Loads of questions that I have answered here. Please ask more, I will try to keep up! 😆
If you could wave a magic wand and change one thing about the system or where you work, what would it be? (Actually, no need to limit it to one thing if you have a few!)
More staff without a doubt. Lots safer to work and the men get out more = happiness all round
Do you think prison is too easy now a days? With all the privileges they get and stuff?
Its easy if you like doing sod all, watching tv all day and no work. But, its sooooooo boring for them. It's easy. Its not like an Eastern European nick is it??
What's your opinion on the prison system as a whole, do you think its effective?
It must put a few people off, but they often come in over and over again.
Is Wormwood Scrubs a cat N male prison ?(NOT asking if you work there btw, just recently found out someone I used to work for is currently there). If so, how many hours would a prisoner typically be in a cell each day & what would their day 'look like' please?
WS is a Cat B, and they are in their cells for yeah, 21 hours maybe. Its rotten. All the Victorian Prisons are. Out for exercise (1hour) out for Social and Domestic (playtime!) and out to get their food twice a day.
Do you get an Alpha Male/ Big Boss type, like Grouty in Portidge, who everyone is scared of and sucks up to?
There is always a Daddy, yes! One they all go to if they want something or a good word put in with us so they can get a job or something like that. There are always two trustees on a wing that staff rely on for news on the wing (as they are there the most!) Staff rely on them to help run the servery or such like. There is a pecking order and has nothing to do with the crime they committed. One of my trustees, had allowed his young child to ingest drugs by accident, so it didn't go on the crime, its whether you trusted them to run the other prisoners
Watching these True Crime shows, there seems to be a trend in "type" of young men who are gym buffs killing partners or girls who reject them. Do you think the steroid epidemic sweeping tik-tok and social media is leading to a loss of self-control in young men who otherwise wouldn't have committed offences linked to the heightened aggression and hormonal fluctuations/excessive jealousy and rage these drugs cause? I haven't seen any proper studies on this which I find interesting as it seems to be correlated to the rise in femicide.
Sorry absolutely no idea
Not rtft so apologies if these have already been asked but my first question is do the men try to flirt/flatter you (to gain privileges etc)? and my second is: who is the most "notorious" crim you have met and did they give off the same "vibe" as their reputation?
They try to condition you by being nice and friendly, but a good officer can spot this. They are ALWAYS after something they cant have. The trick is to get them on your side so they do as you ask. Be honest with them about going behind their door when I ask instead of playing up, then you can control them. I give them fuck all apart from the things they are entitled to, but I will always get their phone list sorted and I know people in the jail and can get them to another wing if they want.
I've been in prisons doing other jobs but not working as a prison guard. The vast majority of the guards seemed tired and stressed. I've been in men's and women's. Quite often been asked to pat myself down or not been searched. The company were very worried and checked multiple times I was in going into a prison but I know I've worked with a lot of people who have been in prison and don't see the difference.
We are all tired and stressed
I'm currently working with someone who served 3 years for attacking someone with a weapon. It seems so odd though as he's pretty quiet and I thought he seemed calm and gentle compared to some on site. I think I'd be a rubbish prison guard as I'm far too trusting of people and think I'd struggle keeping that distance.
Anyone can do something bad under pressure. And anyone of us can go to jail , I don't really judge anyone that has been, but I like to see them change there life once out and will give anyone a chance.
How many hours a day can the prisoners work, and how many hours are they locked up for?
They can work for 2 hours AM and PM if they want. There aren't enough jobs for everyone
How much can they spend a week on snacks, etc (or "canteen" I think it's known by?)
Up to £20 or more if theyre an enhanced prisoner
How many visits can they have a month?
I think remand is a few a week but convicted is once a week
That’s very interesting. It suggests that in your category the prisoners are neither? Sounds like, people who had a start in life way below baseline, kept facing obstacles, didn’t have the resources to cope? Why do you think there are less women prisoners like this, and have you encountered Mad/ Bad prisoners you felt should have been elsewhere (in MH,in Broadmoor?)
I've met some proper MH people in prison. There is a LOT of them here, very sad really. Had one con I was scared of, He just gave me the utter creeps. He had kidnapped someone and done torture things to them. (shivers) One con had come from being in Broadmoor for 15 years, and they were integrating him in to normal life. He said the first thing he was going to do, was to go on one of those dating app things... FUCKING HELL I THOUGHT...ANYONE COULD BE HIS GIRLFRIEND...literally EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!
Thank you for this thread @CrispAura
I cant help wondering about your answer here, do you mean that the things which steer women into criminality are different? Or have I misunderstood?
Yes. Women do lesser things and get off a sentence, but if they are in jail, it must be something big, hence my Mad or Bad quote (sorry to offend anyone). Remember there are only 4500ish women prisoners, that's 13% roughly the population of prisoners.
Also: do you think prison architectures (particularly Victorian estates) are conducive to staff/prisoner safety? I’m of the opinion we should throw money at building safer modern prisons and close down ones over 30 years old and that this may well increase overall safety and recidivism
Yes they should stop throwing money at it and build new ones
What advice would you give someone going in for a first offence?
