I've been to prison AMA!

[NameChanger1987]

I was in a closed prison for 2 months then 4 months in an open prison. It was 5 years ago for a 'white collar' crime.

I know a lot of my friends irl always had lots of questions so wondered if you lot had the same?!

Did you make any money from what you were doing before you got caught? How were you told that you had been caught?

What were visiting times like?

Did your partner stay with you afterwards? If not, did he leave before your trial and conviction or afterwards?

What was that moment like when you realised you'd been caught? Who was it that approached you? When you say you were fiddling mortgages, do you mean at work or at home?

witchofzog I did make money. I found out I was caught when the police came to search my house.

PugwallsSummer At first emotional then I managed to get myself onto autopilot. They were extremely difficult.

HollowTalk He did stay with me. It was my own business, sell and rent back. I did have an office but they came to my home first.

What's life like for you now?

stressedtiredbuthappy back to normal but actually better, I try harder not to take my family for granted.

Roughly how much money we involved? What did you spend it on? If it was spent, how did you give it back? How do they make you give it back?

Were there gangs in prison?

Did you have to pay it back?

Was there anything positive/enjoyable about being there or did you hate it all? And did time pass slowly or did your sentence fly by?

Do you feel like you have been "rehabilitated", punished, or deterred?

dryheave A lot but not millions and spent it on cars, watches, holidays and nothing else of note. You have to provide receipts of everything of value to show it was purchased before or by someone else etc. Pay back via POCA.

TheMonkeyMummy in closed yes, in open it was more cliques.

Whisky2014 via the proceeds of crime act (POCA). Means my parents had to change their will because even now if I received a large sum it would go to POCA.

frosty66612 nothing positive, it was awful and time passed very slowly. Like I said it really was like Groundhog Day.

IStillMissBlockbuster I felt punished, as if my life had been suspended but time still went by. 6 months felt like years. I felt deterred as soon as I’d been caught, I realised how stupid I’d been.

What was the feeling like when you got released?

It was very weird to be honest. I didn’t want a party or people to come over. I felt strange and like I had to put on act to be pleased to be home when of course I was glad to be home but it didn’t show naturally. It made me realise how easy people can become institutionalised.

Why are you boasting?

Boasting? When?

how did you get caught? were you expecting a prison sentence? did you use a lawyer appointed to you or hire your own?

Have you suffered with anything like anxiety since?

Would you have continued if you hadn't been caught?

How did your children handle it?

You say it made you realise how easy it is to become institutionalised.
What is the scariest feeling you had when you came out. Was it strange going shopping etc?

esk1mo I hired my own, or rather my parents did. I got caught via an insurance company. I expected it to be suspended.

frosty66612 not really, I just feel thankful for my family. Much more than before.

Does your partner trust you now?

EyeRolls I most likely would have. I saw it as victimless so didn’t really feel guilty. It was only when I was caught that I realised what a massive idiot is been and then I was guilty watching my family. My children were very young so luckily they don’t remember, it hurt me more than them.

Iputthescrewinthetuna it wasn’t shopping or anything like that for me. It was breaking the routine that felt uncomfortable and everyone fussing over me.

How did Friends and family react to it all?