Your Letters - Prisoners Abroad

PRISONERS ABROAD
Caring for Britons
held overseas &
their families
news
Notes from Down Under
A prisoner in Australia writes about the contrast between prisons there.
Hi, I’m Alistair. I am currently doing 8½ years in a prison in Australia. I have
done 4 years so far and I’m expected to be deported back to Scotland come,
or near, the end of my sentence, which will be 2012.
pillow, two sheets that were too small
for my bed, the blanket was old and
smelly.
The next day I was given a mop, bucket
and bleach. I spent all day cleaning
walls, floors and all of the above. The
officers came back and moved me into
the cell next door, worse than the first. I
was moved again and got angry, so they
put me back in a dry cell for two weeks.
In spent 2½ years there and found
everyone was your brother or mate if
you smoked and lent them cigarettes. I
gave and I gave, but when I said No they
treated me like a dog, or their worst
enemy.
When I first came to remand, I was
terrified about all the stories I was told
about being in jail. The first week was
shocking – I was treated like a dog. They
put me in a dry cell for two whole weeks
in only a pair of underpants and a
blanket that barely covered me. It was
They moved me to a bigger, better
the middle of winter. I was given one bar
prison – the place was like a resort, with
of soap and a towel to wash each
really nice gardens, ponds. The people
morning, then I was locked back into this
are a lot better and the officers are really
cold cell. For the rest of the day they
cool; at 7pm everyone was still outside.
came around with lunch but they kept
I was surprised to find we were inside a
missing my cell. Then they
jail. They moved me into a cell with a
came and got me and gave
cellmate, which I hadn’t
me some greens, one pair They put me in a dry had for 2½ years. He had
of pants, one jumper, one T- cell for two whole a TV, CD player, we could
shirt. They placed me in an weeks in only a pair of watch DVDs, etc.
and
a
upstairs cell crawling with underpants
We were woken up at
blanket
that
barely
cockroaches, and with walls
6.30am and were locked
full of names. It had two covered me.
out of the wing from
shelves, two beds, a toilet
7.30 to 9am. We weren’t
and shower. The toilet looked as if it had
locked in our cells till 9.30pm. They buy
black paint inside and smelled as if
up everything from ice blocks to meat,
someone had defecated on the walls.
just like a shopping centre. I have had
The beds felt wet and, boy, they
three cellmates.
smelled. They came back with one small
“
”
>>continued on page 3
Vol 19 Issue 3
Winter 2008
To contact us
Tel: 020 7561 6820
Fax: 020 7561 6821
[email protected]
www.prisonersabroad.org.uk
89-93 Fonthill Road
London N4 3JH
Charity No. 1093710
Our Family Freephone
0808 172 0098
for use by members
of a prisoner’s family.
All other callers please call our
main telephone 020 7561 6820
Contents
1
2
3
4
5
6-7
7
8-9
10
Notes from Down Under
Your Letters
Pen-pals
Left Out in the Cold
Patriot Paws
Family Page
It’s a Tough Time
Calendar 2009
Reminder of PA
Services
11
Keeping Fit
12-13 Poetry Corner
14-15 Games and Puzzles
16
Backpage Bulletin
Your Letters
Hello to all our readers, whatever your connection with Prisoners Abroad.
I am honoured to be editing this issue of PA News and now really appreciate
how much time and effort Stephen puts into it every four months! It has been a
pleasure looking through the pictures and poems we have been sent and the articles
and letters you have taken the time to write. I hope you enjoy this edition, and that you are inspired to write in to
us with any comments or stories of your own – the newsletter is only as good as you make it.
In this edition we have contributions from Australia, USA and France, plus some discussion on children affected by
imprisonment. There are more winning Koestler Award entries, and
some tips on keeping fit. Also, remember to keep the 2009 calendar
in the middle section!
