Well I have posted this before and can elaborate on the prison system as it aint no cushty number as many have suggested.
Prison is not about sitting in your cell for hours of the day bored.
I am not afraid to admit I have been to prison all be it for a short time and my conviction was overturned thanks to the justice system actually working for once in this country all be it a long time ago.
Just to dispell some myths here.
Bear in mind not many prisons have single cells so you are locked up with some bloke you dont know from Adam so its not just a case of being bored in my case your wondering if this guy is going to lose it at some point and take his revenge on you.
You fear for every vital second of life.
On entry to the prison your searched and allowed to keep some of your personal belongings and then forced into a shower with an onlooker watching you and then searched again and given your prisoner number and a set of rules.
Then your marched off and placed into a cell with someone you never met before and know nothing of what they are in for.
After managing to contain your bowel movements your introduced if your lucky to your probation officer or assigned prison officer and given the run down of the place.
You are then told of your responsibility to keep the cell clean which is subject to inspection at any point.
As for excercise and Gyms that is a priveledge usually only given to remand prisoners as open prisons dont have these as they are considered you have enough excercise walking about the place.
The televisions are there but are either for privledges or paid for by the prisoner.
Same as the Canteen or prison shop where you can by essentials and cigs etc again paid for by the prisoner.
You get allowed out for what they call free association which usually means access to an open area where there are pool tables and the like.
Throughout the day you cannot just sit in your cell and while the hours away as much as you would like to as every knock on that cell door puts the fear of god into you but in fairness it was usually to go and attend some course or other or visit the library or attend some course which is supposed to improve your skills for release and prevent you re-offending etc.
Most prisons depending on what your in for allow one or two visits a month from your loved ones and they have to undergo the indignancy of being searched and vetted just to get in and see you for a measly 30min to 1 hour visit.
The media tend to pick on the wealthy being shipped off to some lax prison and getting it good just because they have the money to buy all these extra privledges and lead the unsuspecting into thinking it is a cushty life inside.
Let me tell you and any others reading unless you got **** loadsa money its far from a cushty little break at her majesty expense.
Now i am not trying to justify it should be an easy life if you are guilty of a crime that deserves the punishment but if you were like me wrongly sent down then it wasnt no picnic.
Sorry to dispell any myths here but it really gets my goat when people with no experience and are gullable to what the media say and try to portray prison as an easy option.
In closing to give people an example of how bad it can be, although i was only in for a little under 3 months nearly 15 years ago can you imagine being forced into a cell with someone you never knew and given the top bunk and on my first night chose the option to **** myself rather than risk getting down from the top bunk and disturbing the guy below.
Its harsh and it happened.
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