Winson Green prison guards - Trade union heroes or violent thugs?
POA Watcher | 02.05.2009 16:54 | Repression | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements | Birmingham
POA Watcher
POA Watcher | 02.05.2009 16:54 | Repression | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements | Birmingham
POA Watcher
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The POA are SCUM
02.05.2009 17:54
Old Lag
Paul Taylor
02.05.2009 19:21
Miki
Miki
02.05.2009 21:04
x
Was
02.05.2009 21:46
Miki
Not true
02.05.2009 22:00
Anyway, whatever he was convicted of, do you think that's why screws in Winson Green were victimising him 5 years later? Hardly.
x
Thugs
03.05.2009 05:12
comindown
Don't know what he was serving 5 for...?
03.05.2009 08:39
Screws are wankers, Paul Taylor was right wanker as well. He probably run off his mouth again and got it filled in.
Miki
Not the point
03.05.2009 09:17
But the point of this post was not about Paul Taylor. And you have yourself answered the question re the screws.
x
So?
03.05.2009 10:21
I'll think you'll find that most of the people in society who have to put up with twats like Paul Taylor and his pals really don't care what happens to them in prison.
Bob
point of clip
03.05.2009 18:04
all screws are bastards
stuff
03.05.2009 18:22
There is an old book, "Strangeways: A Serious Disturbance" written extremely well and sympathetically to those that took action. I can't remember the full jist of it, nor can I be arsed to get my copy out and go through it, but I remember it noting that one of the leaders of the strangeways riot was connected to sexual offences, although they stressed that it was dodgy grounds, and that he wasn't your ordinary nonce. If I remember correctly, the poster arguing that this fella was "assecary to a rape" due to living arrangements may well be right. I think anyone who has experienced prison would understand that a typical nonce wouldn't be able to play any significant role in a revolt that involved the majority of the prisoners. Any one who has the book and the time, then I urge them to take the time and reference the point i'm making.
The bottom line is prison isn't productive for prisoners, therefor it isn't productive for society. And while a lot has changed since Strangeways - TVs in Cells, playstations, enhanced status etc. that the Sun makes out it is some kind of holiday camp, it is seriously detrimental to prisoners well being. Prison, in the eyes of society, should rehabiliate prisoners - it doesn't. You miss doing basic things like doing the washing or your own cooking, and then you're released with no support what so ever from the authorities it's easy to slip back into old ways. If I didn't have such strong family and friend support on my release I don't know what I would have done. I found that article about the former rioter claiming he was god, and was ontop of the church roof and I would say that it's not uncommon. The geezer served some serious bird, and something I realised was that a lot of those in prison who have served large end up with both mental and physical health problems due to spending years doing nothing but watching tv, playing a bit of pool, a bit of weighlifting, being treated like a product by the prison authorities in general and sleeping. Try spending 22 hours a day in a room, with nothing todo but read a few books and watch tv, no newspapers, no internet, no contact with anyone but you're cell mate, even if you think he's a complete prick. It's bound to isolate you from the rest of society. When I was inside, my cell mate got diarohea and was shitting every 2 hours for a week - I slept 2 foot away from the toilet, the only thing seperating us was a curtain.
In the last ten years the prison population has grown by 20,000 people. There's 80,000 odd people inside, 10% of these are former squaddies. Prisons are over crowding and full of people who either don't deserve to be there, or whose time could be better spent doing something productive for both themselves and the community. Apparently, the prison system is over flowing, I mentioned the prievious recent disturbance are Ashwell, and I read today that there was a disturbance recently at Feltham. Let's think of those inmates. There are no rich people in jail. It is full of working class lads, drug addicts and women, and the majority of them are perfectly alright, despite their crimes.
ex-con