What's life like in prison?

[JackofGentlemen]

Following on from the WC case, I've been wondering what life will look like for him? Do whole life prisoners get treated any differently to those with lesser sentences? What will his day to day life involve for the next 40 years?

I did some Googling on the subject but nothing really came up.

I don’t think you get mumsnet in prison

Depends on the prison, the country, the security level of the prison, etc. It's like asking what schools are like, it's too broad a question to answer really as two schools can be so totally different depending on management, etc.

@5thnonblonde

I don’t think you get mumsnet in prison

The ultimate punishment for men😅

Another thread on this cunt?

I would also say that men's prisons would be much tougher environments than women's prisons, generally, because, with masses of men like that violence and drug-taking, etc would be more prevalent.

Men are also physically stronger so it would be much tougher to restrain them especially during riots and in mass brawls.

I did some Googling on the subject but nothing really came up.
Did you try reading one of the many many threads on this topic and this despicable man… Honestly couldn’t give a shit what life looks for him now.

Isn't there already a thread on this?

Scandinavian prisons are meant to be the best. If you have to go prison, try to be in one of those countries.

Let the fucker rot and give no more headspace to him

The evil bastard who murdered my dd was able to set up a FB page from prison when he was on remand. Prison was good for him he got his drugs, visits from his arsehole friends and he was set up with a house when he left.
Prison is
A roof over your head
3 meals a day
Visits from your family
No fucking bills to pay.

For most prisoners I think it's a fairly "easy" life. You'll be able to smuggle in phones etc. You'll likely have a TV in your room.

BUT, WC is a cop, and prisoners don't like cops. So hopefully he'll have a rough time in their.

I won't be surprised if he tries to end himself. Or someone shank him.

@ParkheadParadise

The evil bastard who murdered my dd was able to set up a FB page from prison when he was on remand. Prison was good for him he got his drugs, visits from his arsehole friends and he was set up with a house when he left. Prison is A roof over your head 3 meals a day Visits from your family No fucking bills to pay.

I'm so sorry

ParkheadParadise Bloody Hell.
So sorry you have been through that.

I'm sorry too @ParkheadParadise

I saw a depressing programme on homelessness a while back. Desperate homeless people are increasingly committing crimes deliberately to get into prison. One man interviewed was made homeless after his mum, who he lived with died. He was unwell and unable to work. He kept trying to get arrested so that he'd get warm food and a bed for the night. He actually begged the police not to request bail.

There was an article in The Evening Standard about what life will be like for Wayne Couzens.

I only skimmed the article so this is from memory: He is only one of 60 prisoners to have a life-long tariff and is the first police to do so. Police are not well-liked in prisons so other prisoners will make life difficult for him. He will be on suicide watch at all times so a light will be shined into his cell every 15 minutes 24 hours a day. He will see the same walls every day for the rest of his life. He will never again see a tree or run an errand or walk in a park. He may never see his family ever again.

He will have lots of time to think about his crime as he will never be a free man.

First police officer not first police.

I would imagine he'll find out what rape feels like pretty quickly.

I've heard the BBC programme Time was a good show for what it's like in prison. I work in a related field. The people say yes it's hell, but you don't have to think about anything. Everything is provided for you: bed, food, water, gym, work, TV.

WC will probably be considered a VP (vulnerable prisoner) because he's been a copper, so will be on the VP/"numbers" wing, with similar prisoners.

Depending on where he is (cat A prison probably), he may spend most of his time in his cell, being let out for an hour or two to shower/eat/etc per day.

Prison food isn't great, medical care isn't either (I've known people with medical conditions in prison who couldn't get the medication/equipment they needed).

He'll probably be allowed a visit once every 2 weeks at first (sometimes more), will have to send out visiting orders (if he can find anyone who wants to visit him) which don't always come through in time to visit. His visitors will be subjected to quite a lot of scrutiny (searched etc for drugs, sniffer dogs, in some places treated as if they (the visitors) are no better than the prisoners.

He'll probably be a target for attack, even on the VP wing, so will be watched carefully. Possibly also on suicide watch. He may find himself in solitary for these reasons.

If he wants anything other than prison basics (eg toiletries) then he'll need to get someone on the outside to send money to a specific prison account, to be transferred to him. This takes time.

All in all, life will be difficult for him. And even more difficult if he doesn't have anyone on the outside to help him.

Prison is not an easy ride for many. However I think that there's no punishment severe enough for what he's done & anything he suffers will never be enough.

It depends on the prison, the prisoner and the crime.

Sex offenders are held separately from the general population, either in specific sex offender halls or mixed with prisoners vulnerable for other reasons eg gambling, crimes against elderly people.

There is a hierarchy within the halls and high profile offenders who have committed "worse" offences are vulnerable to violence and intimidation, especially from those looking for status/notoriety.

Contrary to what others will tell you, life in prison is dull and pretty shit, especially for those who had some quality of life (eg work, family) outside.

