First Haircut

It was obligatory, three decades ago, to keep our hair fairly short and to shave daily. We could only change our appearance with the governor's permission.

Shortly after my incarceration I was lined up for a haircut. Surprisingly, this was done by a screw rather than a con.

He took me to a small room which had a real barber’s chair, sink and mirror and began hacking away at one side of my head. Half way through, the alarm bell sounded. He dropped his scissors and ran out the door.

He didn't return for a fortnight, leaving me to look quite insane until he completed the job.