Migrated From: The Record - Posts

User Voice at Children’s Commissioner Takeover Day 2012

Zak

On Friday 23 November, Zak* was invited to take part in the Children’s Commissioner’s Takeover Day, a national event which gives children and young people the chance to shadow jobs and have their voices heard

A number of young people from around the country spent the day taking part in activities which saw them take over staff roles at the Children’s Commissioner’s office. It was a fantastic opportunity for me to get involved in the decision-making processes on special projects and key issues. As part of the day User Voice sent me along with a member of staff to find out what the Children’s Commissioner does and to offer my thoughts on young people’s issues. I wasn’t sure what to expect but I was really looking forward to the whole day – especially to meeting the Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner.

It started with a meet-and-greet and a welcome from Maggie Atkinson, Children’s Commissioner for England, and we were told how the day would go and what activities we’d be taking part in. I would be involved in discussing the complaints processes for young people. A key element of this was to find ways of ensuring young people not only had access to youth service complaints processes but that they were being listened to. It was a really enlightening session and was followed by lunch with Maggie Atkinson and the Deputy Children’s Commissioner Sue Berelowitz. After that I headed off to New Scotland Yard.

I really never thought I would be able to walk into New Scotland Yard to meet a police commissioner and was really nervous as I stepped inside, but once I met Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Simon Byrne high up on the 10th floor I was a lot more relaxed. Sue Berelowitz and I put forward our questions to him on topics like detention in police cells and ‘stop and search’. I felt it was a really positive meeting as I got to say what I felt about really important issues. The commissioner was a normal person, which surprised me a little as I’d expected him to be just like the police on the streets who stop and search young people for no reason. I was also surprised to find out that he does actually go out onto the streets and ask people how he can help and support them.

Next, I had a really interesting one-to-one session with Sue, which gave us both a chance to feed back to each other about how we felt the day was going. We talked about criminal records for young people and the impact they have as young people try to move into employment and higher education. Sue said it was something she would put in her business plan, which was quite encouraging.

At the end of the day we had a feedback session and were all given certificates for taking part. The whole day was a great opportunity to see what a working environment is like. It has also been a real confidence booster to have the opportunity to voice my opinion about the youth justice system.

*not his real name

Article taken from Issue 19

Review: Love Life 6958

Ella G reviews Love Life 6958: Memoirs from the Pen by Chris Syrus

Life is a journey sometimes walked in light, sometimes in the dark. This book invites you on a journey into the heart of a man, Chris Syrus, who through his
talent powerfully and effectively shares with the reader, his experiences of going to and being in prison where he would be known as prisoner LL6958. Truth demands passion. From the very beginning of his narrative, the author passionately expresses his emotions, in “Mothers Cry”. The realisation, that the pain felt when giving birth to him was one that turned to joy – the cry he never heard! In contrast to the cry he heard on the day he was found guilty, a cry of which he says to this day “haunts me”.

In his recollections of everyday prison life, tales such as “The Prison Window” anyone who has ever been in that situation, I’m sure will be able to relate to this. “The Yard”, is an illustration that some things in prison are not so far removed from society; conjuring up scenes which would not, I imagine, be unfamiliar in the playground or equally the House of Commons: trying to fit in, prove yourself or gain people’s respect and approval.

Amidst the tales of 10ss (Cry for the Dead), shame (As a Man), the clock ticking boredom (Confined, Move On) you sense that LL6958 is not a defeatist, he lives in hope, (sometimes misplaced). Let’s Bus Case an example of his optimism. He appreciates the people sticking by him (Keep Loving Your Son, Live for the Living) he understands there are some, who will let him go, and others of who he has to let go (The Visit, 2Pac & Nas). There is a turning point. The broken man ready to heal; beautifully and humbly expressed in The Letter. There is a desire to put things right (The Edge), give something back, be a positive example. There is an excitement about the future, joy in appreciating the simple things which once were taken for granted (Have a Look).

All of this can be found within this precious book of memoirs. I really admired and enjoyed the way in which this book was written, it’s not my usual style of poetry, yet I could relate to and identified with a good few of his poems. Which is why I believe that once you’ve read this book (not if, when) anyone who has experienced prison directly or indirectly and for those who haven’t you cannot help but feel inspired by LL6958 aka Chris Syrus.

