Money is not the main driver in this. The man who came third (wait until later to find out who he was and what he proposed, no spoilers here) told me he would have been delighted with just 15 quid; the expertise he gained was reward enough. He did, however, gratefully accept the cheque. Who wouldn’t?

This project has run for a number of years now, and I have written about it before. Each and every presentation I have heard during those visits was good, but up to 2026 there were always two or three that stood out from the others, whilst some perhaps needed polish. This year, each and every one had all issues covered and it was not possible for those of us watching to work out who would get the first three places.

Judge not lest ye be judged (unless you are a judge)

There was a panel of four whose task it was to assess the applications, and each brought considerable expertise to the task. In no particular order, I introduce Carlos Conceição. Carlos is a partner in international law firm Clifford Chance, who have been strong backers of this initiative from the time it was first conceived. Carlos has a particular expertise in matters related to market regulation and competition law.

Another member was Gayani Fernando who is a senior leader and lecturer at the University of Westminster Business School. She is an expert on international business and management, and ideally placed to assist these competitors. The University of Westminster is an enthusiastic participant in many schemes run at Pentonville, and when I have met lecturers from there who teach in the prison, they always tell me that the prisoners are far more diligent students than most they teach in the university itself.

Also, there was Ahava-Shaffra Gray-Read who is Director of Corporate & Community Affairs at KFC UK & Ireland. I do not think there is any need to say exactly who KFC are or what they do, but given there were proposals for businesses involved with catering, it would not be unreasonable to say that a Director from KFC would be a pretty good judge of them, so she was a great choice.

Finally, David McQueen, an international keynote speaker and leadership advisor, who was a perfect choice to question the applicants and advise them on their explanatory techniques. He completed the panel, who took their responsibilities very seriously.

There are three others I want to identify here, though there were a lot of people involved through the course. First is Bianca Stewart, Legal Director at Motorway, a car trading market company, who helped in sessions within the classes. I looked up her profile on social media and noticed her career was grounded in Magic Circle training, but assume that escapology was not included in her teaching here. And, of course, from Pentonville’s education department, José Aguiar and Helena Baptista. Together they are responsible for the innovative classes in the prison that give all those locked in that Victorian building a real future.

Potential unlocked

The proposals were varied, and each made complete sense. The concepts were sound, and had potential markets awaiting. The costs had been calculated, and the turnovers given were realistic. Each gave a reasonable profit for the first year, as everyone has to earn a living, with growth built in. Staff needs for future development were factored in, and geographical locations identified in which they would be based. Each reflected the creator’s past experience, as well as their aspirations. I am not going to go into them in depth but all presenters were articulate, and the panel’s questioning was intensive.

First, Clifford. He wants to set up a company providing home security to residents. He says that too little thought is given to looking at weaknesses in security within homes and has costed different levels of support into which customers could buy. Payment would be monthly. The number of buildings his business would cover and the area in which it would work would start off small, but as business grows both the number of properties and the region in which it would work would grow accordingly. The judges agreed that the concept and, importantly, the budget, were very viable and helpful.

Next was Everard. He wants to create an all-inclusive health and beauty business, with a range of activities linked to personal well-being under one roof. This would range from hair styling to exercise and relaxation. He would first check out the outer London boroughs for a location as there is limited competition there, and targets 1,000 members within the first year. Membership costs would be affordable, and he would ensure that he offers employment to those who have left prison and young people needing work, with training built in. Even though for me hair styling is clearly not appropriate, and fitness a few years too late, the relaxation option is attractive. It is a scheme that could thrive in areas where there are large, empty, buildings including retail establishments, and where there is a population with disposable income.

Jamie was next, and he had designed a street food business with a healthy and varied menu meeting all tastes and needs. He had specific figures of cost of sales, and described his experience in catering, including in the Liberty Kitchen in Pentonville. Working from a stall he would find decent pitches, and analyse the needs in the geographical area around the site. He was quizzed on food safety and had a good knowledge of that. People, he said, would always want to eat well.

Ian followed with a different proposal, and one that is now very timely. He wanted to create a Community Interest Company (CIC) working with the homeless. The new Prime Minister has just made ending homelessness a target pledge. Ian has been homeless during his lifetime and knows the desperation of that. His project has two aims: to be a voice for the homeless, and to provide space to get people off the street. He would be using office or shop space that is at present vacant. The panel agreed that his passionate and reasoned description of the needs of the homeless would make him a very articulate and effective voice for the group in the future.

John envisaged a mobile cleaning service – collecting clothing, washing and pressing it, and returning it to the customers. He highlighted that laundrettes have closed over the years, and not everyone has properly-functioning washing machines and driers at home. His service would also iron the items and get them back within the agreed timescale. This, he says, would reduce stress on those families who work full time and have less time for this necessary chore. With a positive price structure and a clear definition of the areas where it would work, the business would start profitably and then grow.

Kyle had an alternative food business in mind, providing value-for-money breakfasts for those in a hurry in the morning. He was critical of options in major retailers, which he said are overpriced and tasteless, and has costed alternatives. He has, he said, a passion for food and the experience to begin a company to deliver this. He too would start small and allow the business to grow over time. He has factored in all the costs, including wastage, and would be ready to begin once out.

Ruben came next, and his introduction stunned the panel and the audience. “Who of you in here,” he asked, “have looked up at your roof lately?” Without anyone replying but by studying all the faces, the answer was clearly no-one. He then described the importance of roof maintenance to prevent heat loss, rain entry, and general deterioration of a property. It rang a bell with me. Years ago, I noticed a pair of pigeons going under the tiles into our attic, and thought it was rather cute, until lying in bed at night a couple of weeks later my wife and I could hear what sounded like a herd of elephants tapdancing, and so we had to pay to have them removed. Ruben offered a reliable maintenance service to prevent this. We could all see the sense and necessity.

Finally, Vincent, who has put together a scheme whereby he will provide a quality building and restoration team who will undertake all types of work across London and south-east England. When he assesses the job and gives a quote, he will put together a team with all the skills to deliver – a one-stop-shop for work in the home. Customers will have the choice of buying the items needed or he can arrange that too. His team will be Checkatrade-certified, and once again he easily dealt with questions on the financial viability.

Finally

The judges awarded first prize to Jamie for his quality food scheme, second to Ruben the roofer. Third was Ian for his advocacy for the homeless. We in the audience could not disagree with that but would have accepted any of the others. I found it so positive to hear that all eight worked collaboratively to support each other in putting their programmes. Even with a very significant prize of £1,000 at stake, they wanted to help their colleagues. That says everything about them, as well as those working on the project, and the education programme in Pentonville.

I must, though, add this. Jamie, as he made his presentation, gave the panel samples of his food to taste. Could this, I wondered, be considered an inducement and therefore unfair? After all, Ruben couldn’t nip out and fix any of the judges’ roofs, or Vincent build a patio for any of them. Then, I remembered that the leader of Reform UK, the party whose justice spokesperson wants to reintroduce hanging, was given £5 million by a crypto-billionaire who lives in Thailand before he decided to stand for Parliament in 2024, and he says this was just a gift and not an inducement. And he would not tell fibs, would he?

And I am absolutely certain that everyone in the Chapel that morning, panel and guests, would have been seen that evening outside their home gazing up at their roof, thanks entirely to Ruben. Perhaps that might make more pigeons homeless.