Prison life

[Wolfshead]

Not sure what this thread is about but I have some experience of visiting jails in Canada if that's of interest to anyone.
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US prisons seem shit scary! I used to watch 60 Days In and I would HATE to be in prison.

I agree with you - they are horrendous. Especially when you see the statistics. I believe the US has the highest number of incarcerated citizens in the world.

A lot of people would say that's how prisons should be, but they forget that the inmates will be out one day, living in their communities. Instead of treating them like animals we should surely be preparing them to be good citizens - as far as that's possible.

 

[eggfriedrice]

it’s this that I find quite sad about prison. How many will be there because of MH issues. I don’t know if anyone remembers that bbc3 documentary sex, drugs and murder? It’s about prostitutes in Leeds, they’re all addicts and nearly all of them were in care when they were younger. They start on drugs, then prostitution to fund the habit, all of them had been in prison at some point. Some even enjoyed prison because it helped them get clean for a bit. Most of them didn’t seem phased by going. It’s such a sad documentary but really highlights the issues- it was just a vicious cirlce for these girls.

Absolutely loads are in prison due to mental health issues. I’ve got a lad who went to a police station & started smashing it up and threatening the officers with a broken bottle purely for the fact he was struggling with his mental health & wanted to go back to prison.
It is really sad & during keyworker sessions (which rarely get facilitated but I love when I get detailed keyworker) you can actually sit and have a somewhat deep conversation about their past and what some of them have been through is absolutely horrible.
I don’t condone crime in the slightest but hearing everyone’s individual stories you can’t help but feel for them in some way and have empathy towards them and then others are just downright vile human beings who have had everything given to them on a plate, a normal ish upbringing and are just awful awful people

 

[Ambrosie]

I’m just discovering how hard it is to have a loved one inside.
One of my closest friends is in prison. It’s not too long a sentence but I’m finding it tough not being able to talk to her, especially at the moment when my mental health is quite fragile.
That said I can’t even imagine how tough it is for her.

It prob won’t be as horrible in there for her as you might think, if that helps at all. I was in prison for 10 months and I made some of the best friends I’ve ever known in there. She can receive as many emails or letters as you can send. She’ll be all right. Hope you are too.

 

[eggfriedrice]

It can be so frustrating for officers when they put so much time into helping prisoners with pretty much everything for their release and then in a couple of weeks see them back in prison
When I worked in a YOI I used to help lads with college applications and housing placements when I worked on the resettlement unit and most of them either ended up dead or back in prison, it’s really sad to see
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Totally agree. A lot of people will disagree with me on this too, but I find it appalling that one of my brothers friends who is currently in prison for selling drugs, will have done more time in prison by the time he’s released than two child molesters (one of whom was sentenced to 50 years in total, and served 7, and was then welcomed back by his wife three doors down from us) I know combined by the time he comes out, for selling substances to grown adults who asked for them.

Some will disagree with me on that, but to me, there’s no sense in it. He comes from a big family of drug dealers.They haven’t taken any drugs off the streets by jailing him as another family member just takes his place.

The cycle needs to be broken there, rather than locking him up and slapping a label that will probably do more to prevent him gaining legit employment and drive him back to it when he does come out. By all means lock up the nasty dangerous violent dealers, the ones who sell to kids. But not everyone is like that.

They also made out like he had manipulated his driver somehow. He had not. I was buying weed off them back then (I don’t smoke it anymore)
Me and my partner TOLD the guy on multiple occasions he was gonna get himself caught - as we would meet him and he’d do things like get us to follow him back, so you’d got him ragging a BMW around and us behind him in a 700BHP supercar on one of the roughest council estates in the area. He knew what he was doing.