Article taken from Issue 13

Poem: One Month In

The anger, the heartache,
the pain, the despair,
I look in her eyes, I see it all there
The hurt I have caused,
the promises broken,
I see in her tears
without words being spoken.

The sound of her deep
wracking sobs breaks my heart
I know what I’ve done
has torn us apart.

I deserve to be punished
for what I did wrong,
so a cell in a prison
is where I belong,
but, why punish my family?
What harm have they done,
their crime was to love me,
my wife and my sons.

For that they will suffer,
by society cast out,
because of their trust,
their innocence in doubt
The looks as they pass by,
the whispers, the sneers,
while their pleas for assistance
fall on deaf ears
Think you need counselling?
We’ll help if we can
but you’ll wait for months
cause you love “that man”
We can’t pay for two,
and the victim has needs,
so you’ll have to suffer
because of his deeds
If I hadn’t offended
then I would be free,
and life would be normal so,
from this you can see
If you ever considering
committing a crime,
it’s your family not you
that will do the hard time.

by Martin

Poem taken from issue 13 of theRecord.

From Strangeways to the ‘Write Stuff’

James MacVeigh

James MacVeigh’s first play hit the stage in a prestigious London theatre. Here he tells the story of how he went from robber to writer.

My Dad kicked me out in 1963 at the age of 16. After I was caught breaking into cars, I was sent to a Detention Centre as a bookish wimp and came out 3 months later, dangerous. Already awaiting sentence for Robbery, having been driven to a filling station by two guys in their mid-20s who put a tyre lever into my hand and said, ‘Hit that old geezer over the head while we grab the money,’ I was sentenced to Borstal 4 days later. Sent from Liverpool prison first to Strangeways and then Wormwood Scrubs, I arrived at Borstal after months and had it on my toes straight away.

Caught days later, it was back onto the merry-go-round, only this time when I arrived at the Scrubs it was into a stripped cell in the Block with only a Bible to read and bread-and-water 3 days on, 3 days off.

My crime continued and I later did a 3-year sentence, but in 1976 I moved from Merseyside to Bristol, unaware I was making a fresh start until I hooked up with a girl who helped me reform. In 1982 I wrote a book about a lad called Graham Gaskin, “an account of the British prison system not quickly forgotten,” and years later at the age of 46 I got married.

With a bun in my wife’s oven, I decided to get a steady job and started as a humble Caretaker for the council, but did a day release course and qualified as a Warden in sheltered housing, a position of trust where I had a pass key to the flats of vunerable older people. When Graham Gaskin died of AIDS in Hull prison while doing Life for murder, his attempt at a second biography came to me. I edited it and found a publisher.

Made redundant from my job after 14 years, I saw an ad in the Jobcentre for a teacher of Creative Writing in West Country prisons, and thought, “That’s perfect for me”. The employer agreed and took my details, but called a week later to say I could not be employed because I was an ex-offender, even though I hadn’t had a conviction for 29 years. Angry, I found UNLOCK, and it was in their e-newsletter that I later saw an offer from the SYNERGY THEATRE PROJECT offering free writing courses. I was accepted and a year later, my play The Lighthouse was shown at London’s prestigious King’s Head Theatre. I wanted to write about this as a way of expressing thanks to UNLOCK and Synergy. I’ll be thinking of their work when I get my encore!

Article taken from issue 13 of theRecord.

Writing with Conviction

David Honeywell

Education – or should I say my lack of it was the very thing that made my life a very long up-hill struggle. And it was my poor schooling and bad teachers that made me despise anything to do with classrooms or learning for over 20 years. Yet it would come full circle and eventually be the one thing that would give me self esteem, a future, confidence and a feeling of self worth.

While a lot of people feel that education must have a career at the end of it, for me it was more about changing my thinking. It has also been a great leveller. I know many doors are closed to me and always will be but the very fact I could change was the most important thing. And though it was only my willingness to self change that turned things around, education became a great tool to help me do it. Most recently I have been very lucky in that my journey has been of interest to others. And I am so pleased to say that I now share my experiences with other students and the public. I suppose I can say I’m in a unique position when I talk to students as I can draw on my past to help them while also having the same academic knowledge having been in their shoes as a criminology student.

