'St Helier 12' Locked Up For Charity

A group of islanders have been sentenced and put in La Moye prison this week, though not for committing any crimes.

They agreed to spend time at La Moye to raise money for the Shelter Trust.

Each volunteer has set up a JustGiving page to try and raise £2,000 in bail money before they're released tomorrow (Friday 14 February).

The 'St Helier 12' are:

• Peter James: crime author
• Constable Len Norman: Minister for Home Affairs
• Robin Smith: Chief of Police
• Gavin Reid: Managing Director, Randalls
• Nigel Campbell: CEO of Mercury Distribution
• Reverend Canon Geoff Houghton: Vice Dean of Jersey and Trustee of Shelter Trust
• Amy Bryant: Deputy Chief Executive of Jersey Finance
• Nigel Hair: Chief Operating Officer, HSBC Channel Islands and Isle of Man
• Mark Egan: Greffier of the States
• John Kelleher: Chairman, Carey Olsen
• Jack Maguire: Jersey Evening Post, Deputy News Editor
• Simon Boas: Executive Director, Jersey Overseas Aid

Members of the gang are working on prison activities this afternoon after being jailed for alleged 'misdemeanours against the community'.

Each member of the gang has agreed to be tried, sentenced and imprisoned to raise money for The Shelter Trust. While the charges may be fictitious, the volunteers taking part will have a taste of real conditions at La Moye Prison. You can donate here: https://t.co/8ckEyM8hPS pic.twitter.com/xizyW42X5r

— Government of Jersey (@GovJersey) February 13, 2020

"I came across a similar fund-raising event before moving to Jersey, and thought it would be a great way to raise money for a really worthwhile cause whilst highlighting the challenges accommodation presents for some of our offenders on release, and others in the Island. So, we teamed up with Shelter Trust to run the island’s first-ever Jail to Bail fundraising event, whilst enabling us to show some notable people the work we do every day in the prison service." - Nick Cameron, Governor and Head of States of Jersey Prison Service.

They will receive a visit from loved ones this evening, have their meals in their cells in the 1970s wing of the prison and stay inside until the morning.

If they each succeed with their fundraising targets, £24,000+ will be given to the charity that supports the island's homeless community.

"We work closely in partnership with the States of Jersey Prison Service to support former prisoners. This is a wonderful opportunity for us not just to raise awareness of the issue of homelessness in Jersey, but for us to raise the vital funds we need to provide accommodation and support for the homeless community in Jersey." - Neville Benbow, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of The Shelter Trust.