The Screw sits in the block office, looking slightly frazzled. "I shouldn't say this in front of you but there are times when I want to bash their brains out!", indicating the corridor of cells.
It had been a busy, fractious day with the occupants of the Block giving the staff a bit of a run-around.
A few minutes later I saw that same screw at a cell door, seemingly perfectly calm as he was faced with an irate, aggressive con.
Is this the definition of professionalism for prison staff?
Showing posts with label HMP Erlestoke. Show all posts
Showing posts with label HMP Erlestoke. Show all posts
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Beware, Blogger About!
Some staff are a little wary about my being in my present job. Now, I live in the Block, notebook in hand. The Block is the most confrontational and heated place in any prison; in some prisons that atmosphere has become a breeding ground for entrenched and outright violent staff. Obviously, having the likes of me lurking about could be problematic.
I'm not going to censor what I write, and I have always resisted censorship being imposed upon me. But that doesn't mean that I am going to be gratuitously unfair and hint that matters are other than they are. As ever, I shall point out the good and the bad, however and whenever they appear.
In some sense this is a slight shift away from my usual broad - and obvious - agenda, which is decidedly anti prison service. Perhaps I am feeling rather more reflective, my academic instincts coming to the fore as my campaigning instincts take a rest.
As I judge this Block so far, it is thankfully free of the pitfall of staff entrenching themselves in aggressive attitudes. This is always a risk. The Block is where staff face prisoners at their worst, and where staff are most likely to face violence. In those circumstances, an isolated shift of staff are always at risk of reaching for the steroids and hardening their attitude. Whether this happens is largely in the hands of senior managers. Some Blocks are notoriously violent and this is at best allowed to continue by managers, even prison service headquarters.
I have yet to detect any unusual anti-prisoner or aggressive attitude on the part of the Block staff here. This isn't a broad nomination for sainthood. I've overheard a few choice comments made after staff have dealt with a particularly difficult prisoner. I'm not going to make an issue out of that type of thing if it's said "in private". It is only human, and when a con has kept me awake half the night by banging on his door then my comments are a damn sight worse. I may instinctively take the corner of my fellow cons, but I'm not going to pretend that none of us can be a real pain at times.
So staff needn't be worried about my writing. As long as everything is kosher, I'm not going to poke at it just for entertainment.
This is an interesting and unusual position for me to be in. Literally walking the corridor with screws on one side and cons on the other, and both are making demands on me.
Strange times.
I'm not going to censor what I write, and I have always resisted censorship being imposed upon me. But that doesn't mean that I am going to be gratuitously unfair and hint that matters are other than they are. As ever, I shall point out the good and the bad, however and whenever they appear.
In some sense this is a slight shift away from my usual broad - and obvious - agenda, which is decidedly anti prison service. Perhaps I am feeling rather more reflective, my academic instincts coming to the fore as my campaigning instincts take a rest.
As I judge this Block so far, it is thankfully free of the pitfall of staff entrenching themselves in aggressive attitudes. This is always a risk. The Block is where staff face prisoners at their worst, and where staff are most likely to face violence. In those circumstances, an isolated shift of staff are always at risk of reaching for the steroids and hardening their attitude. Whether this happens is largely in the hands of senior managers. Some Blocks are notoriously violent and this is at best allowed to continue by managers, even prison service headquarters.
I have yet to detect any unusual anti-prisoner or aggressive attitude on the part of the Block staff here. This isn't a broad nomination for sainthood. I've overheard a few choice comments made after staff have dealt with a particularly difficult prisoner. I'm not going to make an issue out of that type of thing if it's said "in private". It is only human, and when a con has kept me awake half the night by banging on his door then my comments are a damn sight worse. I may instinctively take the corner of my fellow cons, but I'm not going to pretend that none of us can be a real pain at times.
So staff needn't be worried about my writing. As long as everything is kosher, I'm not going to poke at it just for entertainment.
This is an interesting and unusual position for me to be in. Literally walking the corridor with screws on one side and cons on the other, and both are making demands on me.
Strange times.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Dog Bites Man
Playing with a few dogs is hardly a headline in life, except the strange and empty world that is prison.
Not having played with a dog for 3 decades, I'd somehow overlooked the toothy prospects of 2 springer spaniel puppies when a tennis ball is dangled before them. Don't be misled by the floppy ears and sad eyes, they can shift - and don't let fingers get between them and the ball.
I spent about an hour with them and a big labrador puppie and they did run me ragged. They also gave me a chance to step out of "prison", to do something normal. Such times are rare and to be held on to.
Many thanks to all involved!
Not having played with a dog for 3 decades, I'd somehow overlooked the toothy prospects of 2 springer spaniel puppies when a tennis ball is dangled before them. Don't be misled by the floppy ears and sad eyes, they can shift - and don't let fingers get between them and the ball.
I spent about an hour with them and a big labrador puppie and they did run me ragged. They also gave me a chance to step out of "prison", to do something normal. Such times are rare and to be held on to.