With best wishes from me and all the team,
Themes for future newsletters
Deportation – does KG’s picture (on page 4) ring true with any others? Do you, or does a family member, face
deportation at the end of your sentence? Feel free to share your thoughts with other readers.
Keeping fit – How are you able to keep fit and healthy in prison? Do you have any exercise tips that are more
useful in a confined space? How much time do you get outside your cell?
Animals in prison – See the Patriot Paws article for more ideas.
News – What do you miss about the UK? Apart from family and friends, there may be particular events that you
don’t get to hear about where you are, sports that aren’t reported there, and so on. Please let us know.
Family and children – How have you been able to cope with separation from your children, or with difficult
questions they have asked you if you are caring for children who have a parent in prison?
Your letters
Dear Editor
I was very delighted when I received your latest
newsletter and I must say how impressed I was with
its content. Although all of your previous newsletters
were informative and enlightening, this one put the
icing on the cake. It was unique and was put together
well.
I thought that the letter about facing the parole board
was kind of sad because they refused to consider him
for release and now he has a setback of three years
before his next review. My heart really goes out to him
and I hope that whenever he appears in front of the
parole board again, that they would find some
compassion in their hearts and set him free.
I was also touched by the poem of Seeing Dad on the
family page. As a father of a beautiful and intelligent
girl I could very much relate. However, being a parent
in prison is very difficult because you are not present
with your child.
What also impressed me was your publishing of letters
by two penpals. I was able to get a little insight into
what it is like corresponding with other prisoners from
their point of view. I never gave too much thought
about the amount of sincerity and concern that
penpals have for us incarcerated Brits. It is so good
knowing that there are people out there in the free
world, who actually care about us.
SC, USA
2
There is a lot I could tell you about the actual transfer
which totally contradicts the information I had on the
subject, but I suppose it must be quite different for
different people and situations. It might be worth
noting in your newsletter that the transfer won’t
necessarily go by the book with regards to timelines,
the giving of consents, various bits of paper which you
should obtain from different authorities in both
countries involved, etc. In fact, if I went by all the
information provided, I would still only be halfway
through the process!
AW, recently transferred to the UK from Spain
I am in a federal prison in Texas, USA. Just recently they
took away anything resembling a weight; pull-up bars
and dip bars were all cut off and disposed of. However,
on any given day you will find 150-200 of us working
out. The oldest and best form of exercise for your body
is calisthenics, consisting of (but not limited to) pushups, body squats, calf raises, lunges, jump rope, walking,
running, leg raises and crunches. These exercises cannot
harm you unless you over-exceed your personal
capabilities, don’t stretch properly before exercising or
do them incorrectly and damage a muscle. In addition,
the results of calisthenics will remain visible longer than
weights, are great for your health and your mate is
guaranteed to notice the change. All you need to begin
is your own body weight! No more excuses – you can
stay fit wherever you are.
PG, USA
[With these words of encouragement, please turn to page
11 for some more tips on keeping fit – Ed]
PRISONERS ABROAD NEWS
Pen-pals
Writing on both sides of the page
Following articles by penpals in and out of prison in the last issue, Steve, who has been on both sides,
tells us about his experience.
Back in 1982-83, I served an eight-month sentence in
a French prison; it was my first time in a prison and, as
you can imagine, the whole experience was not at all
pleasant to say the least. I know it’s not meant to be,
and conditions were bearable, but we were locked up
18 to a call for the day, with a hole in the floor for a
toilet (at least there was a door) and you were let out
of the cell just twice a day. We also got 30 minutes at
church on a Sunday; I am certainly not religious, but we
went along just to relieve the boredom or it all. I guess
I was fortunate in the fact that I had a friend with me,
serving the same sentence, which certainly helped. We
English stuck together the whole time and it made life
more bearable.
Eventually I served my sentence, returned home and
after a couple of years I went to visit the PA office. As
I enjoy writing, I volunteered my services as a penpal
and I’ve been writing to clients for a number of years
now. Knowing what it is like to be in the same situation
as someone certainly helps me when I write to a client.
