UXBRIDGE -- Today HM Prison Service unveiled its brand new digital print centre at Standford Hill Prison on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, installed to provide prisoners with valuable NVQ qualifications in creative services and desktop publishing. Opened by Ann Beasley, the HM Prison Service's director of finance, this centre is part of an initiative designed to increase prisoners' employment prospects and to help prevent prisoners from re-offending once they are released.

Xerox was chosen to equip the prison with state-of-the-art digital kit including a Xerox DocuColor 5252 Digital Colour Press and a Xerox Nuvera 100 Digital Copier/Printer with an inserter module. These systems will merge colour with black-and-white applications and use a powerful finishing and booklet maker from Morgana.

"This represents a unique opportunity for us to help prisoners learn professional skills which will help them find better skilled and well-paid employment when they are released," says John Wilson, Governor of HM Standford Hill Prison. "So far the take-up from the prisoners has been very encouraging - many are already discussing setting up their own businesses and gaining further qualifications once they have left. The print shop is a prime example of what the Prison Service could implement nationwide."

Well known for promoting high standards of training, Xerox staff with NVQ-accredited qualifications will train prison supervisors in a range of operator courses for both the colour and monochrome products and provide materials to support long-term learning. Prisoners will then be trained by the prison supervisors to develop their operator skills and will receive follow-up supervision from Xerox trainers to verify that they have attained Xerox's Customer Education training course and later the Advanced Customer Training (ACT) course. Prisoners will be using the digital printers to produce professional work for the prison, and contracted work for businesses outside of the prison.

"We at Xerox feel extremely proud to be part of this initiative to help train prisoners with key skills," says Anoush Dowlatshahi-Gordon, Director & General Manager, production systems group, Xerox UK. "Like any Xerox customer, Standford Hill Prison will be supported by us to develop the use of its digital portfolio through continued training and help grow its volumes. The materials produced will be high quality and produced at fast speeds, which should encourage demand from local customers and help cut administrative costs of printing within the prison."

About Xerox Europe
Xerox Europe, the European operations of Xerox Corporation, markets a comprehensive range of Xerox products, solutions and services, as well as associated supplies and software. Its offerings are focused on three main areas: offices from small to large, production print and graphic arts environments, and services that include consulting, systems design and management, and document outsourcing.

Xerox Europe also has manufacturing and logistics operations in Ireland, the UK and the Netherlands, and a research and development facility (Xerox Research Centre Europe) in Grenoble, France. For more information visit, www.xerox.com.

Xerox supports The New Business Of Printing strategy by providing the largest portfolio of state-of-the-art digital products, solutions and services in the industry, integrated streamlined and efficient workflow solutions and a suite of business development tools that help customers to achieve sustained long-term growth. In the changing world of print, these three elements enable customers to improve business performance and productivity to ensure they uncover more ways to profit.

Xerox Graphic Arts Premier Partners are members of an elite global community of selected Graphic Arts companies; they are among the most advanced and skilled digital printers in their countries. Customers working with Premier Partners are assured of high quality print services from best-of-breed companies equipped with the latest technology. For more information on the Xerox Premier Partner network, please visit www.xerox.com/xpp.

Xerox is a trademark of Xerox Corporation. All non-Xerox brands and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

Media Contacts
David Millican, Xerox UK, tel: +44 (0) 1895 843 196,
email: david.millican@xerox.com

Kinross + Render (on behalf of Xerox),
Tony Brown or Sophie Hemsworth, tel: +44 (0) 20 7592 3100,
email: tb@kinrossrender.com/ sh@kinrossrender.com