Many thanks to all involved!
Friday, September 23, 2011
Prison Inspectors and Change
Two years ago the Prison Inspectors recommended that Erlestoke alter its procedure for getting visitors from the gate through to the visits room. Keeping families standing in the cold and rain isn't seen as being a particularly nice thing to do.
Two years on, and the Editor finders herself standing outside for 30 minutes, with families including small children, waiting to get in. That meant that we lost nearly half an hour of visiting time.
How fortunate for us that a Prison Inspector was lurking in the visits room, allowing the Ed and I to vent our opinion of the shambolic process. The Inspectorate are to repeat their recommendation.
Will the Governor act this time or continue to show contempt for our families? Anyone can nail up fluffy policy statements; it takes a decent and competent management to deliver on them.
Two years on, and the Editor finders herself standing outside for 30 minutes, with families including small children, waiting to get in. That meant that we lost nearly half an hour of visiting time.
How fortunate for us that a Prison Inspector was lurking in the visits room, allowing the Ed and I to vent our opinion of the shambolic process. The Inspectorate are to repeat their recommendation.
Will the Governor act this time or continue to show contempt for our families? Anyone can nail up fluffy policy statements; it takes a decent and competent management to deliver on them.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Sanitising Terminology
The recent rooftop protest by a man despairing of being homeless on release has now been reduced by the bureaucratic machine to the phrase "an incident at height".
Factually correct, but utterly failing to capture either the drama or the despair.
Factually correct, but utterly failing to capture either the drama or the despair.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Communication and Control
There are two main avenues that channel this urge to control. Firstly, to limit our physical movement. Even though each wing sits within its own secure compound, at best we are permitted access to the outside for one hour daily. Movement to other wings is totally forbidden. Contrast this with Shepton where, in the 10 hours a day we were unlocked, there was free access to both the yard and other wings.
The second avenue of control is a hair-trigger IEP system. This is an "administrative procedure", legally separate from the disciplinary process, lacking any legal safeguards. It allows wing staff to strip us of privileges, including family visits, at the click of a pen. A healthy prison with competent, engaged staff has little need to issue IEP warnings; a simple face-to-face conversation is usually enough to clarify or resolve an issue.
At Erlestoke, IEP warnings are issued as the first response to any problem. So far I have had IEP's for not attending a double booked appointment and for not going to work when I was meant to be recovering from a general anaesthetic. All very unnecessary and avoidable by the simple method of talking to me.
Instead, staff creep along the landing and quietly slide the IEP warning under my door.
These control measures and the attitude that underlies them suggests to me that management perceive the prison as being barely under control and that staff are too afraid of this to even attempt to engage with the prisoners.
Like all short-sighted managers, they only increase the prospects for disorder by screwing the lid on tighter.
The second avenue of control is a hair-trigger IEP system. This is an "administrative procedure", legally separate from the disciplinary process, lacking any legal safeguards. It allows wing staff to strip us of privileges, including family visits, at the click of a pen. A healthy prison with competent, engaged staff has little need to issue IEP warnings; a simple face-to-face conversation is usually enough to clarify or resolve an issue.
At Erlestoke, IEP warnings are issued as the first response to any problem. So far I have had IEP's for not attending a double booked appointment and for not going to work when I was meant to be recovering from a general anaesthetic. All very unnecessary and avoidable by the simple method of talking to me.
Instead, staff creep along the landing and quietly slide the IEP warning under my door.
These control measures and the attitude that underlies them suggests to me that management perceive the prison as being barely under control and that staff are too afraid of this to even attempt to engage with the prisoners.
Like all short-sighted managers, they only increase the prospects for disorder by screwing the lid on tighter.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Shepton and Erlestoke
Although both Shepton and Erlestoke both hold prisoners that have a Category C rating - i.e. those who can't be bothered escaping - the populations are very different. Management views them as being a nearly separate species.
Shepton is an all Lifer nick. Lifers tend to be older, with shorter criminal histories and - a crucial factor - having a vested interest in the prison community. After all, if you have to live in a place for several years then you tend to pay more attention to the nature of the conditions and regime. There is a broad outlook that favours a quiet life.
Erlestoke has a varied population, with a wide range in sentences and ages. Short termers predominate, and those who are merely passing through an institution have little interest in its condition or regime. Why should they care if they will be on the street in a few months?
Management, face with such a problem, can choose between two broad strategies. They can either make particular efforts at community building, or they can opt for even tighter control measures.
The latter always carries the risk of undermining the very "good order" that it hopes to engender. Only very ignorant managers don't appreciate this risk.
So Erlestoke has chosen that option. Never even bothering to attempt to build a functioning community, management choose to fall back on the lazy and risky option of control.
Shepton is an all Lifer nick. Lifers tend to be older, with shorter criminal histories and - a crucial factor - having a vested interest in the prison community. After all, if you have to live in a place for several years then you tend to pay more attention to the nature of the conditions and regime. There is a broad outlook that favours a quiet life.
