Episode 41 - Drones, Lockdowns, Guns + Drugs

Only 48 hours ago, mobile phone footage was uploaded to the net and social media of 230 inmates in HMP Bedford running riot and out of control. Day by day the broken prison system is making the headlines.

During the three and a half years I was in prison I wrote over a million words by hand. Tales From The Jails is a contemporaneous account of my life, and attempts to thrive rather than merely survive, whilst incarcerated.

Most names have been changed. The events have not.

This is a Jekyll & Pride production.

Producer: Trevessa Newton

Title Music taken from The Confession, on the album Crimes Against Poetry (written and performed by The Shadow Poet, produced by Lance Thomas)

Copyright Jekyll & Pride Ltd 2025

@talesfromthejailspodcast

@jekyllandpride2023
@theshadowpoettsp

Transcript

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During the three and a half years I was in prison, I wrote over a million words by hand. Tales from the Jails is a contemporaneous account of my life, and attempts to thrive rather than merely survive whilst incarcerated. Most names have been changed, but the events have not. Episode 41 Drones, Lockdowns, Guns Drugs It's the 6th of November, the day after bonfire night. It was strange and surreal last night, listening to the fireworks from inside prison, but with memories locked in the outside world. It said on the news, a quarter of a million people attended the waterfront display only two miles from where we sit. We're in lockdown again, the third time so far this week, another security risk apparently. The rumours are, there's a gun in here, delivered by a drone. The implications are really serious. The drones are arriving that often, it's like an Amazon delivery service or Ryanair in and out of Manchester Airport. On the front page of Inside Times, it says the biggest drugs find in HMP has been discovered. Five kilos of Spice in HMP Northumberland. The lockdown means no gym, which only heightens tensions. On Thursday there was to be an announcement in Parliament on prison reform. That was hijacked on Wednesday evening on the 10 o'clock news, when the head of the prison Union said he would go to prison for his members and what he believes in. Apparently, sources say that there are 10,000 less prison officers since 2010. There are thousands of assaults a year. Deaths are up 40%. The stats were not alarming, but frightening. I'm lucky. I had a visit on Friday, Freddy, JB and Al. What a sight for sore eyes. I tell them there are slashings and stabbings daily. Freddy later said on the phone that Al can't get his head around why I would stay, but can't stop laughing at my response. It's great content. I told Freddy and the guys that every day for over a week, someone in here has been slashed or stabbed, often multiple attacks each day. It was straight back to work afterwards, and I cut three heads, including Mr. C's. The Glumster has turned out to be a prize prick on an epic scale. He's a sick note, rude, vulgar, depressed at best, and morbid at worst, and completely fucking selfish. It's the 8th of November and we're back in lockdown. Three times last week and deja vu by Tuesday of this. Once again, we are sat in our cell. It's 10 past nine, and we're already listening to Funeral FM. No of call to T, no work, no gym. Can you believe it that porridge, my pen and paper are my survival kit. T will know it's another lockdown and probably why. What triggered this latest event has made the national news. Two inmates have escaped from Pentonville yesterday. It's the classic escape from Alcatraz stuff, mannequins in the beds, sawing through the bars, and climbing high barbed walls. Apparently no one knew they'd escaped until midday. Cutbacks and staff shortages are already being blamed. One of the escapees has just received 28 years, and you would imagine had plenty of incentives and nothing to lose. Both guys are off the same wing as the prisoner who was murdered last week. Only 48 hours ago, mobile phone footage was uploaded to the net and social media of 230 inmates in HMP Bedford running riot and out of control. That made the news too. Day by day the broken prison system is making the headlines. Deaths, attacks and the loss of control are regular statements heard. Last night, as a result of Bedford, we work late in reception, meat wagons full of prisoners from there, shipped to here. It was chaos. The riot squad was here waiting for them. Once it started to get heavy, we were taken back to our pads and away from the madness. Mornings like this, I sit at my desk with a cup of coffee and my pen. How come one not think what a waste