Life Behind Bars in a UK prison

I worked for Her Majesties Prison Service for one year and gained an understanding of what it was like to be in a UK prison. For obvious reasons, there are some matters that I can’t discuss, but I will share some outrageous things that I witnessed during my employment.

In the UK prisons are categorised dependant on the severity of the crime. They are labelled into letters, A, B, C, and D, with A being the highest security. D is what is known as an open prison where select prisoners are eligible to leave for the day and go out to work, generally for refitting back into society.

I have always been the type of person that believes in a hard punishment and I also believe that the legal system is corrupt and dysfunctional. My concept of a prison used to be 4 walls, a bed, a toilet, and meals. Nothing could prepare me for the things that I witnessed.

A Prisoners Life A Better Life Than You Think

There would obviously be downsides to being locked away and not having contact with the outside world except a weekly visit, but nevertheless, prisoners have a comfortable life inside. I will never forget what I witnessed in my first week. I was working on one of the wings (blocks) with a contractor inside a cell, and behind me, a prisoner invited me into his cell to show me the collection of…