I’ve had several very successful penpal relationships
over the years and even if I don’t have a great deal in
common with my penpal, I try my utmost to write as
long a letter as I can; even writing to someone about
my mundane job, how the weather is doing or what is
happening in the world will make a difference. I will
also send newspaper cuttings or magazine articles that
may be of interest to someone. Not only do I provide
a valuable service, I enjoy my correspondence the
majority of the time. I would say to anyone thinking of
becoming a penpal or indeed current ones, you simply
cannot underestimate the value of any letter, however
short, received by somebody unfortunate enough to be
in custody in a strange land, miles away from family
and friends.
I went through so many emotions whilst there, mostly
negative ones – sadness, depression, desperation,
tiredness to name a few – and for me the one highlight
of each day was the arrival of the post; if your name
was read out and you received some mail you felt
lifted, on a high, and if your name wasn’t called, your
feelings sank. Although obviously news from family
back at home was most welcome, it didn’t matter who
wrote or how short the letter was – they were all
treasured and so very important to me. People would
send me newspaper snippets, letting me know just
how my favourite football team were doing, or
sometimes just a note or a postcard; it was all so
welcome. I also gained a penpal organised by PA – a
guy named Rob from Cheshire – his letters helped a
great deal to get me through my time in France.
>> continued from page 1
“
Now I’m in with an Aussie who looks after me
well – a cuppa awaits me as soon as I’m awake.
”
I used to work in the kitchen for 9 months but I left – it’s
too cold. Now I’m the Head Gardener in charge of three
people. We start at 8.30am and finish at 2.30pm,
Monday to Friday. I’m a landscape gardener by trade and
I enjoy building and creating new grounds. I love
bushwalking, all sorts of music, travelling, camping. I
have three children, but have not seen them since they
were 4-5. We have visits every week, but no-one comes
to see me.
Do you have a trade or skills from outside prison that
you have been able to put to good use in prison? Write
to let us know.
PRISONERS ABROAD NEWS
3
Left Out in the Cold
I want to tell everyone what it’s like
to be in a Florida prison.
At 5.45am the lights are turned on so
people can get ready for breakfast. At 6am
they pop your door and start getting
people fed. It all depends on what your
dorms come out on inspection day on
Wednesday.
By the time they’ve fed you it is time for
count and then you are supposed to be
ready for work. No-one gets paid but they
give you what they call gain time. It lets
your date drop unless you have a
mandatory sentence or life. They have two
small shops and if you get the chance you
can go buy things like coffee, cigs, sodas,
etc.
At 11.30am they have count again and
then when it clears it’s time for lunch. The
meals aren’t too bad but they don’t use
spices much. We have a lot of turkey hot
dogs, turkey meat and turkey ham. We get
real tired of turkey.
After lunch you go back to your assigned
job or area. At 3.45pm you go back down
and have count again. When that clears
you go to chow and after that you either
go to the yard or back to your dorm. You
are locked in your dorm till the next day.
This prison has about 1,000 inmates and is
small compared to some of the larger
ones that hold about 2,500 to 3,000
inmates. They only have what they call
GED [General Education Development] and
basic education. Since all the budget
restraints they have cut back most
programs.
Florida has beautiful weather but their
biggest thing is the prison system. It ranks
like second to tourists. I cannot wait till I
get back to England. It took over two years
before the Consulate was even notified
that I was arrested. I hope this helps
someone that comes to Florida.
This is KG's feeling about the deportation process from the USA.
MJB, USA
4
PRISONERS ABROAD NEWS
Patriot Paws
This article has been reproduced from the Texas prison newspaper, The Echo, which is sent to us regularly
by MW. The author is Jane Callaway, their Gatesville Unit reporter.
DOGS… an unusual sight on Gatesville Unit. They are
cute, but they are so much more.