The food is crap and unhealthy, because the budgets are tiny.

Long term prisoners spend most of their time in their cells or earning a few pounds per week doing education or jobs like sorting recycling or making fence panels.

Keeping people in solitary confinement is a last resort that is legally restricted. However those at highest risk of being targeted have minimal contact with anyone other than officers.

I expect he will be housed in a Category A prison with the paedophiles to keep him safe from the rest of the prison population, such as at HMP Manchester.

While there may only be 60 prisoners with a whole life tariff there are many more prisoners out there who know they are effectively serving one:

Elderly prisoners whose sentence is so long that realistically they are going to die before they are released

Prisoners on the now banned IPP tariff - this is effectively an indefinite sentence. Some of them have served many many years over what was recommended at trial, are nowhere near convincing a parole board that they should be released and many have given up and accepted that it is a whole life sentence. They are not necessarily old men. This type of sentence is now banned and rightly so but these prisoners are trapped by it.

The real difference in experience is what category of prison you are in and how you behave while there - if you are a model prisoner then you can get moved into a nicer category prison (might take years and for a whole life murderer never). If you behave like a dangerous arse you will spend your whole time in Cat A and it will probably be horrid.

There have been quite a few documentaries on TV, about life, in various types of prisons, I mean genuine prisons, not some Drama programmes.

The ultimate horrendous serious criminals, are generally isolated in parts of the prisons, as in Hindley and Brady, the Yorkshire ripper etc. All the serious psycho types, maybe have to have some kind of medicinal and therapy treatment. It would seem that after some years, even the worst of criminals will be able to mix with others then, unless, which happens, they get attacked by other prisoners, who take great offence at people who have killed children.

Sadly the old days of prisons have gone, these days, whatever the crimes, I think that prisoners, however horrendous, have to be kept in a reasonable state of health, and mind, with therapies and stuff, and not banished for good on some desert island, as there is no death penalty now.

I work as a Nurse in a Female Cat A prison.
They have a very easy life. Sorry to say this.
The lifers have extra privileges such as PlayStation and xboxes. They are allowed small pets in their cells such as Guinea pigs and Budgies.
Basic prisoners and those on remand have a TV in their Cell. They all have a kettle and buy tea/coffee/sugar cheaply at the shop.
Everyone has a phone in the cells (since covid). You have to purchase credit to use them. No one can ring in on them.
They eat good quality food cooked by "trusted" prisoners. 3 decent meals a day, snacks from the ship which they have to buy.

They have easy jobs. Most of them work outside in the summer months. We have a farm and very beautiful gardens, they love working out there.
They get good education and leave with qualifications. There is a beauty academy. They practice on the other girls for a small fee.
They are encouraged to do lots of craft. They buy sets very cheaply from the craft shop.
They receive regular amazon parcels from family.

Health Care is really good. No waiting for a GP or dental appointment. Same day usually.
The girls aren't separated according to their crime. You have paedophiles/murderers sharing cells with shop lifters.

It's a real eye opener.Makes me sick sometimes.
There's no deterrent hence why some of the girls reoffend so much and keep coming back in.

Read ‘a bit of a stretch’ by Chris Atkins- he was an award winning film producer before being done for tax fraud. It gives you a pretty good idea, although I think he leaves out some of the worst details of his ordeal and also, because he is educated and smart (obv excluding the tax fraud error), he uses the system to his advantage.
As pp said, I think WC will be raped pretty quickly if he isn’t kept in solitary confinement for his own safety - more to do with the fact he is an ex-cop rather than his crime. The other prisoners will kill him.

@dalmatianmad

I work as a Nurse in a Female Cat A prison. They have a very easy life. Sorry to say this. The lifers have extra privileges such as PlayStation and xboxes. They are allowed small pets in their cells such as Guinea pigs and Budgies. Basic prisoners and those on remand have a TV in their Cell. They all have a kettle and buy tea/coffee/sugar cheaply at the shop. Everyone has a phone in the cells (since covid). You have to purchase credit to use them. No one can ring in on them. They eat good quality food cooked by "trusted" prisoners. 3 decent meals a day, snacks from the ship which they have to buy.

They have easy jobs. Most of them work outside in the summer months. We have a farm and very beautiful gardens, they love working out there.
They get good education and leave with qualifications. There is a beauty academy. They practice on the other girls for a small fee.
They are encouraged to do lots of craft. They buy sets very cheaply from the craft shop.
They receive regular amazon parcels from family.

Health Care is really good. No waiting for a GP or dental appointment. Same day usually.
The girls aren't separated according to their crime. You have paedophiles/murderers sharing cells with shop lifters.

It's a real eye opener.Makes me sick sometimes.
There's no deterrent hence why some of the girls reoffend so much and keep coming back in.

Female prisons aren't categorised though as the male establishments hence why you have shoplifters and murders together!