Prison life

[Lucymyers]

I have some questions
How often can they change their bedding
Do they have to buy toilet roll
Why cant they wear certain colours,/clothes
What happens if they end up with a sickness bug and they share a cell?
Do they claim benefits if in prison?

 

[princessmaire80]

I have some questions
How often can they change their bedding
Do they have to buy toilet roll
Why cant they wear certain colours,/clothes
What happens if they end up with a sickness bug and they share a cell?
Do they claim benefits if in prison?

I only know the answer to some of these courtesy of my friend who is in prison at the moment.
Benefits- no, they get stopped when they’re in prison
Certain colours- I’m told it’s something to do with gang loyalties or even football loyalties. My friend is in prison in Scotland and there it’s obviously a big thing around the Celtic/Rangers and Catholic/Protestant thing
Loo roll- I don’t believe so
Sickness- I don’t know but I’m sure they will have contingency plans in place- my friend is in a single cell and she got a tummy bug. She was just kept banged up until she was better so I assume it’s similar.
I don’t know about bedding!

 

[Lucymyers]

Another question What do they do on xmas day?

 

[princessmaire80]

Another question What do they do on xmas day?

They have a Christmas lunch, and watch rubbish Christmas TV like everyone else! I know my friend was saying she’s glad she’s going to be in for Xmas as she gets to see others (she lives alone and has no family, and I’m spending Christmas with my husband and widowed mum so I can’t see her either)

 

[Eirawen]

Anyone watching Banged Up on C4? It’s giving me anxiety

The prisoners are reformed but my god they are still scary!!!

 

[RaveChampion]

Is spice usage (not condiments) as commonplace in UK prisons as it's made out to be?

Which drug/s are the most widespread within the prison system would you say?

 

[Zulkraa]

Yeah it’s good I recognise a couple of inmates from podcasts - will find the links for them. That politician is clueless! Hope he’s punished for smashing the windows.

Quoting myself here, but here are a couple of short videos to a couple of the ex-cons that are in Banged Up.

 

[Loppylou89]

Anyone watching Banged Up on C4? It’s giving me anxiety

One of the prisoners on there used to be ok TikTok and came across that he was completely reformed, helping people with their mental health. Seeing him on here, he was the one that confronted Sid at the beginning and squared up to the Google box guy. Such a shame seeing him like that compared to what he was like on tiktok

 

[Zulkraa]

One of the prisoners on there used to be ok TikTok and came across that he was completely reformed, helping people with their mental health. Seeing him on here, he was the one that confronted Sid at the beginning and squared up to the Google box guy. Such a shame seeing him like that compared to what he was like on tiktok

They were asked to behave how they would when they were in prison.

 

[Showmethemoonie]

One of the prisoners on there used to be ok TikTok and came across that he was completely reformed, helping people with their mental health. Seeing him on here, he was the one that confronted Sid at the beginning and squared up to the Google box guy. Such a shame seeing him like that compared to what he was like on tiktok

I’m sure even if you’re reformed those experiences don’t leave you. I can imagine just being back in a prison, even if you’re not actually locked up and it’s all for show, would take you back there pretty quickly. I know it’s not real but it’s still pretty uncomfortable to watch!

 

[Loppylou89]

They were asked to behave how they would when they were in prison.

Ahh I think I must of missed it. I clearly wasn’t paying attention. So are the prisoners not actually in prison now? This is all just for the show?
---

I’m sure even if you’re reformed those experiences don’t leave you. I can imagine just being back in a prison, even if you’re not actually locked up and it’s all for show, would take you back there pretty quickly. I know it’s not real but it’s still pretty uncomfortable to watch!

I definitely wasn’t paying attention and thought it was real and they were just moved to Shrewsbury for the show it’s been a long day

 

[Zulkraa]

Ahh I think I must of missed it. I clearly wasn’t paying attention. So are the prisoners not actually in prison now? This is all just for the show?
---

I definitely wasn’t paying attention and thought it was real and they were just moved to Shrewsbury for the show it’s been a long day

“instructed to behave exactly as they would have done while serving their sentences”

Banged Up review – all other prison documentaries look like pale imitations | Television & radio | The Guardian

Even the grittiest TV depictions of life behind bars seem lightweight compared with this menacing series, which makes celebrities share cells with ex-inmates – including a contract killer

amp.theguardian.com

---

I’m sure even if you’re reformed those experiences don’t leave you. I can imagine just being back in a prison, even if you’re not actually locked up and it’s all for show, would take you back there pretty quickly. I know it’s not real but it’s still pretty uncomfortable to watch!

I can imagine even for the most strongest of them it will be triggering.

 

[Blairr]

Is spice usage (not condiments) as commonplace in UK prisons as it's made out to be?

Which drug/s are the most widespread within the prison system would you say?

I’ve worked in a prison before and going back soon to work there.

Spice - absolutely but not as common as you’d think though.

Mainly subbies/Subutex!

 

[RaveChampion]

Thanks for the reply.
It's really interesting reading about peoples experiences and knowledge within the system from different perspectives,
Great topic IMO.

 

[GiggleBee]

This is on BBC iPlayer for anyone interested.

There is a woman on YouTube that answers a lot of questions and talks about prison life:

https://youtube.com/@ukexfemaleprisonerfrancesc9990?si=pOHOWrASgmUochel

I found this ex governor interesting:

I watched Time and have some questions. Not sure how to hide spoilers though?

 

[repairshoplover]

I watched Time and have some questions. Not sure how to hide spoilers though?

Click the 3 dots and come down to spoiler

 

[GiggleBee]

Click the 3 dots and come down to spoiler

Thank you just a spoiler about Time with a question....

Spoiler

Just wondering if it's normal for people to be sent out of prison with just a tent like Orla did in Time?

 

[moreanimalsplease1]

Thank you just a spoiler about Time with a question....

Spoiler

Just wondering if it's normal for people to be sent out of prison with just a tent like Orla did in Time?

Oh yes I’d like to know the answer to this too!

 

[YR80]

Thank you just a spoiler about Time with a question....

Spoiler

Just wondering if it's normal for people to be sent out of prison with just a tent like Orla did in Time?

My husband is a PO.

On the whole, you If you complete that sentence to it’s half way point (calculated release date), the prison service/probation service will do everything they can to help and MUST provide shelter. If they refuse that help, that is outside probations jurisdiction. At this point a prisoner will likely be recalled to prison for breach of their licence conditions. The prisoner will then serve the rest of their sentence in prison.
Once the final release date arrives both the prison service and probation service has no obligation to keep that prisoner and they are released with no support. Here a tent may be issued.

 

[GiggleBee]

My husband is a PO.

On the whole, you If you complete that sentence to it’s half way point (calculated release date), the prison service/probation service will do everything they can to help and MUST provide shelter. If they refuse that help, that is outside probations jurisdiction. At this point a prisoner will likely be recalled to prison for breach of their licence conditions. The prisoner will then serve the rest of their sentence in prison.
Once the final release date arrives both the prison service and probation service has no obligation to keep that prisoner and they are released with no support. Here a tent may be issued.

That makes complete sense and I guess in some cases it's what they deserve but in others, like I mention in my spoiler (I know it's not real ) it did just seem a run of bad luck.