Patriot Paws Service Dogs is a non profit organisation
that trains and provides service dogs for disabled
United States veterans and others with mobile
disabilities.
throughout the day, beginning at 6am and ending at
9pm, with break times for the dogs to play and/or rest.
The basic commands are taught to build a foundation
for advanced behaviour commands such as
opening/closing doors, drawers and cabinets; removal
of shoes and socks; pulling wheelchairs; pushing
elevator buttons for emergency help and assisting in
laundry chores, etc.
Lori Stevens, trainer and founder, has more than 15
years of experience working with service dogs. The
Gatesville Unit has four dogs, ranging in age from four
to 18 months, all Labrador retrievers. Currently, nine
female offenders are training these dogs, and the
programme anticipates enlarging to six dogs and 12
offender trainers.
The training is comprised of teaching the dogs basic
commands, such as ‘sit,’ ‘lie down,’ ‘stay’ and ‘loose
walk.’ Other fun commands include waving hello,
target touching, picking up dropped items with the
command of ‘uh-oh.’ All of the training sessions, in the
form of games, are made to be fun to maintain all
interests. These sessions are done in short time spans
PRISONERS ABROAD NEWS
A goal of 18 months for the training of the offender
trainers is set. At that time, they match a dog with a
veteran by personality and needs, customising each
dog for an individual. This takes an additional six
months. According to the trainers, ‘Over all, this
programme is helping us to
give back to society, most
especially to those veterans
who have served our country.
We feel honoured to be a part
of such a special programme.’
What is your experience with pets in prison? Are
you allowed animals or do they just live wild in
the prison grounds? Please write in and tell us
about any unusual animals or birds you have in
the country where you are in prison.
5
Family page – Questions and Answers
The following are reproduced with the kind permission of Action for Prisoners’ Families
(www.prisonersfamilies.org.uk), which asked family members and professionals their views on topics
relating to families of prisoners. Whilst we know that many of our readers will not be able to visit their
loved one, we thought some of the issues would be familiar or interesting for some.
Q: ‘Should children go on prison visits?’
A: Alison Drew, Send Family Link
‘Families with a loved one in prison often express
understandable reservations about taking children on
visits. Search procedures, restrictions on prisoners’
freedom to move and play with their children, and the
sadness of saying goodbye at the end of a visit can all
present challenges. Some families choose not to bring
children on visits because they would rather not tell
them that their family member is in prison.
While there are sometimes circumstances where
visiting a relative may not be in the best interests of a
child, for the most part prison visits play a vital role for
children in sustaining critical bonds, especially when a
parent is in prison. The pain of separation is eased by
a regular pattern of visits, and by honest answers to
questions.
Creative, well-supervised play activities can make
visiting a positive experience for children, especially
when children are encouraged to take games and toys
to share with their parent at the visit table. Extended
child-centred visits where children and parents can
play freely together make a huge difference to the
whole family.
Spending time with a parent in a relaxed environment,
with the opportunity to play and talk at leisure, sets a
child’s mind at rest. A child’s imagination will often
produce scenarios far worse than reality, and a good
visit provides needed reassurance about the parent’s
well-being. When the needs of children are made a
priority during visits, the beneficial effects of contact
with an imprisoned relative far outweigh the
challenges of visiting.
A: Richard Nicolls, Ormiston Children and
Families Trust
‘There are a number of prisons in the UK where there
is still no alternative for a child or young person to
maintain contact with their imprisoned parent other
than going to see them as part of a normal prison visit.
If children don’t find it a negative experience they
should go on this visit. However, we know that many
children find normal visits distressing, boring and
6
intimidating, and a lack of privacy in visits is an
important issue, especially for young people.
Children are generally enthusiastic about children’s
visits, where they are free to move around and are the
central focus of the time together. These sessions
allow parent-child relationships to develop more fully,
strengthening family bonds through play and fun
activities and help the imprisoned parent feel closer to
their children. Maintaining a healthy relationship
through children’s visits contributes to the children’s
emotional well-being in what is often a difficult
situation for them and is far more likely to lead to a
positive outcome when the parent is released.
