Tbf because I work in High Security we still have reasonable prisoner staff to prisoner ratio. Most of the lads we get are doing life with some hefty tariffs so they stay with us sometimes for years and we can build up a good rapport with most which keeps things ticking along. Of course there are issues amongst the inmates and that bubbles to the surface at time but my prison is pretty calm.
If I had to go and work in the kind of prisons where tonight's footage was shot, your Cat B and Cat C establishments, in those conditions I'd probably quit.
Question time. They have some good debates on there, but most of the time it's just obnoxious, self indulgent people shouting over the top of each other
@AddickUpNorth - What do you think of the privately run prisons out of interest? A family member taught in Belmarsh, and then Rochester YOI, then a Serco ran prison (Thameside).. and was quite appalled at the standards there. It had only opened to be fair, but her opinion was that in comparison to the Prison Service, Serco were playing with the lives of their staff as there was no real knowledge or quality amongst them.
Growing up there was a relative who was a Prison Officer (Maidstone, Wandsworth and finishing at Belmarsh) and it seemed quite regular that he'd come home and talk about the amount of trouble that had happened during the day; and that was pre-2010 cuts - so I dread to think what it's like now.
Keep safe out there, mate - you genuinely do a cracking job.
Waking up and feeling as though someones taken a sledgehammer to my jaw. My wisdom tooth, which I thought had gave up making an appearance, has decided to be an utter asshole. I think it may be infected..
Now I wouldn't particularly mind, that's part of life, but I recently conquered my fear of the dentist: and spent a week having several appointments to deal with 12 years of missed appointments. Total price: £2.5k, or £10 p/minute. What was the dentists last bit of advice? "Try this mouthwash, it's absolutely brilliant."
I've been paying £8 for a bloody of bottle of the stuff, and for the first time in my life I think I've got an infection. I was paying £2 for a bottle of Listerine before, and over 12 years of avoiding the dentist - I never had one bit of pain..
Question time. They have some good debates on there, but most of the time it's just obnoxious, self indulgent people shouting over the top of each other
@LuckyReds - to answer briefly, prisons should not be in the hands of private companies. Because they have to answer to shareholders corners are often cut and both staff and prisoners suffer. Ultimately though whether a prison is private or not, they are struggling to cope and society is the loser.
@LuckyReds - to answer briefly, prisons should not be in the hands of private companies. Because they have to answer to shareholders corners are often cut and both staff and prisoners suffer. Ultimately though whether a prison is private or not, they are struggling to cope and society is the loser.
From an outsiders point of view that's my feeling too. Same as privatising parts of the police, or any other public services.
Completely agree about the overall situation though, I hope for your own sanity that you guys get a little more than political hot air though - and you actually get the resources you need. Good luck.
@LuckyReds - to answer briefly, prisons should not be in the hands of private companies. Because they have to answer to shareholders corners are often cut and both staff and prisoners suffer. Ultimately though whether a prison is private or not, they are struggling to cope and society is the loser.
Nothing like that should be private, prisons cost what they cost and sadly for the government coffers they need to cover that cost. Prison should be a punishment but it should also offer rehabilitation which costs money. This should have been addressed a long long time ago and it only is now because the middle management can't deny the he footage that is out there.
I know a few prison officers and they are areal good people but the he here hey all have stories similar to yours, I hope things improve.
Question time. They have some good debates on there, but most of the time it's just obnoxious, self indulgent people shouting over the top of each other
Question time. They have some good debates on there, but most of the time it's just obnoxious, self indulgent people shouting over the top of each other
Politicians
Politicians are people too.
Actually, maybe not
How does it go? The last person to enter parliament with good intentions was Guy Fawkes
@ValleyGary@cabbles - what can be done about it? Sorry to be simplistic but initially a huge injection of money, not only to boost the numbers of frontline officers but to upgrade the infrastructure of a lot of the prisons themselves. Crumbling buildings from the Victorian era leave a lot to be desired and imo not conducive with rehabilitation. Unfortunately since 2010 the Service has taken a huge loss in funding and cutbacks have resulted in staff stretched to the bone and officer morale is at the lowest point I've ever known it in my time in the job. Experienced staff have had enough and would leave tomorrow if circumstances allowed it. New recruits join, mostly because it's a job but a lot leave because they soon cotton on to the fact that the money they get is not worth the hassle or the constant threat of getting a punch in the back of the head. Due to restructuring of terms and conditions you can earn slightly less at something a whole lot safer. Frankly, officers are not given the respect they deserve for the job they at least try to do either by the government or the public in general imo.
As for prisoners, quite simply they need purposeful activity, they need to have something constructive to do with their time. You can't expect to rehabilitate someone who because of staff shortages are often only getting one maybe two hours out of cell a day and even if they got more time out there's no education to go to because that's been cut. Some might not like to hear it but you can't just throw a bunch of criminally minded men together and let them rot. They need to be given at least half a chance to be shown there is another way.
There is so much more I could add but it could turn into a long session.
What's the chances of the current administration diverting more funds into the prison service. As a taxpayer I wouldn't mind seeing more public money spent on this. I appreciate some may say different as they wouldn't want their money spent on looking after criminals, but from what I've seen, this looks to be a national crisis, and I don't think I'm being over dramatic.
Trouble is a group of people would be very angry that money was being spent on people they see as undesirable, rather than on homeless veterans or old people.
Trouble is a group of people would be very angry that money was being spent on people they see as undesirable, rather than on homeless veterans or old people.
Doesn't matter, it is a front line public service. Exactly the sort of thing that shouldn't be cut but always is whilst the useless, fatty layers of administration and middle management and change consultant's and project managers grow fatter still.
