Change is possible
As you can see by the image I have included below, I am still, eagerly I must say, awaiting delivery of my copy of this excellent collection of poems and drawings by parents and children affected by imprisonment in the UK and abroad which has been edited by Lucy Baldwin & Ben Raikes. I'm fortunate, … Continue reading SEEN & HEARD
Allow your mind to visualise prison, if you can - even if for only the briefest of moments - as a chess board. You have two opposing sides, made up of many: labels? titles? names and so on, or even pieces? Within one arena, all going in different directions. Some more restricted than others, confined … Continue reading Gary Kasparov the learner driver!
At midnight tomorrow night - with no pomp and circumstance, no fan-fare, no appointment to be met, no paperwork to sign, not even a "see ya later" - my time as a service user, after many decades, of our criminal justice system comes to an end, as my time on licence from prison expires. One … Continue reading Facts, fears and fables: Silent Battles
‘Bird’ just went plural with Kendra Houseman and Dave Breakspear. Dave appeared on our very first episode of Bird ‘Mental Health Behind Bars | Can Lessons be learnt?’ and Kendra came into our lives at episode 3 ‘UK Street Gangs | A Look Inside’. The links to both these podcasts are available at the end … Continue reading 3 Little birds!
Michael Spurr, announced last year that there will be no more public bidding on contracts to build new prisons. Therefore, with an extensive building programme planned, any new prison will be maintained and managed by the private sector. As well as any existing public prison, that may be put out to tender. It has always … Continue reading Facts, fears and fables…part 5
Lost and alone in a world that makes no sense. Living on existence without meaning or purpose. What! Is the hierarchy of these ends? And whence come, how can be reconciled, their partial antagonisms? Loud voices in my head, that spoke words I did not use. Hidden from view, their vulnerable traits of morality. … Continue reading Inside – forlorn
I wrote this poem in January 2017, in the education block at HMP Norwich, during a creative writing course I was enrolled on. The course was facilitated by Dr. Jacob Huntley from the English Lit. department of the University of East Anglia. Jake would bring in 4/5 students different students with him each time. I'm … Continue reading Inside fantasy!
Journey of a reformed man 