I was in prison in my early twenties, AMA

[Lexibletheflexible]

I was in prison about 18 years ago, between the ages of 19-22. I now volunteer with charities supporting female prisoners. AMA

You clearly don’t believe OP and are at risk of getting more and more outrageous to get her to rise to your bait. Just leave it here, you’re not going to get what you want from the post.

either take it for what it is or bog off

Someone once said that it isn't much different to the awkward poos you have to do in hotel rooms with a new partner. I think that is accurate in many ways.

You do find ways around it to offer some privacy. However, it is definitely one of the things things that is inhumane, and used to punish. Like the screen used to provide privacy suddenly going missing when you are out of your cell. Maybe directly after you pissed off a PO.

Oh is that the ex prison staff?

I've got to go to work now. I shall return.

No damage whatsoever to communities then? Just the addicts and their immediate family?

I don’t see how this is racist. Perhaps they are aiming to realistically reflect the demographic of the areas they are working in.

I have met many people who have been in prison who have gained employment in charities that aim to deter young people from crime. Their lived experience is invaluable. No way would someone like me for example (never been in a prison, no exposure to organised crime) talking to them about the consequences and reality of prison have the same impact as someone who has lived it.

Also what the hell is a 'white collar ex con'? You seem to think everyone who is in prison is some different species. The few acquaintances I know personally who have been in prison were actually all middle class, educated and successful people who made poor decisions (taking clients' money) out of complete desperation when their businesses were struggling, just to try and keep things afloat. I think any of us could be pushed into desperate circumstances where we might be tempted to break a law. So I can see why the talk you describe by an 'ex-con' would be worthwhile.

When I sat on a jury the judge advised us that just possessing something didn't make the defendant guilty, what was critical was whether they knew they possessed it. So i am surprised that your defence lawyers were not able to argue that you didn't know the gun was there in the flat, and use the fact you didn't live there, but were illegally subletting, to support your case.

How strongly do you feel about avoiding going back to prison? Is it like a desperate "I'm never going back, you can't take me alive" feeling or less dramatic than that?

What education / classes etc were you offered, and do you think they are of value?

Did the man who hid the gun at the house ever get caught for anything else? Is he still in the same area and have you seen him since?

Were you given another council property afterwards?

What do you think could be done better for people coming out of prison so that they can get their lives on track and not reoffend?

I'm thinking of men I know who've been in, one wasn't allowed to live with his mum because she was bringing up his children and he couldn't go in the house, she felt this meant he was immediately influenced by the people who he'd been involved with to get him inside in the first place before he'd even had a chance to see any family or be kept in a safe and familiar place where he could better have motivation not to repeat his previous behaviour (trying not to give any details but it was drug related).

Was that related to a gun though?

This is such a great question- looking forward to the answer!

It’s still OP’s name on the tenancy so she’s ultimately responsible for what goes on there. They couldn’t prove the girl she was subletting to knew that the gun was there, so they went for OP as the tenant instead.

Very racist!

I don't know if it was difficult to find other jobs, I just didnt want to have to work hours I don't choose myself

You said you were still dealing after leaving prison, so was "choosing your own hours" anything to do with regular hours interfering with this?

And are you still dealing, but being more careful not to get caught?

Such a great thread OP- thanks for this.

If one thing could change to prevent women going to prison, what do you think that would be?

What was your access to learning materials/books like in prison? Like did you get 15 minutes once a week to go pick something out?

How many hours a day would just be in the cell? I've heard it's quite bad with a lot of UK prisons.

Did you have commissary like in US prisons where you can buy extra food or certain items?

What luxury or freedom did you miss the most?

White collar -v- blue collar is a term to describe workers based on the type of shirt they'd wear. Blue collar tends to involve manual labour. White collar the opposite. Presumably a white collar crime would involve something like embezzlement.

Seems a harsh sentence if you truly didn’t know a gun was there

someone I know has come out from prison. He held up a betting shop I think for money due to gambling issues - he got a much lesser sentence then you - think was in for a year ish and out early for good behaviour

tho he has struggled big time since coming out / he’s on probation but finding a job is very hard

no one wants to employ a convicted criminal it seems

what he did he had knowledge of and to me seems a more serious crime v you being the owner of a place and not knowing that a gun/illegal stuff going on

did you try and find a job employed work but relieses hard and why you went self employed

I got one when I was 22. No kids and single. I'd had my name down for a while. My mum told me to do it, as private renting even then (20 odd years ago) was really hard on your own.

We have some of the strictest gun laws in the world, gun crime is heavily punished. Even using a replica gun to hold somewhere up is considered armed robbery

It was much much easier in the 90s to get a council flat