Visitors to Otago Corrections Facility were provided a glimpse of life on the inside at the annual employers open day this week.
About 50 business owners, company representatives, employment organisations and the Otago Daily Times went behind the wall to experience prison life, most with a view to potentially providing former prisoners with work upon release.
One potential employer was restaurateur Fleur Sullivan, who owns Fleur's Place, in Moeraki.
She said she was impressed by the facility and the training and qualifications provided to prisoners.
"It's huge really, the opportunities they have been given.
"People will be interested in their accomplishments and hopefully they will be able to be employed,'' she said.
Ms Sullivan said she was open to possibly taking on a former prisoner as an apprentice or on a work-placement programme.
"Hopefully, they will get employment as it [cooking] is an area of opportunity that people are crying out to get staff into.''
A prisoner, who was not able to be identified, said he knew nothing about cooking when he entered the prison and but had gained an NZQA level two hospitality qualification and had started a level three baking qualification.
He said he had learned "a lot'' about food preparation and the dietary requirements of the 410 prisoners, as well as time management.
"Before I came here I wouldn't have known how to cook an egg,'' he said.
"I didn't know anything about vegans or vegetarians and I had to learn it.
"It becomes exciting.
"Hopefully, I can just get into something I enjoy.''
Other trades and services prisoners could gain experience and qualifications in are horticulture, carpentry, engineering and farming.
Most of the products made in the prison were given away, including wooden toys for children, vegetables and metal products.
Otago Southland Employers Association operations manager John Rigby said the association was a "major supporter'' of giving prisoners a second chance at life.
"It's just about giving people a chance,'' Mr Rigby said.
The association had been partnered with the OCF for the past year and some of its members had successfully employed former prisoners.
Mr Rigby was impressed with the prison's facilities and the programmes available.
"Really, the talk doesn't do it. It's the doing that does it. There's no rhetoric. It's all about getting on with the job,'' he said.
OCF high security residential manager Peter Meads wanted to "demystify'' the prison and "showcase'' the skills gained and changes made by prisoners.
"There is a strong correlation between crime and unemployment.
"A lot of our men come in here unemployed.
"Things just go from bad to worse and it just carries through. We're here to break the cycle.
"A lot of them haven't had the support.
"There's a lot of work goes into getting the guys to where they are.'' Mr Meads said.
OCF assistant director of industries, rehabilitation and learning Gill Brown said: "The deal is that we see people in the prison as going to get out.
"We're taking the opportunity while they're drug and alcohol-free to give these skills to take to the outside. We're doing some real exciting stuff for the community,'' she said.
