Have you ever been in prison?

[mybigteninchrecord]

What was it like? Just that really, curious!

Yes,as a visitor. DB killed his best friend in car accident. He was suicidal and the guards went above and beyond to support him. They kept him alive for 4 years. They were so kind to him, much more than he felt he deserved.

A relative worked in one. His stories scared the shit out of me. He said pedophiles can't be rehabilitated and that a colleague had his neck broken by some inmates. Never been in a prison, I've stayed at pontins less said the better does that count?

THisbackwithavengeance Yes, I heard that child visitors being told that the prison was Dad's workplace happened sometimes.

I was a Prison officer for 6 years in a men's prison. It was shit.

I led a course in a men’s prison once. It was interesting and quite rewarding.

Anyone who trots out that tired old dog whistle about prison being like a holiday camp doesn’t have the first clue what they’re on about.

No and I have no intention to either!

Some of this stuff we'd never really get to hear about unless we knew someone first hand who had experience.

@InBerlin your story resonates with me, im sorry to hear what happened to your brother, sounds like the Officers were exactly what he needed. I dont want to go into detail or argue the rights and the wrongs of it, but someone I'm very close to was in a similar situation as your brother, but the charge was reduced to DbCD and they were not imprisoned, but it was a very real possible outcome that we all feared for a very long time. I suppose, on reflection, in part the curiosity may stem from 'what could have been' from that point in our lives. I still feel sick thinking back on what everyone went through at the time and ever since.

To the PP who questioned this being my first time posting. Yes it is - under this user name account. I have been a poster since 2005 and post fairly frequently using my other main name . I can understand you questioning it but if I said Angela Hernandez, the date at the zoo with the penguins, fat balls, Brian from Hull etc. I usually post quite a lot about personal things to do with health etc and I just didnt want conversations that might arise from this post to be linked to my name that I usually post under.

Thank you for all the insightful replies. Yes, I agree, the people left at home to raise the children, keep the family home running etc are also being punished.

Yes as a volunteer for the Independent Monitoring Board, men’s cat C prison.

In sixth form we went on a school trip to a men's prison, it was one of the most interesting school trips I've ever been on. The prisoners made us lunch (pea & ham soup) and were quite friendly. It was hard to believe some had life sentences for murder.

The facilities were pretty good. I remember being really impressed there was a basketball court.

OP you should read this autobiography from a convicted bank robber. It answers all the questions you have about prison. It's fascinating.

amzn.eu/d/ebql22K

I have worked in them for over 20 years. Can be brutal and challenging but also for the men soul destroying and boring. Don’t believe everything you hear about PlayStations and great food. Some men cope and just try and do their sentence and go to gym, education and keep head down. Others struggle and take mamba/spice and self harm to get through the day.

I went to a prison in a La Paz (Bolivia) as a tourist / visitor - the same one written about in Marching Powder. I hadn’t read the book before I went and if I had I doubt I would have gone. I appreciate you’re probably asking about UK prisons though.

I've worked in several prisons in the drug and alcohol teams. I found dealing with the staff worse than the prisoners most of the time.

@DameCelia same, I think I'm still not over that. Reliance security as we have, none in sight, was a duty case, horrific.

@NCForQuestions court cells were generally the worst, lack of security.

In general, being rural, we worked well as a team across the board. I had the unfortunate experience of being duty for two murder cases, and both brought in "the big guns" from the city. They treated me badly.

The first time I was to young and naive to raise it, the second I had a stand off with CID when I refused to interview a male, whilst he was naked, because they shops were shut and they were finishing shift soon.

Other than that I found once in jail, the clients accepted that and my role. I appreciate that won't go for all. Even when I was safeguarding and interviewing parents they were calm.

I would say overall the female prison was more intimidating than the male, interestingly.

Not the same for the cells.

How can you be a refugee from Sri Lanka, she’s passed thru many safe countries to get here as well, isnt it a safe country?

My sister did 18 months for GBH. She said it wasn't too bad. Tv in her cell. Gym on site. Free board and lodgings. Clothing allowance when she came out and her first 3 months rent paid for her. How is it a deterrent?

We don't speak.

Lots of very poor people from SL (Tamil or Sinhalese,) are exploited, especially by wealthy people in the middle East. Huge history ref SL and Tamil people being targeted. V poor and corrupt country.

PP doesn't state she was in a UK prison or a refugee on arrival here.

No. I am autistic and the thought of being in prison is dreadful.

I work in one. A very grim men's cat B

Don't recommend becoming a resident that's for sure!

It not like that for the men where I work....murderers, rapists,robbery,drug dealers. It's very very basic in a men's cat B

It's actually a good point. A lot of the people in prison are ND, or have various differences that could make prison worse. It is noisy and bright and stark and all the other things that jangle you if you have any sensory needs. I have AHD and the clanging, jangly, clunky noises did put me on edge. Doesn't smell great either.

A lot could be done to make prisons more therapeutic.

Yes.
Name changed for this, but yes, I served 3 months of a 6 month sentence in Risley many years ago.
I was too harmless to be a target, I was actually looked after in a lot of respects.
I was moved from the main population ( which was a bit scary), to the well behaved wing after the first week or so.
I had my own cell - a bed, bedside table, open wardrobe until, sink, toilet and pegboard.
I made friends, good friends. We shared cigarettes, food, wool ( knitting was a huge pastime) and spent hours talking about family, what we'd done, what we hoped for. Some of the stories I heard were incredible, but what it all came down to was that we were just good people on the whole, who had done bad things.

We could all, to a women, justify our actions 😅

What else do you want to know, else I'll waffle on all night!

Thank you mybigteninchrecord x

@IDontCareMatthew Maybe my sister should have gone there. She might have learned her lesson!

For the first time, for work, week before last.

It was absolutely FREEZING. I kept thinking “this is inhumane” and then castigating myself for being so Guardian-y. But really, it was horrible. And I don’t think the person I was visiting had been given a thermal vest to wear beneath their prison clothes.