The British government is to introduce new plans forcing prisoners to manufacture equipment for the Army in order to teach inmates “the value of hard work” and save the government money “during times of austerity.”

The plan, unveiled on Sunday, would mean prisoners could be forced to make training tools for soldiers, including sandbags, fence posts and other non-lethal equipment.

According to Justice Secretary Chris Grayling, the program will also provide prisoners with real life skills to help them once they are released.

A trial of the program is currently taking place in HMP Coldingley, where a 10 year ‘Service Level Agreement’ (SLA) was signed, extending the program to other prisons.

“During times of austerity we’re always looking at ways to be more efficient and this is a fantastic initiative,” said Minister for Defence Equipment, Support & Technology Phillip Dunne.

“The pilot projects have been very successful, so signing the agreement here today is a great step in widening the benefits for both departments and society as it will offer prisoners more opportunities to develop skills and prepare for employment when released.” 

While the program is a first for the UK, other countries have adopted similar schemes into their prisons.

In the United States, the government has awarded contracts to the Federal Prison Industries company – worth nearly $20 million – to build body armor for US soldiers, according to a 2011 report from Wired magazine.