Keep your head down. Be decent to the Officers as you will get further. Don't borrow anything from anyone, its double in return. Find someone decent to pad up with, someone you get on with.
Are there any high profile well known male inmates in your particular prison?
Not at the moment
Obviously you can’t name names, but is it eerie working around them if there is?
No. I like to see them, even if its just to take the piss out of them. Specially the MPs.
Do you think any one is actually evil or just circumstances made them have personality disorder ?
People can be made evil by circumstances. Its not exactly Silence of the Lambs in there!
I am a registered nurse (1 year). Would love to try prison nursing. I love building up therapeutic relationships with service users and help/educate them on their health and well-being.
Go for it. You'll see things you will never see before! The old paedos love sticking anything phallic shaped up their bums
Do you know any of the prison nurses, and do they enjoy there jobs?
I do and they love their jobs
What do prisoners have to do/how long do they have to wait to get 'enhanced' ? What advantages does enhanced get them over ordinary prisoners?
They get more canteen and can wear their own clobber
Do any of them like being there. I suppose when you’ve been in years under a strict routine it’s easy to become institutionalised..
Yes, loads are institutionalised. They have friends inside all the time
Do you think women under 25/30 should work in men’s prisons? There seems to be a lot of news reports about staff having relationships. Do you see this happen?
No anyone under 25 finds it hard to make the older cons listen to them, and sorry, more likely to be conditioned by them to bring drugs in and other stuff. I men, whats a prisoner lose if someone keeps bringing them stuff in? Not a lot! Maybe time added on, but its never much.
Have you met many/ any families inside - father and son, brothers? Would they be allowed to share a cell or do they get separated?
They can share
is solitary confinement not really a thing in the uk? Do you think it should be?
Its Segregation, never for long unless you are well known then youre kept there for protection
Do prisoners celebrate Christmas in any way? Like with food? Anything religious? Any difference in visiting? Would there be a tree anywhere?
Yes. There is a tree and decs
Has it lowered your opinion of men in general (ie those outside prison too)?
Yes. They are filthy, and grubby. And speak about their women like shit (not all)
Do most of the men worry about their families or are they more focused on surviving prison / selfish?
Yes for both.
Do you think it's mainly civilians ( non uniform staff , aside from those coming in on a V.O ) that bring in drugs then ?
Anyone can be guilty of bringing drugs in, but more common for civvy staff yes
I worked many years ( as a civilian ) in prison and take an objection to you saying that although it is 10 years since I worked in one.
Get a grip dear, I didn't say it was you bringing them in did I?
I imagine drones now play a part in getting drugs in and in my day it was mainly visitors and the prisoners themselves at reception.
Not many drones as we have nets now
My prison was/is also a B cat Male & Young Offenders Institute in the South East. Do you think it’s a job that suits people who have seen something of life, rather than people starting out.
Yes
This sounds really weird but I have anxiety about being sent to prison and not having access to things that are important to me. If you had willing family, can you get anything sent in? Eg coffee machine, books, certain toiletries, cleaning products? Can you decorate your cell, put up shelving etc? I have a vision that I could set up classes for other women, for literacy, art appreciation, book clubs etc. Would that be possible? I'm not planning to go to prison any time soon, but always good to think ahead!
Coffee machine! Lol! Sorry! Most have trouble getting pants and socks through! You buy toiletries off canteen, and we hand out cleaning products. You could set up a class for when you are on Social and Domestic, but down to you. You wouldn't get privileges to do that out of hours no.
Working in such an intense environment you have to have a lot of trust in your oppo. Have you noticed a lot of relationships between staff in your prison?
Yes not many staff these days! Thats why when the 'lady' was having sex in a cell, her oppo isn't safe. Anything could happen. Or those cons could have taken her keys FFS. Then let everyone out. How would that end!!??
Prison staff I once knew told me porridge was reasonably accurate and based on stories from prison officers. Was that true and if so what has changed?
Accurate in the 80s not now. Because no one conforms and they dont like taking orders
If you have children have any prisoners ever threatened them - or threatened to harm you once they get out?
Yes. completely ignored them. I'm the last person they will think of once out.
You mentioned the Sean Bean TV series Time as being true to life. A very different proposition but do you like The Shawshank Redemption?
I think most people love TSR!
And outside of films do you think the UK prisons are very different to the US ones?
Yes
I’ve come a few TikTok lives of people live streaming from cells that look well kitten out with food and tech. How does all of this happen? Esp with live streaming and access to WiFi.
Theres no WiFi in prisons, but they have phones with a contract SIM. They may have loads of food. Lots of noodles probably from the Canteen sheet
hey. I'm about to leave the moj. Healthcare... so employed by NHS but based permanently inside a mens prison. Do you see a divide between prison staff and healthcare? As in my place there seems to be one. I've worked both sides... OSG then over to Healthcare. I loved working there but leaving dye to more and more pressure to do tasks that I don't feel benefit the patients, but are to meet targets for funding/to look good on reporting. It's frustrating as I couldn't do the job I wanted to. I'm leaving the NHS this month. Nothing else to go to yet but just feel so hopeless there. Hopeless is a word I strongly associate with HMP service now. Would you agree? Sending solidarity.
