I work in a restricted status women's prison AMA

[QuaintBeaker]

You can ask me anything but I'm not going to name the prison and I'm not able to comment on individual prisoners (including/especially high profile ones).

I remember watching a documentary about a British women's prison (can't remember which one), and one of the prisoners said that her life was better when she was inside, which was utterly heartbreaking - I think she had served a series of short sentences linked to a drug habit. What proportion of the prisoners you work with are reoffenders, and what would help change that?

What’s the food like? Are there plenty of fresh options, or is it stereotypical prison slop? Do you have a separate canteen, or do you eat the same as the prisoners?

What’s the food like? Is there choice?
I read somewhere that prisoners can have money and buy things at tuck shops? If this is true what on offer and do the cost the same as on the outside.

Yeah there's a really large proportion of re-offenders, generally linked to drug and/or alcohol abuse and shoplifting to fund it.

It's a vicious cycle because they're generally given short sentences which doesn't give prisons very long to make meaningful progress.

I think what would help is:

• better mental health support in the community

• making it easier to move out of area so they are away from the people they offend with. This is difficult because social housing relies on you having links to an area.

• better continuity of support from prison into the community

@Glitterbiscuits and @LittleGreenDuck

The food is... worse than school dinners but not dissimilar. There is usually fresh (overcooked) veg and salad every day

There is a staff canteen which is known by staff as "the slop"

Most of us bring our own in, even though it's free to eat in the canteen lol.

Yes they can earn money from working in the prison or people can send money to their accounts. They can buy sweets and snacks, toiletries, vapes, books, clothing and stuff- prices are average i would say

Do you think legalising some drugs would help, or would that make matters worse?

I'm not convinced it would help.

I think a lot of the ones in with addictions are there due to drug-induced antisocial behaviour, or theft offences to fund habits.
I'm not sure legalisation would change that?

What is the biggest misconception the general public has about working inside a prison?

Hmm probably that conditions are really poor and that there's a lot of violence.

Conditions are basic, to say the least, but clean and usable.
And I've never felt unsafe there

If this is a high security prison, what will the women have done to be there? You mention short sentences and quick returns- so why high security?

Thank you for doing an AMA! I’m sure we had someone do one a while back, who didn’t think sex segregation was particularly important and suggested the women’s violence was really high.

The Pitt has garnered positive attention for being a fairly accurate representation of an Emergency Department.
What TV show, series, movie etc would you say most accurately depicts where you work?

So, we are high security and have women serving while life sentences, but we are also a remand prison so we get everyone from the local courts who have been denied bail. So it's a really mixed bunch!

I think at one point the prison population was 80% remand.

The women on long sentences are in a separate house block and are there for all sorts... murders, terrorist acts

But a large amount are in for prolific shoplifting, assaults, possession, malicious communications and stuff like that

Ok this is one i can't answer because I don't have a TV licence and haven't really watched much.

A colleague the other day mentioned one called 'Time' which they said was good

There is a good Man Alive documentary "Women in Prison" from 1972, that shows what prison was like for women back then.

It's on YouTube.

There have been high profile cases of women often being manipulated or choosing to join the prison service and then go on to have relationships/sex with/sneak things in for prisoners.

Do you have this problem in your prison? With staff of either sex?

Also, what proportion if any do you think have lesbian relationships in jail due to circumstances or loneliness when they were previously presenting and calling themselves hetero?

Thank you!

Do you enjoy the job? If so what do you enjoy about it? Great AMA!

That’s what I was going to ask, how funny

I think it happens in all prisons!
We actually had some training last week that included something about this and yes it has happened in ours. I do wonder if it's more prolific than they think but on a lower level? Idk

I don't think i could give a kind of percentage answer as to the number that engage in same sex relationships in prison but I know it does happen, and likely for the reasons you state.
It isn't supposed too, and we are told to keep an eye on people becoming particularly close in case they are being exploited in some way. But yeah, loneliness I'm certain causes people to form closer relationships than they may have outside of prison

1. Do you have a professional opinion on the issue of transgender prisioners being held in the estate of their preferred identity

1. Do you think the women in prison would react postively or negatively to a transgender prisoner

Yeah i do!
You get to meet so many people from different backgrounds with all kinds of stories that have ended up with them being there.

Obviously, a lot of it is incredibly sad too, and it can be stressful and frustrating. I may be overly optimistic, but i like to think that maybe out of all the people i meet, maybe i can have a positive effect on a few of them

There are little victories here and there like when you manage to find accommodation for particularly hard to place women, or when they manage to reduce their methadone script right down, or sometimes even when they just engage with you.

And SO MANY of them are absolutely hilarious. You can genuinely have amazing chats about anything and everything. It really humanises a portion of the population that are often regarded as 'less than'. Even the ones who have done awful things

Thank you very much for your answers.

It's interesting. Not many people really know what goes on inside a prison. My mates mum worked in a women's prison in the early 80s. She was a science/tech boffin type so I struggled to see her as a prison guard. But she did give good telling offs! I was only a kid so didn't ask anything about it.

I guess we all have this nightmare scenario of how we'd cope.

If for some reason you were in prison, how do you think you'd handle it?

I do. I may get backlash.

I'm not sure what the answer is, but i absolutely do not think that a biological male should be in a women's prison. A huge proportion of them have experienced sexual and/or domestic abuse and violence. They're some of the most vulnerable women in society. And i don't think they should be placed in that situation.

We have had at least one trans woman, but that was before I started so I couldn't honestly say what the reaction was to it.
I do suspect it's likely to mirror the outside world to an extent, with some not being bothered and others very much being bothered!

We also have a couple at the moment who are biologically female but present as male. From what I've seen, they are generally accepted

My immediate thought is that I'd LOVE being shut in a cell with no kids asking me for stuff and all my meals being cooked for me 🤣

Realistically though, I think I'd find it hard. You're so detached from everything. No phones and stuff, no Internet access, no being able to just choose to do anything.
I think I'd be bored. And I would hate having to share a cell.
I'd manage, but i think it would be hard

If Lights out by 10.30 and they don’t get up till 7.30…… do they have to spend 9 whole hours in the dark? Or do they have individual lamps in their cells? If not, that would seem needlessly cruel.

Are most prisoners in single cells or do they share? If the latter, does that mean bunk beds 😱…… and how big are the cells?

Regarding food - why are the vegetables overcooked? I can’t get my head round this - surely it takes no effort to cook them so that they are just done. Also what salads are they getting - proper salads or just a handful of limp leaves?

Do you consider the diet adequate, in terms of protein, fibre and vitamins etc?