Not in the sense of been a convict......

I have a job come up Wednesday in Stockton prison, never been inside prison walls before, not sure what to expect.

much like 'porridge' with ronnie barker i'd expect...

When I first qualified as a telephone engineer in the 70's, for my initiation I was sent to Holloway AND Pentonville prisons on the same day!

Holloway was a scary place for a young male - believe me, especially when I was walked along the cell block doors in front of the cons

If it is occupied (I have worked on new ones) then you will need an escort everywhere.
If you have tools, don't let them out of your sight!

Worked in aprison when I was an apprentice. just a couple of days right enough.

It's an odd experience. Escorted everywhere, cons kept way back from where we were working, vehicles checked in and out, really just a very uneasy feeling.

We nearly got a contract at lewes prison supplying them with meals and its pretty scary if you've never been in one before and you may have to put up with a bit of verbal abuse but as said you are escorted everywhere so its not too bad

when we did some work in a prison we had 2 huge blokes with us all day when we went into a room they stood in the doorway
it was ok tho a bit scary for the first couple of hours but you get used to it

I had to take my van in to Northallerton Prison many years ago. We were doing a bit of concreting.

The warder said "make sure you lock your van - there's thieves in here.........."

The inmates stared a bit but felt safe enough though.

been in strangeways, was a hole just after the major riot.
just done fazakerly, very nice, they build kit cars there, then sell them.
Working in both mind you not locked up.
Tool lists etc, no phones, no talking to inmates, no eye contact etc, they tell you this, we did nights too, locked in from 6 pm to 8 am. Even if the job took 10 min

Long time ago, I was visiting a friend in prison, the place was terryfing, I live in argentina, and the prison was in a very marginal place, with a very very marginal people, in these prison was many football fans, (like hollygans there in england), but after some time talking you can know
the guys are common, they probably like, football, race cars, girls.
Is important, never show fear in front of these guys.


[Edited on 29/3/08 by Maradona]

Stockton prison is local to me. I've never been in it so no idea what its like. Its fairly new though, only fifteen years old,so you wont be working in a victorian building or anything like that.

My next door neighbour is a plumber in hollesly bay prison. He likes it but reckons you have to watch your back..

I once did a site survey for some work in Hull prison while it was occupied.

It wasn't too bad based on the fact I got escorted everywhere, but I didn't like the fact they locked the doors everywhere we went - wasn't a nice feeling knowing that you can't leave somewhere if you wanted to.

I did a stretch in Sheffield central police station (well overnight) when they caught me weeing in a shop doorway.

They charged me with impersonating a police officer *

Cheers

Chris

*parts of this post are not entirely factual I was charged with indecent exposure, but they let me off because of "insuficient evidence"**

**Sorry, parts of This post might be inaccurate too, actually I couldn't stand up out side a nightclub (I'd had an inner ear infection, and twelvty pints) so they let me sleep in a cell.

C

I visited Alcatraz once. There was an ex inmate who killed someone in prison with an ice pick, signing his book!

I stayed in a cell once. I accidentally dropped a bottle of Cillit Bang on a panda car.

I got done for a bleach of the police

Perhaps thats a joke best said not read

......

A week later I was walking home from the pub pissed and fell into some quick drying concrete. The police discovered me and suspected I was a hardened criminal

I used to work for a company that escorted mental health patients to secure psychiatric units all over the country. At times we had to turn up at various prisons and "remove" cons that had been sectioned and needed hospital treatment. Invariably they would be very violent and a team of 3 of us would have to rush the cell and forcibly remove the prisoner. As the prisoner had been sectioned under the mental health act he was no longer seen as a prisoner but a patient so the prison officers would not help out. All they would do is unlock the cell door, stand back and watch the drama unfold. So glad I'm back in Telecoms now I was getting too old for that game.

Have visited a couple of friends (overstayed their visa's) in a couple of the prisons in Hong Kong, in Central (mainly used for holding before repatriation/deportation) and one of the womens prisons. They seemed to be really depressing places. Most of the staff were friendly tho, they remembered me after a couple of visits. Nighmare with buying stuff, like toiletries and snacks, on the approved list. Visiting times of only a couple of hours a day. Certainly more difficult if your a foreigner. Plenty of racial problems amongst inmates.

Wouldnt recommend doing anything wrong if your not a full resident, friend of a friend got done for assault on a taxi driver, served his 6 or 9 months sentance, they cancelled his visa, chucked him out srtaight from the nick, left a fully furnished flat behind.

[Edited on 31-3-2008 by WanchaiWarrior]

In the UK, under the present government, just think Butlins.........

Phil

Went into Brixton Prison years ago as part of a voluntary group - very scary place, wouldn't want to spend any time in there that's for sure.

Also spent 8 hours in Marylebone police station, was arrested for assault on Patsy Kensit - yeah really, I never touched her but she took offense at me videoing her outside her house (was a paparazzi in those days) so reported me anyway. She arrived to give a statement with her arm in a sling, so a mate got some pictures of her and we sold them to the papers and made some £££ out of it anyway! Needless to say I was never charged .... still not a pleasant experience though....

Yep - bit un-nerving at first, but someone of your character Jon will be fine.

Pat...

quote:

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Originally posted by Avoneer
Yep - bit un-nerving at first, but someone of your character Jon will be fine.

Pat...

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Have you had a disclosure done on you yet.

The wife supplies labourers and bricklayers to a prision over the water......problem is most of the applications from prospective workers come from ex residents of this prison so under the rules they cant work on that site.
Another friend has three ex murders working on his site building millionsquid legoland houses........