What does a prison band concert sound like? Watch our highlights

With your eyes open, you're processing a musical band of criminals, all dressed in green prison garb of one sort or another, harmonising to traditional Christmas carols they're reading off sheet music, and playing laid-back reggae and soul songs to a small crowd of fellow inmates, friends and family in the visitation courtyard at Hunter Correctional Centre on a muggy Monday afternoon.

The bigger picture, of course, is one of rehabilitation, as this modern jail that houses 400 inmates pushes a program of learning and education aimed at cutting recidivism through giving its residents a chance to reset their lives by showing them what they can achieve with a positive attitude.

Welcome to the centre's first Christmas concert featuring the 'house band'. All up, with guitarists, drummers, organists and vocalists, there's about 15 musicians.

The crowd includes about 30 relatives - wives, partners, small children and close friends -plus prison guards and media. The three-set show takes a break from the mid-day heat to enjoy sandwiches, chips and ice-cream cones.

The setlist included Silent Night, So This Is Christmas, Everything's Gonna Be Alright, Sweet Darling, It's Not Easy, Stir It Up, and I Shot The Sheriff.

Inmates can mingle with their families - it's pretty much a Christmas party for them as there is no visitation allowed on Christmas day. There are surveillance cameras in every corner, and we're at least five locked gates from the outside world.

The music program, led by ARIA-winning Hunter musician William Crighton, who leads classes when he's not touring, is but one of many innovations at Hunter Correctional Centre, on the grounds of Cessnock prison.

"It's one small aspect of what we do," Hunter Correctional Centre governor Wayne Bywater said. "It's a really good aspect. It gives them a pathway into achieving other things. A lot of these inmates have never played music before. All of a sudden, 'I can write a song, I can play a guitar. Maybe I can do that traineeship, maybe I can complete year 12 in custody'. So when they get out, they've got a better chance of not going back to the life they had."

Crighton has nurtured the program to this point; no easy task with a constantly changing line-up of newcomers as inmates get released and new ones come on board. He not only teaches them to play an instrument, he helps them write songs. It's extending into a podcast, recording and a possible album of songs by the inmates.

"Music is one of those things," Crighton said. "It has no boundaries, they can experiment, they can grow... it's a massive outlet for them.

"They can write songs, tell stories, explore themes that they are not able to do in any other way."

This year, hiphop producer Nick How began providing instruction in how to create hiphop songs. and that group performed a set for the Christmas show, too.

One of the band's featured lead singers was a late cancellation, having injured his front teeth biting into an apple recently and not being able to sing.

A prison guard who practises with the band joined in with his harmonica for one song in the concert.

Hunter Correctional Centre is one of two rapid-build centres in NSW and was opened in 2018. The centres have dormitory-style accommodation, with pods that house 25 offenders as a micro-community instead of traditional prisons that house inmates in cells.

These centres focus on rehabilitation programs and offer greater freedom of movement and access to education, work opportunities and programs.

Cessnock prison's music workshops are part of the path to rehabilitation.

Sound of music rings out at Cessnock prison