Q: ‘Should children be told about their parents’
or other family members’ offences?’
A: Joyti Waswani, former offender
‘Without a doubt the answer to this question is yes.
When I was first arrested, my son was told that I had
to go away on business. He had weeks of
conversations being muted when he came into a
room, weeks of having clipped calls from me from
prison, weeks of knowing that people were lying
around him but not knowing why. Those weeks of
being kept in the dark, I now know from my son,
scared him more than anything else.
When I did get bail Max needed to know what was
going on but didn’t know how to ask and was scared
of being told off for asking. No-one was being straight
with him and he was so confused. He became very
quiet and withdrawn, and I could see a different child
to the one I had left some six weeks earlier. He would
sit curled up into a ball in the corner of the sofa
clinging to ‘Doggy,’ his favourite cuddly toy.
At first I tried to carry on as though nothing had
changed when I came home. I went to see a child
psychologist – I had made up my mind to come clean
with Max but I knew it was even more important to
tell him in a way he could comprehend and in a way
that didn’t make the fear overwhelm him. It was my
turn to be scared then – maybe he would hate me
when he knew what I had done, maybe he would stop
PRISONERS ABROAD NEWS
Family page – Questions and Answers
hugging me and loving me, maybe I would lose him.
But this wasn’t about me; it was about him and what
was best for him. He needed to know what was going
on and he needed to know the truth.
The psychologist [and I] took Max to a local park – I
had Max on my lap on a park bench as my crime and
its consequences were revealed in a language Max
could cope with. I felt my son slowly recoil from me
as his mind digested the facts. He had many
questions. The one that will always stay with me was
‘How could you do anything that would take you
away from me?’
It has taken six years for my son to learn the answer
to this question, and he will always have a problem
dealing with it, as there is no answer that a child can
take away and feel sated with. Telling Max was one of
the hardest elements of the consequences of my
criminal activity I had to face. As soon as Max knew
the truth, however, you could almost see a shroud of
vagueness leave him. In its place came a barrage of
questions but that was so much better. Knowing and
needing answers is a lot better than not knowing and
being left out. No-one likes being left out, children
least of all.’
A: Dr David Jones, Child & Family Psychologist
‘Yes – but it won’t be easy. The reason is that if the
children are not told, they will learn from other
sources, perhaps taunted by other children or
neighbours. The child who finds out this way learns
not to trust adults to speak truthfully. It may prove
difficult for a prisoner, who loses control of the
situation, and initially a painful message for a child.
But some things can help to make the task less
difficult.
In the first place, choose someone who your child
trusts to tell the story. This person must decide how
they’re going to tell the story and what will be told.
This may involve discussion with other friends or
professionals as to what to say, and what might be the
likely response or questions from the child. Don’t tell
children lies. Younger children may not be able to take
in the whole truth, so the essential parts may need to
come first. Sometimes children are traumatised and so
only able to hear a small part at a time. It’s best to go
at the child’s pace, not the grown-up’s. The longer it is
put off, the harder it will become in the long-term.
Choose a good time such as bedtime or after school,
when there are no interruptions and make sure that
PRISONERS ABROAD NEWS
mobile is switched off! Usually children have a fair
amount of knowledge anyway and understand much
more than adults think they do. It is best to plan
several times to talk with children rather than just the
once. Some children need encouragement to keep
matters private within the family, rather than tell
everyone at school. It is probably best for the school to
know the basic facts and what the child has been told
so that the school teacher can manage the negative
fallout, and help support the child there.’
Does anyone have tips on what they have told
their children about their situation? Perhaps
there are other problems you have encountered
with them for which you found a solution and
would like to share with other readers.
