I teach in a high security prison AMA

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I will be back to see if there are any questions in about an hour

thanks op for this - really interesting. Do you enjoy the work?

Have you found that more prisoners are under average intelligence or over average?

Yes, I do enjoy the work, I meet a lot of interesting people, and it makes me feel very lucky that my life has always been so safe and easy. I feel sad for a lot of prisoners, some of them have terrible records, no schooling, horrendous old injuries, drug taking pre teens, etc. But I am glad I have something positive to offer them.

That is hard to say. Many are below average academically. But not necessarily because of low intelligence, more likely because of severe deprivation, and special educational needs, often undiagnosed.

Very interesting OP! Do their SEN get diagnosed in prison? Do you ever teach people who make you feel wary/unsafe or do you always feel safe and comfortable?

We don't have the resources to diagnose SEN. but we add notes to the educational records like "may benefit from a dyslexia assessment" or "Shows difficulty with attention" and then hopefully that opens doors further down the line.

Its often difficult to say, like I said, as some people have had no education at all, so even if they didn't have a SEN to start with, learning to read as an adult can be much harder. And of course there is a lot of damage done by cannabis smoking, and although I would never point to one individual and say " damaged by cannabis" as a cohort, there is massive problems with regressing from previous educational achievements when they were a lot younger, as well as psychosis, paranoia and other issues likely to stem from cannabis.

The people who make me feel wary are the ones who think of themselves as a bit of a charmer. I know its just how they have learnt to get by, but I don't like it much. I'd much rather someone was genuine, sweariness, discouragement and all. I can talk to someone who is being authentic. You cant communicate so much with someone who is putting on an act.

how many on average like to learn and are good students?

What makes you say cannabis rather than spice? Spice is endemic in prisons, and whilst it's a synthetic cannabinoid by definition, the effect on the brain and body seems to be significantly different (code blues etc).

because a lot of the damage is done before prison, not in prison.

All of them are there through choice, I would say everyone in the room WANTS to learn. behaviour is generally much better than in a school

on that note, quite impressive

What is the average age? Are they usually fairly young? Also, how on earth do they slip through the net with schooling? (You say some never went to school)

Mostly 20s and 30s.

Some are unregistered births, no date of birth, no medical or educational records. Some from traveller families, some from homeless, begging families, some from the care system - and the care system is perfectly capable of losing track of individuals completely... Some were home (un) educated. Some from more conventional homes, where they were sent to school at primary age, but dropped out at secondary, possibly because they were expelled, and never took up whatever alternative provision was arranged for them, and no one ever followed it up. Some were technically enrolled in schools, just rarely went. Some are from families where all the adults are illiterate, and never had any help at home with learning. Some have conditions like severe dyslexia, severe ADHD etc, and went to school but never achieved anything. Some have learning difficulties. Some are from criminal families and are just carrying on the family business.

Few come from a stable supportive back ground and completed their education.

Now that really is food for thought.

What are you warned about when you started and did they give any stories behind the warnings?

You mentioned not giving your surname. I've got a good idea why, but from your pov what kind of things could happen if they knew too much?

It really is.

I know a lot of people believe prisoners should be treated as poorly as possible, no access to any perceived "luxury" whatsoever (TVs etc).

Personally, I think there needs to be a retribution element, but more importantly a rehabilitation element to prison to reduce the chance of re offending (education, training, therapy).

What is your view op? Really interesting thread by the way!

well, we dont give away any personal information at all, anything from ex prisoners trying to initiate contact on the outside, or current prisoners informing outside contacts that our homes are empty when they see us working inside the prison.

Sometimes its hard not to answer naturally. Sometimes I tell a polite lie, rather than saying "I am not telling you" - for example Where are you from miss? might get a polite but untrue answer, such as "Birmingham" rather than "don't ask personal questions" But if someone asks a lot of personal questions, and it is more than just natural small talk to keep the social wheels oiled, then I will ask them not to

Being in prison is pretty horrible in itself, there is definitely no need to punish people further while they are there, if they behave well they should have as comfortable time as possible. Given they lose their freedom, privacy, relationships, autonomy, dietary choices, jobs, homes, opportunities to take a shower, opportunities to exercise, etc, no reason they should lose their opportunities to watch TV as well. Unless they behave in a way to lose privileges inside, it should be automatic that they have access to a TV, an education, and anything else that can be reasonably offered to help them get through.

Most of them will be rejoining society at some stage - you don't wan them coming our full of hatred and anger. What would that achieve?

I totally agree with you by the way, I just think it's a shame so many don't agree.

Another question - this is something I saw on the prison drama (Time I think it was called), which was that they offered a prisoner a tent upon release because there was no other option available to them. My nephew, who is a police officer, said this is often true, and if it is, it's no surprise so many reoffend, if they leave with literally nothing, not even a safe place to sleep at night.

Is this something you have seen or that is common?

There is a lot of effort put into trying to get people into hostels on release, but is doesn't always happen. Some try and go back home to partners/family. That can work, depending on what they were in for. Sometimes people come out with high hopes for a reconciliation with partners/family but are on the streets again within a few weeks. I personally won't know what happens to people who have left my prison, but I hear plenty from people who are on the second, third, tenth sentence about what went wrong last time they were released.

Worse thing I've heard is people being driven to a rail station and given a one way ticket to some random destination they have no connection with - quite often in Scotland...

That’s crazy, why would they be given a ticket to some random place…?

Don't know, I have never got to the bottom of it myself, but I have heard it several times over the years.

What do you think of the treatment of the prisoner that's kept in a glass box under the ground in whats supposed to be the longest solitary confinement recorded?

Is there even one prisoner you've ever worked with who came from an emotionally and financially stable background, or are they all victims of poverty and/or failure of care by the adults who were responsible for them?

O yes, some seem to come from normal, stable, loving homes, but they are very much the minority. And more likely to be sitting in the corner of the room working on OU modules rather than participating in a basic literacy lesson.