Erlestoke has a varied population, with a wide range in sentences and ages. Short termers predominate, and those who are merely passing through an institution have little interest in its condition or regime. Why should they care if they will be on the street in a few months?
Management, face with such a problem, can choose between two broad strategies. They can either make particular efforts at community building, or they can opt for even tighter control measures.
The latter always carries the risk of undermining the very "good order" that it hopes to engender. Only very ignorant managers don't appreciate this risk.
So Erlestoke has chosen that option. Never even bothering to attempt to build a functioning community, management choose to fall back on the lazy and risky option of control.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
The Riot Squad...
...who appeared suited and booted to deal with George, dressed in the latest urban chic. And they looked so bloody gay!
Like a champion body builder covered in baby oil and wearing a tiny t-shirt, the more macho the riot squad dress then the less masculine they look.
Stop trying so hard guys, you're looking a bit silly.
Like a champion body builder covered in baby oil and wearing a tiny t-shirt, the more macho the riot squad dress then the less masculine they look.
Stop trying so hard guys, you're looking a bit silly.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Rooftop Sunbathing
What was lining up to be a dull, irritating day was brought alive by the appearance of a rooftop protester above my head. Cue lots of staff activity, the deployment of negotiators and then the riot squad.
My keen eyes and ears absorbed everything. Ringside seats to such events and the tactics employed by the Prison Service are uncommon events.
The man on the roof - let's call him George - was frustrated because despite banging on about his accommodation on release for 5 years, is still forced into being homeless when he is released next month.
It is uncontested that housing plays a huge role in the likelihood of re-offending, and his concerns should have been listened to and a solution found. Instead, he was neglected and frustrated. Up the wall he went, to try to get someone to listen to him.
The negotiators were bumbling, truly pathetic, and only served to pass the time until the riot squad were ready to force the issue.
Seven hours, dozens of staff, the prison shut down, and the need for specialist riot staff.
What a waste, when the issue could have been resolved in minutes. The governor should have dragged George's offender supervisor below the eaves and asked him to explain the efforts made to house George on release. And if the O.S had been negligent, begin dismissal proceedings against him.
But the prison service just isn't like that. They can admit no wrong and so George will probably spend his last few weeks in chokey, before being decanted homeless to live on a street near you.
There are days when we should all feel ashamed of our criminal justice system...
My keen eyes and ears absorbed everything. Ringside seats to such events and the tactics employed by the Prison Service are uncommon events.
The man on the roof - let's call him George - was frustrated because despite banging on about his accommodation on release for 5 years, is still forced into being homeless when he is released next month.
It is uncontested that housing plays a huge role in the likelihood of re-offending, and his concerns should have been listened to and a solution found. Instead, he was neglected and frustrated. Up the wall he went, to try to get someone to listen to him.
The negotiators were bumbling, truly pathetic, and only served to pass the time until the riot squad were ready to force the issue.
Seven hours, dozens of staff, the prison shut down, and the need for specialist riot staff.
What a waste, when the issue could have been resolved in minutes. The governor should have dragged George's offender supervisor below the eaves and asked him to explain the efforts made to house George on release. And if the O.S had been negligent, begin dismissal proceedings against him.
But the prison service just isn't like that. They can admit no wrong and so George will probably spend his last few weeks in chokey, before being decanted homeless to live on a street near you.
There are days when we should all feel ashamed of our criminal justice system...
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
A Tale of Two C Cats
On the face of it, Shepton and Erlestoke are the same - both are category C training prisons, both lying about how much attention they pay to our welfare and rehabilitation.
Yet here I sit in my cell on a sunny Saturday, bored. At Shepton I'd be able to take myself off to the yard or pay a social visit to other wings. Here, though, such freedoms are controlled far more pettily.
What factors determine the differences between two seemingly similar prisons? Both rest on the bedrock that is the national core regime. Both labour under national profiles and performance targets. And yet both prisons seem to have a completely different ethos and culture, which often expresses itself in ways that our keepers fail to appreciate.
Shepton, for all it varied problems, is actually ranked as the second best performing prison in the country. Erlestoke is so far down the performance table that only miners have seen that depth. Managerially merging these prisons with Erlestoke in charge may seem a tad stupid then. But that's what they are doing.
Yet here I sit in my cell on a sunny Saturday, bored. At Shepton I'd be able to take myself off to the yard or pay a social visit to other wings. Here, though, such freedoms are controlled far more pettily.
What factors determine the differences between two seemingly similar prisons? Both rest on the bedrock that is the national core regime. Both labour under national profiles and performance targets. And yet both prisons seem to have a completely different ethos and culture, which often expresses itself in ways that our keepers fail to appreciate.
Shepton, for all it varied problems, is actually ranked as the second best performing prison in the country. Erlestoke is so far down the performance table that only miners have seen that depth. Managerially merging these prisons with Erlestoke in charge may seem a tad stupid then. But that's what they are doing.
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