of a life? Selfishly, I mean my own. I feel like a lone flower in a barren wasteland. Sometimes my pad mate reminds me, this is real jail. At one point, Mr. S and Mr. D unlocked the door and came in. No work, instead a pad search, although they didn't bother. Instead, Mr. S prefer to talk about Trump. He's a big fan. His parting comment was, Homes under the Hammer for you lads today. Batten down the hatches. There'll be no work, it's cell searches all day, and gone. My pad mate, who is very funny, was gutted he won't get his wash in today. He said he couldn't think of anything worse than trying to escape. Where do you go? Especially if you're on the national news. We both agreed that if you were one of the Manchester lads or the guys on the super long drug sentences, then you've got to take the opportunity if it arises, especially if you have the funds. That's the game changer in all of this. The Bedford lads are below us in the block and they do not sound happy. I've said plenty of times, you can wake up in one bed and end up sleeping in another. They've been dragged out of Bedford, driven 200 miles in the meat wagon and then slung in the block here. I was down there only a few weeks ago, and it was the worst night of my life. I'm not defending anyone in prison, but once any of us descends the stairs from court, we lose our liberty, our freedom, our rights... and any chance of living with respect or safety for as long as we are incarcerated. We're dehumanized. Ironically, we're a reflection of society and the really sad thing is the footage that's gone viral is doing none of us in here any favours when it comes to public opinion. I remind myself there are hundreds of lads in Walton trapped behind the door for 23 hours or more a day. A normal day is junk tv, junk food, or starving. An unhealthy lifestyle and existence, not to mention the chronic mental and emotional stress. Why wouldn't you want to take drugs or meds to escape the futility of our plight? Lights out, or should I say TV off is later tonight. The American elections are on, Hillary versus Trump. All the polls and media have her nailed on. It looks certain she's going to be the new president tomorrow morning. It's Saturday. I might as well start with Thursday the 10th of November, though. Inside Britain's Prisons by Cutting Edge on Channel 4. We've all been looking forward to it since it was trailered a fortnight ago, and at 9:00 PM last night it was interesting that the wing had an eerie quiet feel about it as the lads watched. I've been saying of late that it's not about the reality of something, but the perception. I thought the programme did show many of the harsh and brutal aspects of life inside prison and behind bars. It gave a small window or a glimpse into the poor conditions, mental health issues, the drugs epidemic, which is mainly Spice and the number one most discomforting topic, bullying. Most of the footage used was from mobile phones in prison, but the footage uploaded onto the internet. It certainly brings into focus many of the horrors that prisoners witness or experience regularly. I wondered what people watching this who knew me might be thinking. T, my daughter, my mother, my friends, etc. Thankfully, this last week or so, things have quietened down again with The Despicables. Blobby, Toenail's number one gimp, has been sacked and had to do the walk of shame. He received a dawn pad raid and stuff from reception was there. It cost him his job. They allowed him to come to work so that they could sack him in front of everyone and send out a loud and clear message. It's clear the officers, in particular, Mr. P, are onto The Despicables. Number One, and Toenails are very, very quiet. Mr. P hates any arrogance from the lads down here. And by that I mean those who become over familiar, think that they're more important or somehow special. Once there's a whiff of this, he wants you gone. Number One and Toenails had the stupidity to start calling some officers by their first name, over familiar stuff. Blobby. He's been in a depression for weeks whilst waiting for the Governor's kangaroo court because his previous pad made brought it on top when his ex missus rang in complaining he was ringing her and being abusive from a mobile phone in the cell. Unbelievably he only received 14 days suspended for 21, which he was thrilled with. Ironically, Blobby avoided being tag team to the phone, but has been found out with a bag of contraband, including deodorants and aftershaves, which could have only come from reception. His days are numbered in here, and a ship out is imminent. I can't deny, Karma seems to have had its own brand of justice, but