The Military Corrective Training Centre (MCTC) in Colchester is now home to 150 chickens able to live a free range lifestyle. The chickens were taken out of their cages by the Battery Hen Welfare Trust (BHWT), whose patrons include Jamie Oliver and Jimmy Doherty of Jimmy’s Farm, and arrived at the military centre last week.
The MCTC farm was chosen as it already has strong links with Jimmy’s Farm, in Suffolk, breeding pigs on behalf of the farm. The MCTC is also home to a number of animals rescued by the RSPCA, including rabbits, guinea pigs and birds.
Jean Gill is the Essex Co-ordinator for the BHWT. Mrs Gill said: “I was astonished at the facilities at the MCTC. I’ve never seen anything like that, I was so impressed. We now have a policy of only giving out a few chickens at a time but I would be willing to make an exception with the Army because you actually have a soldier dedicated to looking after chickens which is superb.”
The MCTC has extensive facilities and an education wing to provide rehabilitation and resettlement as well as vocational and trade training for those subject to detentions and discharge from the services.


Major Tony Booth, MCTC senior education officer, added: “The aim is to prepare the detainees for employment as many of the detainees at the MCTC will be discharged once they leave. The single biggest factor for re-offending is a lack of employment and we’re trying to reduce that as much as possible.
“All the guys down here working on the farm are trusted and have worked their way up the system and we often find they take a real shine to the animals. It’s a great way for them to look after something and have a bit of responsibility and it’s quite therapeutic.”