No I completely understand where you’re coming from with the sentences and how frustrating it is.
You’ve got people who have sexually assaulted their OWN CHILDREN, recorded it, put it online & get 4 years do 2…. Yet drug dealers getting 10+ years
Obviously I’m not a judge and don’t work that side of things but I do see where you’re coming from

 

[eggfriedrice]

Guys I just wanted to say I’m not being rude not answering your questions and I will get round to it, but I’ve been at work this morning & im just getting ready now for an afternoon of day drinking with my team I work with so I promise I’ll answer them tomorrow!
But quickly:
Clothes - they get issued prison issue clothing (grey trackie & jumper) and can also have clothes sent in but have restrictions (no black/navy tracksuits, no hoods, no football tops, no slogans etc)
Laundry - we have a laundry orderly, most wings have washing machines and dryers on wing so for example Monday will be the 1s landing washing day, Tuesday the 2s landing, Wednesday the 3s landing and so on.. the laundry orderly gets paid £2.50 a day by the prison to do his job
Cell cleans - they have dustpan and brush in cell and can have access to mops/cleaning equipment in their domestic times
Cooking in kettle - they make anything and everything! Usually mackerel curry or some kind of rice/pasta dish, but they’re so clever and cook all sorts of things!
Money wise - it depends what IEP level (basic, standard, enhanced) as to how much you get each week to order canteen. You can have money sent in and it goes in your savings account then every Thursday (in my prison) the money drops down to your spends and goes on your canteen sheet. So basic I think it’s like £7/8, standard £12/£13 and enhanced upto £20, sometimes more depending on the establishment
You can also receive loss of canteen as an adjudication award (say for example someone has a fight, they will get put on report and have a mini court like hearing infront of a governor where the governor finds the charge guilty or not guilty and can issue punishments) and one of them punishments could be loss of canteen for 7-28 days depending on how severe the charge
Other punishments are loss of gym, loss of association (pool), loss of earnings (if they’re employed)

 

[stunrw]

How dare you that’s blasphemous you know!

We were working in Ireland recently; one of my colleagues asked for blackcurrant in his Guinness..............barmans response "Sorry we don't do cocktails"

 

[princessmaire80]

My friend was released from prison at the end of last week- she called me today from her house and she’s home safely.
This is a lovely supportive thread and thanks to everyone for their kind words and sharing their experiences xx

 

[Proof8]

I have some really boring questions haha.
Clothes - who washes them and does it cost. How do you get new ones?
Hair cuts - is it like a care home where a hairdresser comes in and does everyones in one go?
And this £20 canteen money is that earned or is that just given? Can relatives give money etc.
Sorry for all the questions it just fascinates me. I've never been near a prison and never known anyone been in either.

 

[princessmaire80]

Just a little update- she rang me out of the blue this evening, it was lovely to speak to her.
We’re going to do the virtual visit thing, she’s sending me a letter this weekend with all the details and everything in. Feeling a little better now I at least know she’s alright and coping okay.

 

[Terflife]

I

@Terflife obviously don’t say if you don’t want to, but can I ask why you were in prison? It’s so interesting, I hope you aren’t offended that I asked

No, not offended by you asking..
My offending & going to prison was all drug related, apart from one. (Been in treatment for a while now. )
I've got one violence charge which was because I kind of lost it & fought back against my abuser, which really angered me when I was charged with it as there was evidence of his abuse & he'd been arrested & been to court a few times, but I finally had enough after hours of torture (my solicitors own word to describe what led up to me fighting back) & I got jailed! ..... He got probation...... Again. .
prison saved my life, I actually felt safe & 'free ' inside.
got help I needed, physically, mentally & medically. .
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@floggersunited
This is the vape selection off an old canteen sheet. The black box with the number in is the max. you can buy of that item.
you are given a vape pack when you first go in (vape, 3pack of capsules, & a charger) the vapes aren't the best so I'd buy a new one occasionally & 'sell' my old one.
I learnt how to get/make a light from breaking the capsule. .
Majority of women vaped, but tobacco was still sought after, & women were willing to pay crazy amounts for a roll up! .
screws were always saying how much it stunk of tobacco considering it was meant to be smoke free. .

 

[bamboo98]

What kind of percentage of people in prison are innocent? Have you ever come across a prisoner who said they were innocent and you thought yeah I think they are.

Yes. I know someone who had a penpal on death row who always claimed his innocence. I think around 20 years later it all came to light that their evidence wasn’t valid and dna didn’t match his so he got released. Unfortunately he had missed seeing his parents alive and missed his 2 sons growing up. Pretty infuriating that a person lost so much of their life and didn’t ever get a proper apology for it.

