The recent events regarding my non-transfer to Open prison, my hunger strike and your incredible efforts on my behalf have highlighted my singular, blessed, position.
All that differentiates my experience at the hands of the prison service from that of my peers is that I have the advantage of a loud voice - and an audience that is listening!
The malevolence, the incompetence, and the sheer stupidity of prison policies and practices are weights under which 85,000 others labour on a daily basis. You tend to hear only my experience, but should your attention alight upon any of the thousands of other prisoners then you would be equally disturbed or outraged.
I thank you for your efforts, your patience and your attention. You all mean far more than I could ever express. But please, think of the others? And maybe pop along to the excellent people over at the prisonersfamiliesvoices blog http://prisonersfamiliesvoices.blogspot.com/
and lend your energies to them? Just remember to come back here afterwards!
Well said Ben
ReplyDeleteThere are countless others in the position of not having a voice. For me, personally, following your blog has made me more aware of what does go on in our CJS and prisons,and I thank you for it.
Prisonerfamiliesvoices is an excellent site which exists to help prisoners families (as the title would suggest!!) get their voices heard, a platform to speak out from,try and exert whatever pressure they can to make 'the system' listen. All too often society forgets that families are the innocents in this, they did not commit any crime, but are often treated as though they had.
Yes, thats right; Ben we are receiving you loud and clear, loud and clear, and hallelulia for that!
ReplyDeleteWith no great wish to be seen as a doom-monger regarding Bens perceived 'victory' at Cardiff prison, I have to say that I believe that what happens to him in the next couple of weeks will be crucial in determining just how the MOJ are going to try and deal with, what to them must be a very delicate/annoying situation indeed. What excuse ( if the last transfer was so kind of unfortunate cock-up! ) could they possibly have if Ben is not on the next bus that leaves for Frescoed? But are they really going to ( as i suspect they would see it! ) 'reward' Ben for his hunger strike? - I reluctantly have my doubts.
ReplyDeleteI think you may be right Darby, but we will be watching and waiting with great interest.......
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