It’s all been worth it in the end. I have – like many other ex-offenders – had to face rejection and prejudice on numerous occasions but this has just made me adept in reinventing myself. Being able to embrace my past and share with others was one of the biggest turning points for me. And now having proudly just published my autobiography, Never Ending Circles, I am pleased that I have also just been made an offer to study a PhD. The thing I have learned through writing and learning is you must do what you’re passionate about. With this in mind, it was obvious that I had to produce a research proposal that was pertinent to my peer’s research interests but also something I could get my teeth into and sustain over the next four years.

My working title is: Education pathways to desistance: A study of reformed ex-prisoners self change through higher education. Not only have I learned to use my past to help others and achieve my own goals but I am a very different person to the one who was locked away in 1995. This is partly due to the passage of time; education and continual learning – not just through books but about oneself too. I know a lot of ex-offenders want to take this journey into higher education and there is a much greater demand now than ever. All I can say is hang on in there and never let go of your dreams.

Article taken from issue 13 of theRecord.

You Might have Won the Battles but I Won the War

Sophie Barton-Hawkins
“LEAVE HER TO DIE”, the words uttered outside my cell supposedly out of earshot. Another suicide attempt. Just another day in HMP for me. Another 855 to go. My life was full of numbers. TG6992… Cell C1-17… 30 red entries… 10 days CC… 10 adjudications…all this after only being in this jail for 60 days! I could decorate my walls with the amount of warning slips, IEP* slips and nicking sheets that were being put through my door on a daily basis, portrayed as a monster, caged in like a bear, roar of a lion. I was by no means “bad”. It was my first time before the courts resulting in a hefty 6 year, 5 year and 4 year concurrent sentence. I did myself no favours by informing the screws upon my reception to the life of HMP that should they bang me up with someone else I would batter them. Now I’m not a violent person I just like my own space. This slip of the tongue followed me throughout the 3 years that I spent within the confines of various 6ft by 8ft concrete boxes. I saw the inside of countless cells, all as scummy as the previous and saw some of the most vindictive, violent and manipulative people in the prison system wearing black and white uniform. I didn’t know how to fight but gave it my all if the need arose, I was trained in karate but not in the raw brawling and pool balls that accompanied many prison fights. I had a sharp tongue and a very quick mind and could often outwit the staff. The only problem with being smart is that the staff punish you for it. I can’t remember how many bouts of basic I did as there were so many and so often. I can’t remember how many times I cut up to ease the pain in my head from being kept caged up, though the scars I still carry are testament to how many times it happened.

I travelled through three prisons in almost as many months, getting moved along only when I had used up all the ink in the red pens for that establishment. In my third and final prison I was curtly informed by the Governor that if my attitude didn’t change then I would be spending as long as he could get away with locked up in the block. I found myself quickly marched down there, still cuffed from the prison transport, after telling him he was singing the wrong words to “Islands in the stream”, possibly not the smartest move of my HMP career but definitely the shock that I needed. I didn’t want to be blocked off, the cardboard table and chair did nothing for the décor of the segregation cells, the bare bed frame bolted to the floor and the mesh on the window filled with rotten tea bags and manky apple cores shook me to the pit of my stomach and the dubious stains spotted along the floor and walls did not bear thinking about as to what part of the body they originated from.

Even though I was in my third prison my reputation as being, in the Governor’s words, “the worst female offender in the prison system” had most certainly preceded me. Even nurses were now giving me red entries! I was sick of basic, sick of the boredom and I wanted my guitar back that was taken from me whilst on basic. What I found out whilst on basic though is that I could write, poetry being the general forte of prisoners I took to it like a duck to water, my note books were filling up charting my days spent in jail and documenting the many lows I went through. Writing made me want to start my education again. I had a good education compared to others in jail so I took 2 A Levels in 6 months, teaching myself as there were no teachers available to give me one to one tuition. I also attended the education block as much as I could and did every course there. Slowly the education staff were coming on my side and giving me good reports in the constant barrage of IEP’s I kept getting. Because of the education staff my wing file was slowly filling up with positive black writing. I became a Toe by Toe mentor teaching others to read as well as being a teaching assistant in the English as a Second Language class. My confidence soared and with it so did my sense of self worth, my behaviour calmed down and my attitude settled. Slowly people were saying my name in a positive manner. I still had a quick tongue and a very hot temper but my slip ups were not recorded as much anymore and I found myself becoming an enhanced prisoner which meant I could access distance learning. I undertook a 2 year creative writing course funded by the Prisoner’s Education Trust and an Open University course funded by Women In Prison.