 

[Kas01980]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I take my hat off to you BIG time. I visited someone in prison once and that was bad enough. Confrontation is one of my biggest fears, and I was even scared being in the waiting room with the males prisoners wife's/girlfriends. Absolutely terrified me.

I'd also like to say that anyone that works in or to do with law, I have huge respect...and I know we have a two or three here It would have been my dream job to be a barrister or CID Police, but to put it simply, I'm not that intelligent! I'm not an idiot, but I believe being able to do a job involving the law, criminals etc etc, requires talent. Especially prosecution and defence lawyers

Do YOU face much confrontation from the prisoners?

 

[eggfriedrice]

I’m not really sure what people would be interested in but any questions I’m happy to answer the best I can
Background; I’ve worked in the prison service for 6 years now. Worked in YOI estate (15-18) and I’m currently at a Cat C training prison in the midlands (18-25) although we do have prisoners that are over 25 and also some cat B, potential cat A prisoners too

 

[bamboo98]

I don’t use TikTok but are there actually women/girls who are PLEASED to have a fella in prison? Like they think it’s a good thing?! Am I missing something- what’s good about having a boyfriend in prison?

We aren’t all proud of it, the ones that post on tik tok look for clout and to become ‘social media famous’ look at the likes of Naomi Oquendo (she has her own thread on here) for that. My husband is in prison and I couldn’t and wouldn’t post about it on social media trying to glorify it or be proud of it.

 

[moreanimalsplease1]

@Terflife just wanted to say congratulations on your recovery and thank you for sharing your experiences with us. I don’t work in the sector but it’s great to hear a “success story”! It’s a great achievement and you should be really proud

 

[TikToc]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I take my hat off to you BIG time. I visited someone in prison once and that was bad enough. Confrontation is one of my biggest fears, and I was even scared being in the waiting room with the males prisoners wife's/girlfriends. Absolutely terrified me.

I'd also like to say that anyone that works in or to do with law, I have huge respect...and I know we have a two or three here It would have been my dream job to be a barrister or CID Police, but to put it simply, I'm not that intelligent! I'm not an idiot, but I believe being able to do a job involving the law, criminals etc etc, requires talent. Especially prosecution and defence lawyers

Do YOU face much confrontation from the prisoners?

STOP putting yourself down. You'd be well able to do whatever your heart desires. Mature students are a dream because they want to learn. Follow your dreams sweetheart xx

 

[spookydooky]

Bad girls?!

I wonder how the Julies are

 

[Bexcc]

Hi everyone, I just thought I’d come on and say thanks for the advice my first prison went well and it wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be

 

[terfette]

I don’t condone crime in the slightest but hearing everyone’s individual stories you can’t help but feel for them in some way and have empathy towards them and then others are just downright vile human beings who have had everything given to them on a plate, a normal ish upbringing and are just awful awful people

Totally agree. A lot of people will disagree with me on this too, but I find it appalling that one of my brothers friends who is currently in prison for selling drugs, will have done more time in prison by the time he’s released than two child molesters (one of whom was sentenced to 50 years in total, and served 7, and was then welcomed back by his wife three doors down from us) I know combined by the time he comes out, for selling substances to grown adults who asked for them.

Some will disagree with me on that, but to me, there’s no sense in it. He comes from a big family of drug dealers.They haven’t taken any drugs off the streets by jailing him as another family member just takes his place.

The cycle needs to be broken there, rather than locking him up and slapping a label that will probably do more to prevent him gaining legit employment and drive him back to it when he does come out. By all means lock up the nasty dangerous violent dealers, the ones who sell to kids. But not everyone is like that and a one size fits all solution is never going to solve anything.

They also made out like he had manipulated his driver somehow. He had not. I was buying weed off them back then (I don’t smoke it anymore)
Me and my partner TOLD the guy on multiple occasions he was gonna get himself caught - as we would meet him and he’d do things like get us to follow him back, so you’d got him ragging a BMW around and us behind him in a 700BHP supercar on one of the roughest council estates in the area. He knew what he was doing.

 

[MissTeddy]

Of course, but I think you’d be surprised that not everyone in there is guilty of what they’ve been accused of. The police get away with a lot in terms of planting evidence, generally making up info that suits their case and choosing judges at court

The police have absolutely no control over which judge presides over a trial.