Ex-cons say ‘neigh’ to a life of crime
IT WAS the darkest day of his life when Liam Meredith was sent to prison – his second stint behind bars in his 21 years.
But salvation arrived in the form of two unlikely jail visitors – Carlos and Cruising, pedigree show jumpers who help inmates reform.
It was arranged by charity Key4Life, founded by Eva Hamilton, whose clients boast a 16 per cent reoffending rate compared to the 64 per cent national average.
She has spent 30 years helping young offenders and drug addicts and has worked with Prince Charles.
Her horses help inmates get in touch with their emotions and Liam credits them for getting his life on track after a rough start.
He had been abused by his stepfather from early childhood. this led to drugs and by 18 he was in prison. He was released but got in a fight and was jailed again aged 21.
The turning point came in 2015 when Carlos and Cruising visited Portland prison in Dorset.
Liam, 26, said: “I had been in solitary confinement and didn’t believe the event would actually happen as in my life things I had hoped for didn’t often happen.
“The horses started going crazy, running around the field. There were 30 inmates and all of them were really scared. I think the horses felt our energy. They are like free spirits.
“We rode them and we were told to lift up our hands, close our eyes and feel the power of the horse beneath us. The key4life charity and this experience was an important part of my journey, my rehabilitation and resurrection from crime.”
Eva promised she would get Liam work when he left the prison. He is now a conservationist who also helps run the charity’s project the Food Cell – a converted prison van that sells food and trains ex-offenders.
Eva said: “Horses can mirror what is going on in ourselves and by doing that they can also unlock pain.”
On Wednesday the charity hosts an online event encouraging businesses to give jobs to ex-offenders.
● For details visit key4life.org.uk