Useful publications
It’s a Tough Time for Everyone
Action for Prisoners’ Families has adapted this
publication, which was originally produced by
Barnardo’s Northern Ireland. It is a comic-style
magazine for older children or teenagers with a
parent or other relative in prison. Family members
can obtain one free by ordering online from the
Publications and Resources section of the APF
website (www.prisonersfamilies.org.uk), emailing
[email protected] or calling 020 8812 3600.
The Prisoners Abroad website
(www.prisonersabroad.org.uk) has links to
factsheets about issues affecting children. If you
cannot access the internet, please ask us to print
them for you.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Should we tell the children?
What, and how, to tell the children?
Children and detainees - staying in touch
Should we take the children on a visit?
Looking after children who are affected by
imprisonment
Books aimed directly at children affected by
imprisonment
Other useful organisations and publications
Websites for children
7
Calendar 2009
January
M
T
W
5
12
19
26
6
13
20
27
7
14
21
28
T
1
8
15
22
29
F
2
9
16
23
30
S
3
10
17
24
31
S
4
11
18
25
S
1
8
15
22
February
M
T
W
T
F
S
2
9
16
23
3
10
17
24
4
11
18
25
5
12
19
26
6
13
20
27
7
14
21
28
PD
March
M
T
W
T
F
S
2
9
16
23
30
3
10
17
24
31
4
11
18
25
5
12
19
26
6
13
20
27
7
14
21
28
S
1
8
15
22
29
W
1
8
15
22
29
T
2
9
16
23
30
F
3
10
17
24
S
4
11
18
25
S
5
12
19
26
S
2
9
16
23
30
S
3
10
17
24
31
S
6
13
20
27
S
7
14
21
28
April
M
T
6
13
20
27
7
14
21
28
MK, Self-Portrait
May
M
T
W
T
4
11
18
25
5
12
19
26
6
13
20
27
7
14
21
28
F
1
8
15
22
29
W
3
10
17
24
T
4
11
18
25
F
5
12
19
26
June
M
1
8
15
22
29
8
T
2
9
16
23
30
NK faces
CM, Untitled
The images on this calendar are from British prisoners held overseas,
or from entries to the Koestler Award 2008. We'd like to thank all the
artists, and the Koestler Trust for their help with this calendar.
PRISONERS ABROAD NEWS
July
M
T
6
13
20
27
7
14
21
28
W
1
8
15
22
29
T
2
9
16
23
30
F
3
10
17
24
31
S
4
11
18
25
S
5
12
19
26
S
1
8
15
22
29
S
2
9
16
23
30
August
JT
M
T
W
T
F
3
10
17
24
31
4
11
18
25
5
12
19
26
6
13
20
27
7
14
21
28
September
M
7
14
21
28
T
1
8
15
22
29
W
2
9
16
23
30
T
3
10
17
24
F
4
11
18
25
S
5
12
19
26
S
6
13
20
27
T
1
8
15
22
29
F
2
9
16
23
30
S
3
10
17
24
31
S
4
11
18
25
October
AK, IBIS
M
T
W
5
12
19
26
6
13
20
27
7
14
21
28
November
M
T
W
T
F
S
2
9
16
23
30
3
10
17
24
4
11
18
25
5
12
19
26
6
13
20
27
7
14
21
28
S
1
8
15
22
29
F
4
11
18
25
S
5
12
19
26
S
6
13
20
27
December
M
MH, Destiny
PRISONERS ABROAD NEWS
7
14
21
28
T
1
8
15
22
29
W
2
9
16
23
30
T
3
10
17
24
31
9
Reminder of Prisoners Abroad Services
Here is a brief cut-out-and-keep reminder of what Prisoners Abroad can do to help you – please write
to the Casework Team for more information.
Correspondence and reading material
We can send you (if allowed by the prison):
• This newsletter, three times a year
• International Freepost envelopes so that you can
keep in touch with us and your family for free.