I was approached one day by the Governor of Diversity and asked to become a diversity representative, in her words “you need to focus your tongue on something positive.” I became the voice of a group of prisoners and represented them in meetings with staff and arranged focus groups for them to have their needs met. I got told I could go for ROTL** if I kept up the good work. So I did.

I started to play the game the way they wanted it played as playing it my way had got me nothing other than a security file that took up half a filing cabinet! I got my first ROTL and went home to see my family for the weekend, this brief glimpse of freedom was what I needed. Upon my return to jail I was completely different, I had something to work towards every month and every month bar one for the remainder of my sentence I went home to see my family for 5 days. After several months of going home my name got put forward to work for Koestler as an art curator putting together an art exhibition at the South Bank Centre showcasing prisoner’s art work that I and several others had chosen to go to exhibition. People who came to this exhibition wanted to hear my story as a prisoner as it was a unique insight otherwise not afforded to the free world. Public speaking was where it was at for me. I had a thirst for it. A thirst for wanting to get the voices of the imprisoned to the minds of the free. From working with Koestler I moved to the open wing and started volunteering for a mental health charity and eventually got paid employment in a hotel and would go to work every day as an equal to those in my work place.

I was no longer imprisoned fully, only at night when I would return from work, and the ball and chain that I was mentally shackled by was getting shorter. I started approaching youth offending teams offering to mentor the young people on their case loads and got offered voluntary employment with Kingston Youth Offending Team. I got to work closely with the young offenders and shared my story of crime and imprisonment to try and steer them away from the path they were walking as well as mentoring them through offending related issues such as anger and drug abuse. From this work my name was referred to the MET police to accompany them into schools and Pupil Referral Units to speak to and educate students there. My name started to be passed around these higher regions and my name started to carry a bit of weight in a good way. I got involved with a charity called User Voice which is an ex offender led service for ex offenders by ex offenders and advised the Government on the Green Paper.

Since my release from prison in September 2010 I still volunteer with youth offending teams and have maintained full time employment constantly. I am approached for public speaking by varied organisations, I advised the BBC on their comedy “Dead Boss” and have had a meeting with Princess Anne where I was introduced as an expert on education in prisons. If someone could have said to me 5 years ago that I would be sat in a room with Princess Anne being treated as an equal then I would have laughed in their face. I am proof that anything can happen as long as you believe in yourself. Don’t let negativity hold you back, transform it into something positive.

*IEP-Incentive Earned Privilege.
You do well you get rewarded by a black entry and if you commit an infraction on the rules you get a negative entry in red pen. 3 of these in a
month results in your privileges being removed such as TV and canteen spend.

**ROTL- Release on Temporary License. When you get half way through your sentence and you fulfil every criteria you can go home for 5 days to
visit family, in my case monthly but this varies from prison to prison.

Article taken from issue 13 of theRecord.

Walk for Forgiveness

Frankie Owens

My name is Frankie Owens I was prisoner A1443CA at Her Majesty’s Pleasure until 2nd August 2011. I suffered from a Bipolar disorder and it was this untreated illness that led to me going to prison. As a first time offender I had no idea how the system or a prison worked. I was clueless to it all, and it was hard for me going in and frightening for the family and loved ones I left behind. To save my sanity and give me something positive to focus on I began writing about the process I was going through, it felt like self help. As the days progressed it occurred to me that the ‘Little Book of Prison: A Beginner’s Guide’ would prove useful to first time offenders and their families and help them get through what is surely one of the most difficult times in their lives. After being a prisoner and losing everything I am now an awardwinning writer with 30 articles published to date, and counting. I have been welcomed by The Huffington Post, Sabotage Times, The Guardian, Works for Freedom, The Justice Gap and The Royal Society of Arts. Numerous universities have invited me to speak, with local newspapers and radio stations running articles and interviews…a fantastic response. However, when it came to my local book launch and local newspapers, the focus was on my negative past instead of my positive future work. The book launch was cancelled as someone went into the shop and threatened that there would be trouble. The local newspaper ran the story of my convictions and not the one about the award-winning book that helps people.

