Excursion of the InDesign-AG to JVA Herford

(24.02.2025) Writing journalistic texts in a juvenile detention centre? This has been the norm at Herford Prison for several years now. The prisoners publish the print magazine ‘Popshop’ several times a year - with informative texts on all kinds of topics, from biographies and true crime to recipes. The magazine is produced in collaboration with pupils from the Georg Müller Comprehensive School in Bielefeld, who discuss the content of the latest issue with the prisoners in monthly editorial meetings and work on it together. 

Pupils and prisoners each write their own articles for the issue and also work together on individual contributions. As the prisoners do not have mobile phones or computers for research, the pupils also take on this task and provide the prisoners with material. The prisoners use this material to write their own handwritten texts, which are then typed up by the pupils. This is how the edition is gradually created.

Last winter semester, the IfK also took part in this cooperative, voluntary project: as design partners, around 10 students took care of the formal design of the magazine. To this end, working groups were formed to deal with all layout-related issues, allowing them to express themselves creatively. The result is an exciting winter edition. This has already sold out with a print run of 600 copies.

 

At the end of the InDesign workshop, the participants visited Herford Prison on 19 February 2025. A total of seven students and Stephan Völlmicke, coordinator of media practice, took part in the excursion. Together with four inmates and five students, they took part in the editorial meeting for the summer issue and discussed initial topics.

If you want to do something good and learn how to use InDesign CC at the same time, then the InDesign-AG is just the thing for you! Students are once again being sought for the InDesign-AG in the summer semester. The working group meets on several dates at regular intervals. At the beginning, participants learn the basics of InDesign in a short workshop, which provides technical knowledge as well as tips and tricks for design. At this kick-off workshop, the participants decide together on which subsequent dates the working group will meet for layout work. The magazine is then developed independently with the help of media practitioners. The final result is printed and published at the end.

Contact person public relations:
Dr. Stephan Völlmicke
Telefon: +49 251 83-23006
Telefax: +49 251 83-21310 (Geschäftszimmer IfK)