the big news is, Toenails and Number One threw him under the bus to the shock of the lads. They remind me of Burke and Hare, the Scottish grave robbers and murderers. With them nothing and no one is sacred. Toenails is edging closer to Cat D eligibility and although he's doing the big talk, or should I say tough talk, i.e, I don't want to be going to Cat D, full of wankers who can't handle their prison, but I can see he wants out here quicker than The Glumster. The dynamics are changing. Mr. P loves a sackings purge, notorious for it in fact, and Cat D exits are on the horizon and can't come too soon for Toenails. If it's not cat D for him, then it's sackings and ship outs. He and Number One aren't stupid. None of us are safe down here with Mr. P. He loves the power and playing with us. It's psychological as much as anything. It's like Damocles' sword hanging over us all of the time, but it did make me think if Mr. C and Mr. H are having hair cuts off me, then that must be a good sign, in a strange type of way. JC has been amazing, stood by me all the way and definitely been a peacemaker or smoother overer of many tense situations. He's in for murder and the nicest person I've met so far in here. Can you believe it but I was nestled between two Ms. M equals murder. There was the Jedi, who's in for manslaughter. He killed his best friend, strangled him in the fishing lake. Another irony is that his charge was downgraded from murder to manslaughter by prosecutor Unsworth, who was famously parachuted into pick up the trial or our trial, when JR, the buffoon prosecutor in our case, had a breakdown in the courtroom in the middle of the trial. That's a story for another day. The irony is that the young Jedi received seven years for killing a person, whilst I received seven years for standing up and doing the right thing. The other M, on my right was Troy, a really nice lad. He was found guilty in the Manchester murder trial when I first landed. He received over 30 years rec. He's been in jester stripes for four months. That's a man size babygrow that must be worn at all times for those who are flight risks or potential escapees. He's hoping for an appeal as much as I am. We talk about the process whenever we're free at the same time on the wing. He was like a kid on Christmas morning, stood in his own clothes. Watching Troy over the months, I've got to say he's conducted himself really well. Not a scally, no, it's like he's been brought up by loving, caring parents. Certainly not the type you expect to be caught up in a murder. As I say, JC is being a star, and although he's in for a truly horrific murder, ie, the 60 seconds of madness, he's one of the nicest blokes I've ever met, very caring and considerate. He told me yesterday that in the couple of years since he's been a Listener here, he's done over 2000 ACCTs. Basically, it stands for something like assessments, caring, custody and teamwork. It's a process used in prisons to support individuals at risk of self-harm or self-inflict their own death aka suicide. He often opens up and confides, releasing the pressure from the job and the place and the regrets. I asked him, who's professionally speaking with him. This is very intense, heavy stuff we're experiencing, and JC has been exposed to it directly to the point of over 2000 times. It's Sunday, T has been in to visit me today. She did a 10 K run around Delamere Forest last night, miner's lamp strapped to her wrist. Truly, madly and deeply, I'm in love and she is my hero. Before I left for my visit, or should I say, when they came to escort us to visits, another kid was slashed only meters from our cell. In the holding room after visits, a place I hate nearly as much as the cells below the court, 40 plus of us squeezed into a room, like cattle in an abattoir compound, I managed to speak with one of the lads working over on the medical wing. He's a proper funny Scouser. I knew he'd be able to tell me or give me an update what was happening with the Frenchman. He summed it up as alive, what a fucking nuisance, and said that if he didn't kill himself, he'd gladly volunteer for it. By the time I returned to the cell, it was lockdown again. Tonight is decompressing from a love visit, writing and watching The Magicians. That starts at seven o'clock. Then it's Planet Earth, Tutankhamun, and Match of the Day Two. Liverpool won 6-1 against Watford, and we're now top of the Premier League. The wings are high on the result. Loads of the lads are terrorizing the bitter Blues of Everton. There'll be a lot of banging on doors later, and more abuse each time a goal goes in. Tribal, that's what football is, even in prison.