Although they did choose to use the photo I had sent for the book story they did not mention my mental illness! I decided that I would do something to highlight Forgiveness, and how imperative it is to ex-offenders in order for them to re-integrate into society and focus on a positive future and not fall into social isolation or reoffending (the product of focusing on the negative past). Society must contemplate forgiveness and take the opportunity to recognise all the reasons the criminal committed the crime, then they can make an informed decision.

I came across The Forgiveness Project and its wonderful work and the dye was cast. My challenge is to walk from John O’ Groats to Land’s End, visiting towns and cities along the way. Each destination will include visits to prisons, probation trusts, youth offender groups, universities, and charities that work to help promote understanding, rehabilitation and re-integration of ex-offenders. The walk begins 1 September in Scotland, walking for 60 days until arriving at Land’s End on 31 October.

The target is to raise £10,000 for The Forgiveness Project, and raise awareness of the concept of forgiveness in our society. There are two ways to donate or sponsor me. Either a one-off donation, or to sponsor me for each completed leg of the journey. We welcome your support in any way you can. If you can’t help financially, please help us spread the message of the great work The Little Book of Prison and The Forgiveness Project does to help victims, offenders and their families.

I’d also love to invite readers of theRecord to walk with me, either for The Forgiveness Project or for a charity of your choice.

Article taken from issue 13 of theRecord.

Review: Red Kite Production

A video produced by London training organisation, Red Kite Learning, has been produced, working with Inside Job Productions. Red Kite Learning describe the film as: “An innovative, interactive drama which aims to follow through the consequences of choices made by ex-offenders when looking for employment. The film is based on the engaging story of one man’s journey and the impact on his family, where the viewer can decide which course of action they want the main character to take at a number of critical points.” Here’s what you thought…

“I would say that it does achieve what it says it wants to – thinking about options and their consequences. As such it could be useful to people in thinking about the situation they are in and the potential impact of relevant choices. I found it easy to watch and thought provoking.” – Sententia

“It highlights the difficulties anyone with convictions has. It’s a complete no hope situation and very depressing to watch but clearly demonstrates to the public how frustrating it all is, and proves you’re doomed if you do and doomed if you don’t! No one is going to employ this bloke with just one conviction so what chance does a bloke have with 4 pages of convictions over the past 25 years? How would you be able to go through each one at a job interview! I’m thinking on the lines of a riot van with a load of coppers outside waiting in anticipation? Having said that if they knew your past you would not even get the interview. ” – Peter

“I don’t really know what to make of it. Like Peter said, you’re doomed if you do and doomed if you don’t. I started my new job 2 days before I was convicted, so strictly speaking I didn’t lie about convictions in the application. I suppose you could say I misled my current employer though, but where do you draw the line?” – Jono-gt6

“The video brings out a sad state of affairs. Once you get a criminal record you become a class two human being. Disclose upfront and pray and hope somebody has a heart and gives you a chance. This chance is not based on what you can do in terms of skills. It is based on the pity or philanthropic mind of anybody that holds the key to the door. It touches a raw nerve, it gives you a reality check, it tells you – ‘Dear ex-criminal, you are at the mercy of not only the elements but every other human you will encounter going forward.’ It also highlights how your personal life can be destroyed forever. Even your own wife and kids will not want you if you cannot bring home vitamin M. It’s a tragic story played over different scenarios.” RG

