Catch 22

Let me enlighten you with some of the instances I have encountered which highlight the “catch 22” scenario’s that the prison service have presented me with, and rely upon to excuse the inadequate management of administration.

As a trained advisor, over the past 6 years, I have helped many offenders with information, advice and guidance to progress them through their sentence plans.

I have witnessed thugs, bullies, drug addicts and serial offenders advance through the system by “ticking the boxes” that parole boards and probation have set them. In prison it’s referred to as “jumping through the hoops”.

Unfortunately a high percentage of those who have “ticked the right boxes” will re-offend and have no intention of changing their lifestyles, but they do get released.

Now with my circumstances (maintaining my innocence) I am the square peg in the round hole.

As the prison service is bound by the home office to treat me as guilty, any thoughts about this lands the justice system as being wrong, this is not considered, which leaves me in a structure designed purely for guilty persons.

It appears to me that any innocent person in prison is an embarrassment to that system and by design has created a “black hole”.

Unless you have a large bank account or a person in the public limelight you are doomed.

You must capitulate by owning up to a crime you didn’t commit, there by giving you access to the “hoops” they want you to jump through. The only other option is to stagnate in this blindfolded system, until someone of authority uses common sense, god forbid, and realises that this high and mighty judicial system can sometimes make mistakes.

I see no evidence to show me that this is going to happen any time soon, as I said “catch 22”.

Brief Report

I am no further forward with my parole review. Dizziness has set in, largely due to the amount of circles I have run around in trying to get the Lazy Ox aka the prison service off their backsides and doing the job they are paid for.

Fortunately I was sparked back from my disheartened state whilst reading an article in one of the prison papers (converse). The article was from a group of 3rd year law students working from the University of Leeds. The group are run by (UcLIP ) and were asking for cases of injustice, they did a similar project some 3 years ago, which was aired on the BBC.

I decided immediately to put my case to them, just the bare bones. My 'brief report' came to a mere 28 pages. Now I can only await a response.

I did send my M.P. the same sort of outline but that was nearly 2 months ago and have received no reply to date. Maybe he is still reading it!