No divide where I am. We love the medical staff. Good luck for your new job x
When well known men, who have been VIPs in the outside world come in, are they treated better than the other prisoners by POs or the Governor? Better jobs, more friendly attitude towards them?
Theres a bit of Kudos, but they become normal after a while then get shipped out to a cushier jail
No. Women are either Mad or Bad. Not something I would go to
Why do you say this? My understanding was that a large number of women are in there because they haven't paid their TV licence (Ive never heard this) And another large number as accessories to their men folks crimes (probably used by men as pawns in their drug cartels. They are vulnerable - they would probably have children)
Do you think something like the Norwegan system would work in the UK or is the current system / attitude too ingrained?
Its a great system but there's too many UK cons. And honestly it would be used for Bed and Breakfast by the recidivists I know!
I’m never sure where this idea that there are vast numbers of impoverished women in prison for not paying their TV license or council tax comes from: it’s a tiny number, an handful of convictions per year for non-payment of TV license, and it’s almost invariably for active refusal to pay (i.e. the whole Freeman of the Land argument etc) rather than being too poor to pay.
Many of the women I met when working in prison literacy had been acting in tandem with a man / male partner, but I don’t think it’s accurate to portray them as vulnerable accessories who wouldn’t have become involved in crime otherwise. In many cases, it was longstanding drug addiction of both parties driving the connoting if offences, not the man’s coercion.
Drug addiction is a massive thing in putting women in prison. They shoplift ec
They could have hot drinks but always at an upper warm temperature which would not cause significant harm to others if weaponised.
Really? Just give them a kettle!!! Dont overthink it!
How many prisoners are effectively illiterate where you are? At the other end of the scale, are there any studying for degrees with the OU or does that not happen now?
Lots cannot read or write
Do children often come in to visit dads? How is that managed if they are very small - do dads get to cuddle their toddlers / babies or is it a security risk?
They can cuddle their kids
My question is in prisoner hierarchies and groups. I expect cliques form and am curious as to what they might be in a prison population. Which prisoners are most respected by the others and which are the most detested?
Sex offenders Everyone hates those Baddies
The media gives the impression that religious groupings can dominate or gang members. Is this accurate?
Yes. The Muslim population is huge in jail probably 18%?
With some very long sentences more prevalent now, how are elderly prisoners managed if they develop cognitive decline or dementia? Do they understand where they are or why?
They have to manage, but i hardly see any
Also, how is pain relief in illness managed in the prison system when it seems so hard to manage in a hospital or care home in the community?
We have GPs and nurses.
They get their pills
Why do visiting rules and rules for sending in things like books get changed regularly? Also can prison food not improve or is there so little money for it?
Who knows?? Prison food isnt that bad, they get a choice, they can be vegan
What was the training like op. Great fun!
Is there a weight limit or BMI ,you have to be under you have to be able to do the beep test
are you on your feet all day ,what breaks do you get
Yes, and lunch break of an hour
Is it true that some areas of prisons are self governing by Islam (no I don't think so)
and are a no go area for prison staff We dont have any 'no-go' areas. Its stamped out.
I've always wanted to be a prison officer. Do you think I'm too old at 46 to become one? No, you are young enough and will bring great skills at your age!
My DH said that he thinks the women who work in prisons and date/shag/smuggle things in for the prisoners are exploiting them.
Hardly!
What do you think about this? And why do you think there's been an increase of women seemingly getting jobs in prisons solely to find a boyfriend?
Some like the attention, Yes
Someone I know (but am not really friends with) is a PO in a man's remand prison and has oppenly bragged about how she smuggles Class A drugs into the prison. Some of her colleagues know about this and have been on holidays with her where they have taken cocaine together but don't seem to care. Is this something that happens often or just a particularly corrupt prison?
Well if you know it to be true, you should contact the prison with this information. Why should they be allowed to get away with it?? Write in anonymously and it may be the last piece of the jigsaw puzzle
Are staff / visitors searched by metal detectors before entering the prison? How does contraband / mobile phones get into prisons? Yes
On the phones thing, there was a documentary a few years back about prison security and corruption. You can buy phones the size of a finger made of plastic which are secreted in the body then used for dealing drugs inside.
The Zenco phone.
I’ve been successful getting a OSG role but am on month 8 of waiting for enhanced clearance a long process.
I would stick with the OSG job and then apply while there. At least you are employed
what sort of proportion of inmates have had serious childhood abuse ? Quite a few on the drug wing yes. They take drugs to feel normal. So sad, I feel for them
Likewise. I'm hoping it isn't thinly veiled misogyny, men are misunderstood and victims of their upbringing so ok to work with, women can only be mad or bad. No mad or bad chaps?
I'm not going to answer any more. I speak 'Jail' sorry you don't like it. Move on.
Have you ever worked with a prison officer who had a relationship with a prisoner or a baby with a prisoner.
Yes, a friend started a relationship once he was out and had kids with him, but she moved and I have no contact with her
Any men in prison for non payment of tv licence? Not being goady, genuine question. I know...but I have no idea.