REMSCHEID, Germany – The Remscheid Prison in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, has made a significant investment in a unique project where inmates are involved in coffee production. The facility has purchased two electronic roasting machines, each costing $43,640. To source the coffee beans, operations manager Daniel von Lonski traveled to major importers in Hamburg and underwent specialized training.
The coffee production in Remscheid Prison
Due to Germany’s coffee tax regulations, the roastery required customs approval and is now classified as a “tax warehouse,” meaning taxes are applied once the beans leave the facility fully packaged.
Initially, the “prison beans” (250g priced at approximately $5) are sold exclusively within the prison. They will also be available to the public at the prison’s traditional Christmas bazaar.
Over the past three weeks, the roasters have produced 300kg of coffee through five daily roasting sessions.
As for the coffee’s quality, prison manager Andreas Schuller describes to The Star it as “very mild and balanced,” expressing that he is “extremely proud” of the team’s accomplishments. “It shows what the prison can achieve.”
