Page 14 - link magazine

14 DAY IN THE LIFE
Trying to make up for lost time
Philip Stone
Just under three years ago a young man from Toothill was arrested for a football related offence. We
Painter asked him to write a day in his life in prison but the authorities would not permit it. Nine months after
leaving prison and maintaining his anonymity, he relates his time inside and looks to his future.
& I was on remand for four months control over what you can do and very fit and painting a lot of Port-
Decorator before! started to serve my sentence any misbehaviour or simple things land prison, Idon't haveanythingto
of three and half years. After the like not getting up quickly enough show for it, no trade or training or
any preparation for what life is like
For a high standard arrestlwas the youngest prisoner ln got you into the punishment cell,
of work with Horfield Prison in Bristol. It was a Everything had to be spotless and when you're released.
I used to get paranoid when I first
references available. hell of a shock. There were people tidy. Governors inspections on
Saturday meant he had to able to see came out and found it difficult to
there for murder, terrorism and all
Telephone now sorts. I wondered what I was mixed his face in the cell floor. You have to talk to people. They would talk
fora up in. wash and eat in the cells and are let about what they had been doing in
FREE estimate They don't leave you alone when out for parades, work and associa- the last two weeks, all I had was two
you're on remand. In between re- tion sessions. You're allowed a visit years of nothing. I've been to the job
Tel: 870515 turning for Court appearances in twice a month and my mum or a centre, to the dole office, to inter-
Swindon I was moved from Bristol friend always came down. Those views and they all want to know
where you've been. They're not
to Cardiff to Winchester, back to visits were important to me.
Bristol and to Swansea. It was very My last three months inside was interested in an ex-prisoner. I tried
DUNCAN confusing and made it difficult for at an open prison nearer Swindon. to get on a college course to do Ca-
SELF DRIVE family and friends to visit you. It On my second day! was told to take tering but couldn't get a grant.
a letter to the main gate. It was very
Fending for yourself is hard after
was expensive for them and they
HIRE only had 15 minutes on each visit. strange seeing the outside world and being locked up. You don't need
not wanting to leave. There were money, there were three meals a
On remand you're locked up for
Vehicles for Hire 23 hours a day apart from getting only twelve of us in this new wing day and you get ordered around a
at Competitive Rates meals and washing. There's a 45 and compared to Portland it was lot. Now! spend time looking for a
Vans • Lutons • Estates minute a day session for exercise like a holiday camp. I worked in the job, watching TV or taking the dog
Cars • Mini Bus and we got to watch videos three kitchens, there was a telephone and fora walk. There ha ye been so many
times a week I used to help serve food at an old changes in three years. Iwasl7and
272 Ermin Street The attitude of officers in prison people's home. I had a weeks home had a lot of mates. Now they've got
Stratton St. Margaret was reasonable, but after my sen- leave last November. It was alright steady jobs, they've married and,
Swindon
tence I was sent to Portland which is for the first few days, but! couldn't there's a new generation of teenag-
era around.
Tel: 822193 for under twenty-ones. They treat wait to get back at the end.
I'd like to settle down with a steady
I came out in January this year
you like children there. There's a lot
Open Daily 9am - 6 pm of shouting, orders given and it's and have until next March on II- job and put everything behind me. I
cence. I can honestly say that prison know a bit about electricalwork and
Sundays 9am - 1pm like an army camp. You have no
was an utter waste of time. I learnt catering,butldon't have high hopes.
my lesson' in the first three months So much time has been lost.
and behaved myself all the time I If anybody can a make job offer to the
was inside, but apart from getting writer please contact The Link.
STORM MANAGEMENT SERVICES
Storm Technical & Industrial Division
Football club kicked out of league
TEMPS TEMPS • TEMPS West Swindon Football Club has
been ejected from Division II of the
COME ON DOWN AND Wilts. County League, only a few
weeks after gaining promotion to
SAY HELLO TO MIKE & JULIE senior league status, because its
home pitch at Greendown School is
unplayable.
U WAREHOUSE OPERATORS Although the school fields were
laid six years ago, Wiltshire County
U FORK LIFT DRIVERS Council started a second attempt to
solvedrainageproblemsin 1989 and
U LABOURERS promised the pitches wouldbe ready
U STORES PEOPLE for use at the end of August this
year. However the deep drainage
U H.G.V. 123 slits which have been cut and filled
with gravel and sand have not set-
U VAN DRIVERS tied after the treatment. It is un-
likely that there will be enough grass
U EVENING SHIFT WORKERS coverage to make the fields safe to Team in a rut: Andy Binks and Alan
Gray up to their ankles
play on until November at the latest,
or possibly next Spring. Phil Bathe, West Swindon F.C.
STORM INTO 1990 WITH S.M.S. Two very dry summers and a wet secretary, said the club had a disas-
The Right Choice spring have been blamed for mak- ter on their hands. "All the work
ing working and grass growing over the last three years to build an
Office Hours: Mon - Fri 7.30am - 5.30pm conditions difficult. excellent first team is falling apart.
A Greendown spokesman said The players have worked hard to
Sat. 9am - 12 noon that alternative arrangements had reach senior league status, but we're
32 Morley Street, Swindon, Wilts. been made for the youth teams and not going to be able to play at that
the Sunday League teams and an- level. I'm afraid that they might
Tel: (0793) 480693 other pitch was being looked for the start looking for other clubs as a
first team. result."