“I’m not an ex-offender, but the wife is one. I did watch with interest as I was caught on the other side of disclosing that my husband was inside – long and short, I lost my job. I’ve been in new job now for nearly one year and only just the other day decided to tell colleagues that my husband was inside. Now, interesting video. But what I thought was strange was his tone that totally changed when he decided not to disclose until the interview. He became defensive, dismissive about his crime, I almost felt that was the reason for his non-employment. That aside, it was very thought provoking – for ex-offender AND potential employer. It does demonstrate that it’s going to be tough, but I suppose the big voice in the background is shouting – ‘admit your crime, disclose and all will be well’. The sad fact is that you will probably take double, treble the time to find employment if you do. If ex-offenders were given meaningful training in how to find work when they come out (and I don’t just mean how to fill out a form). This, in conjunction with the video, would be a huge help. To re-frame your offence into an experience you learned from, to be able to discuss what you did, how you’ve changed, would be really helpful. But, big but, only if you managed to get to the interview stage. It’s a knotty issue presented in a rather black and white version. Be good, tell the truth and all will be well. Hmmmm, if only society was that forgiving.” – Ottomummy

“No offence to Red Kite (who interestingly have just lost the contract where I am as a provider of employment advice to those on Probation) but this video’s message is crap. The cynic in me has to ask the question ‘qui bono’ (who benefits) as far as this video is concerned? Not the exoffender that’s for sure. As has been intimated, it’s bad enough for those with a single conviction for shoplifting that happened years ago. If you disclose (especially in this climate where employers have lots of ‘law-abiding’ people to choose from) then 999 times out of 1000 you’re not going to get anywhere. As an employer, you’d have to have had a pretty dubious batch of candidates to be considering an exoffender! So who does benefit? Well, the moment the offender gets a job, providers like Red Kite have one less client. One less reason for the state to pay taxpayers money to them. Yeah well, maybe I’m being too cynical. Never attribute to malice, that which can be attributed to incompetence. Have to say, that video made me pretty angry. It just looked like propaganda, not useful advice. One thing I should say is that I have no evidence for the above other than my own view of the film and a bit of (maybe overly cynical) logic. It is just a opinion and may well not reflect reality.” – SouthernChap

To view the film, click here.

Reviews taken from issue 14 of theRecord.

Poem: For Luther (28th June 2012)

And I have seen such beauty
That does not insist desire
But stead fast moves and darts
In mind and bones
Growing and flexing its new born soul.

For though we all
March wisely towards life’s shade
Our hearts retain some majesty
That replays the scenes of much loved
Innocence
Again, repeat until
No more for it swells too much
And presses the present
Ugly fool from necessary grasps
To maintain our future plans
For he and she who trust
And depend upon our fortitude and not
Our folly.

I once dressed as the King you know
With sceptred hands and glorious entrances
Proud like the dumb show
Posturing in pleasantries and portents
Until only they remained.

Now I strut for the gutter’s edge
Who applaud my hopeful slip and fall
While secretly praying each step
Preserves by proxy their terrible souls.

For no man is wholly bad –
Nor good.
Or no man can truly be,
For in our iniquities and darkness
we hide
The rough edges of our souls
That must, by force of will be rounded or
At lesser force repelled till morning
comes again
And we again
Can breathe.

Let me explain.
I once knew a man who forced melted
powders through his skin
To fill his blood with delicious poisons
The kind that only peril possesses
And curiosity beguiles.
He said to me “What is this fascination with
Length, Time, Age?”
Coughing and sighing he added, “We
live and die is all
The time between is ours to do with as
we will and I…”

The blanket against the window glass
grew darker as the sun
In poor winter receded apologising
And fires burnt strong across the land
As a candle was lit in the here and now
To provide dual purpose, so the
smoke curled, “And I…
Have little now to prove or say more
than has been said
Much finer and purer than ever I
could

“Let’s listen to Zappa and ignore the
banging drums”

For we are the retinue of the future
Purpose now set and not ours
But to prepare the fields of glory
upon which
Our feet shall never tread.

And that matters not,
For I have seen such beauty
That does not require assent
But stead fast moves and darts
In mind and bones
Growing and flexing its new born soul
To claim the lands bequeathed.

by Martin Favager

Poem taken from issue 14 of theRecord.

Poem: Stepping Stones

One step at a time alone
Out of this rage into a calm
Out of the dark into the light
Out of this box into the air
Out of my dream into your heart
Out of the gate into your arms
One step at a time together.

by Alun Rogers

Poem taken from issue 14 of theRecord.