During a passing chat with a Screw I knew decades ago, he told me "they are going to destroy you".
That's a bit strong! What is going on???
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Ben
Lecturing
About Me
- prisonerben
- United Kingdom
- Previously known as "one of Britain's best known prisoners...he constantly questions authority and exposes the futility of the system" The Times, Ben was finally released from prison after 32 years in August 2012. Pleading guilty to the murder of a friend when he was 14 years old, he renounced violence and fought for the recognition of the inherent dignity of all human beings. As a result of speaking truth to power, he served far longer than the recommended 10 years, leading Education Secretary Michael Gove to argue that he had "been punished excessively for a crime committed as a child". One of the more intellectual of prisoner-campaigners, Ben chose to educate himself from schoolboy level to having both undergraduate and post graduate degrees. He is currently one of very few prisoners in Britain ever to attempt a Doctorate. Ben's speciality is non-violent action and the Human Needs Theory. Now on Life Licence, He is forging a career as a CJ policy consultant, writer and - as ever - campaigner.
They are going to try.
ReplyDelete17000 pageview per month and 800 Facebookers say they won't succeed.
I'd be very interested to know how many other life prisoners have served twice the recommended time or more, and why?
ReplyDeleteOr has that been asked already?
I agree with Wigarse :) Keep kicking!
ReplyDeleteI think Ben is destroying himself, don't know why he just doesn't play ball, just to get out, then he can do what he likes, (and use knowlage gained in prison not to get caught). or, just put his feet up, and enjoy the things the rest of us do.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately Anon 9:15 is right. Most of the lifers who serve beyond their tariff do so because they sod about. Ben was in Leyhill (a Cat D) 6 years ago and instead of concentrating on his release and getting out he chose to fight the jail instead. It was a fight he was always going to lose and in the end he gave them an ultimatum that got him moved back to Shepton Mallet. That was nothing to do with him being victimised, it was his own fault. Sadly, most of his current problems are self-inflicted, something that he, and a lot of his followers, seem to forget. He picks fights with the system where he doesn't need to and suffers as a result. He could do a lot more damage, and be a lot happier, on the outside. It's not rocket science!
ReplyDeleteHe's institutionalised and won't last 5 minutes on the outside, hence the reasons he creates to stay, leave him alone he wants to be a happy martyr....
ReplyDeleteTrue, he's frightened of getting out, he would just be another face out here. As for Anon 8:21, you may be well meaning but maybe you need to be more objective. Ben Gunn refuses to co-operate with offence work, picks fights over sod all and thought he was too good to follow the same regime as all the other lifers at Leyhill. He's done no voluntary work outside (like every other lifer has to) and hasn't been through the hostel system (like most other lifers have to). If you think they are just going to stick him straight from Cat C on to the streets you must be mad. The guy has to stop his pointless attacks at the system and get his head into being released. He's over his tariff because he's being a dickhead, plain and simple!
ReplyDelete@anon 4:06
ReplyDeleteCompletely agree. It also needs to be reiterated, that release at the 10 year point was never gonna happen. A tariff is a 'best case scenario', it is the minimum an offender should serve before they are even CONSIDERED for release. We need to remember that someone sentence to LIFE does not have the god-given right to release, they have to earn it, both through completion of programmes/work, but also through their general attitude.
You wouldn't give a stroppy kid treats and sweets, in the same way that a stroppy, awkward and downright rude prisoner isn't going to rewarded with moving closer to release. Suck it up, start towing the line, and suddenly things might start going your way,
@Anon August 20, 2011 4:06 PM and Anon August 19, 2011 10:40 PM.
ReplyDeleteSo despite knowing he's institutionalised and frightened what have you done for him except penalise him with petty rules that ensures he stays institutionalised and frightened?
Yes and does it make no difference to these faceless experts above that he was a child in care when he committed his offence and has spent his whole adult life at the mercy of the prison system? What does it say about the workings of that system that he is now so institutionalised that you consider he could not cope on the outside? There is no such thing as a 'lifer', just individual human beings who should be treated as such.
ReplyDelete'they are going to destroy you'
ReplyDeleteOminous words that are too late to heed I fear.