Same applies to local authorities, the NHS, the police ambulance service and the fire brigade.
Back to prisons, they are a punishment yes. They also need to rehabilitate and get people who have realised the errors of their ways back into real life. Not only this but whilst they are locked up they need stimulation for the mind to make the wardens jobs safer, stop random acts of violence and any other dangerous procrastination people of a certain disposition all locked together may get up to.
A short sharp shock of 2500 extra, Fresh, new recruits may quell disorder temporarily but the whole system needs a longer term solution for education, work programmes, rehabilitation as well as maintaining order which the poor sods currently are at full tilt trying to fire fight
Motor cyclists weaving in and out and cutting up yet it's the fault of the motorist when their recklessness causes them to be hit or drive into somebody.
Hmm this is an interesting one.
You don't state if you're referring to fast moving or queuing traffic, therefore I must assume you are referring to the more common queued weaving.
Now for the higher speeds I certainly agree. It pisses me off to see reckless riding as it creates that negative image to which you seem to have of motorcyclists.
looking in the mirror while washing hands and seeing half my weetabix down my jumper. dab and scratch at it which has basically spread the mark. so now its take off the jumper and freeze my tits off or spend the day looking like a dribbling buffoon
Trouble is a group of people would be very angry that money was being spent on people they see as undesirable, rather than on homeless veterans or old people.
Doesn't matter, it is a front line public service. Exactly the sort of thing that shouldn't be cut but always is whilst the useless, fatty layers of administration and middle management and change consultant's and project managers grow fatter still.
Same applies to local authorities, the NHS, the police ambulance service and the fire brigade.
Back to prisons, they are a punishment yes. They also need to rehabilitate and get people who have realised the errors of their ways back into real life. Not only this but whilst they are locked up they need stimulation for the mind to make the wardens jobs safer, stop random acts of violence and any other dangerous procrastination people of a certain disposition all locked together may get up to.
A short sharp shock of 2500 extra, Fresh, new recruits may quell disorder temporarily but the whole system needs a longer term solution for education, work programmes, rehabilitation as well as maintaining order which the poor sods currently are at full tilt trying to fire fight
Motor cyclists weaving in and out and cutting up yet it's the fault of the motorist when their recklessness causes them to be hit or drive into somebody.
Hmm this is an interesting one.
You don't state if you're referring to fast moving or queuing traffic, therefore I must assume you are referring to the more common queued weaving.
Now for the higher speeds I certainly agree. It pisses me off to see reckless riding as it creates that negative image to which you seem to have of motorcyclists.
I was referring to higher speeds specifically a motorcyclist who encroached in my lane to overtake me as I myself was overtaking at 70 MPH (plus). He could easily have hit the wall bordering the lane. He then cut up other lanes and disappeared up a slip road.
Some Irish/Celtic fans on Social media that can't help themselves and feel they have to comment on anything remembrance related
On a related issue, some Welsh woman on a facebook page I belong to berating the Union flag as a symbol of oppression and Imperialism. I ungently pointed out that plenty of taffs got rich thanks to the British Empire, as well as English, Scots and Irish. She didn't respond...
Comments
If I had to go and work in the kind of prisons where tonight's footage was shot, your Cat B and Cat C establishments, in those conditions I'd probably quit.
Growing up there was a relative who was a Prison Officer (Maidstone, Wandsworth and finishing at Belmarsh) and it seemed quite regular that he'd come home and talk about the amount of trouble that had happened during the day; and that was pre-2010 cuts - so I dread to think what it's like now.
Keep safe out there, mate - you genuinely do a cracking job.
Now I wouldn't particularly mind, that's part of life, but I recently conquered my fear of the dentist: and spent a week having several appointments to deal with 12 years of missed appointments. Total price: £2.5k, or £10 p/minute. What was the dentists last bit of advice? "Try this mouthwash, it's absolutely brilliant."
I've been paying £8 for a bloody of bottle of the stuff, and for the first time in my life I think I've got an infection. I was paying £2 for a bottle of Listerine before, and over 12 years of avoiding the dentist - I never had one bit of pain..
; )
Completely agree about the overall situation though, I hope for your own sanity that you guys get a little more than political hot air though - and you actually get the resources you need. Good luck.
I know a few prison officers and they are areal good people but the he here hey all have stories similar to yours, I hope things improve.
Actually, maybe not
Whether you voted Brexit or not, voting whether to be governed by the EU is not the same as voting for 1 controversial individual
Same applies to local authorities, the NHS, the police ambulance service and the fire brigade.
Back to prisons, they are a punishment yes. They also need to rehabilitate and get people who have realised the errors of their ways back into real life. Not only this but whilst they are locked up they need stimulation for the mind to make the wardens jobs safer, stop random acts of violence and any other dangerous procrastination people of a certain disposition all locked together may get up to.
A short sharp shock of 2500 extra, Fresh, new recruits may quell disorder temporarily but the whole system needs a longer term solution for education, work programmes, rehabilitation as well as maintaining order which the poor sods currently are at full tilt trying to fire fight
You don't state if you're referring to fast moving or queuing traffic, therefore I must assume you are referring to the more common queued weaving.
To this I refer you to the following link: http://newatlas.com/motorcycle-lane-splitting-filtering-safety-research/34425/ (The link is American but the basic message remains.)
Now for the higher speeds I certainly agree. It pisses me off to see reckless riding as it creates that negative image to which you seem to have of motorcyclists.
dab and scratch at it which has basically spread the mark.
so now its take off the jumper and freeze my tits off or spend the day looking like a dribbling buffoon