• Magazines and newspapers
• Paperback books
• Details of a pen pal whose interests match yours
Language
• We can translate documents from a range of
languages into and out of English, as long as they are
not too long
• We have lists of basic phrases (French, Spanish,
German, Portuguese)
• All our caseworkers speak a foreign language – we
may be able to help
• We may be able to send you a dictionary or print
useful phrases from other languages
Money
Grants are only available to prisoners who have no
other means, such as prison wages or financial support
from family/friends.
• Craig Feehan Fund (CFF): if you are in a developing
country, we may be able to send you a grant of £20
– £30 per month (depending on the country).
• Medical Fund: we can make limited payments for
essential medical and dental treatment, where this is
not provided free by the prison authorities. Please
write to us before going ahead with the treatment,
as we are not able to fund every application.
Information
In addition to our main booklets (Prisoners Abroad
Handbook & Looking After Yourself in Prison), we
currently have information on the following subjects:
• Prisoners’ rights and the legal process
• Torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment –
this factsheet examines the legal definition of torture
• Terrorism and Human Rights
• Solitary confinement
• Trials in absentia – this factsheet looks at the human
rights issues of court cases when the accused is not
present
• Making complaints to Human Rights bodies
• Expulsion from an EU county – this factsheet
considers some of the legal implications of being
expelled from an EU country after release from prison
• Media involvement
10
• Prisoner transfer to the UK
• The British Foreign & Commonwealth Office policy on
supporting clemency applications
• Keeping in touch with your children
• Family Handbook – let us know if there is a member
of your family who would benefit from this collection
of factsheets on children, visiting, finances and
support from other family members
• Resettlement Handbook for those approaching their
release date
• Family Resettlement Handbook, for anyone who has
a relative due back in the UK in the next 6-12
months.
Please remember that we cannot:
• Get you out of prison!
• Give legal advice about your case – we are not
lawyers
• Campaign on your behalf.
• Publicise your case in the press and media
• Pay your fines or your airfare back to the UK
• Provide living expenses if you are released on bail or
parole in another country
• Pay grants to anyone receiving funds from other
sources
• Handle and/or speed up your transfer application
• Visit you in prison abroad
Update on the casework team
Anne-Julie, to whom many of you may have written or
spoken in the past, has now left Prisoners Abroad. She
asked me to pass on the following message:
‘Although it was a difficult decision to make, I have
decided it is time for me to move on in my career. I
have been working at Prisoners Abroad for the last
four years. I started here as a volunteer, freshly arrived
from France, looking to improve my English and then
became a full-time caseworker. Working at PA has
been a very enriching experience and I feel very
privileged to have been part of such a great team. I
hope I have been able to help and support the people
I have written and spoken to. I would like to wish to
all of you the best for the future. Warm regards, AJ’
We would like to welcome our new caseworker, Elena,
who has replaced Anne-Julie, to the Prisoners Abroad
team. We do not allocate a particular caseworker to
you, so please feel free to write to any of us (Elena,
Laura, Matthew, Victoria) with any queries. Theo often
kindly helps out, so you may also receive a response
from him.
PRISONERS ABROAD NEWS
Keeping Fit
The exercises this time concentrate on your lower body – mainly the legs.
Here are some exercises which are designed to warm up the lower body first.
Heel lift: Lift your heel towards your bottom, as high
as it will go. Then do the same with the other heel. If
you want to do a jump between each lift you can.
Then repeat a few times so that it becomes high
jogging on the spot.
Knee lift: Instead of pulling your feet up behind you,
lift your knees high in front of you, then again you can
add a jump between. Try not to bend forwards while
doing this jogging.
Tiptoes: Stretch your calves by walking up onto your
toes on each step you take.
NB. It’s also important to stretch out before and after
exercising to cool down the muscles.
Cartoon drawn by PD
The exercises
Squats: these are ideal for building up the strength in
your legs – specifically a combination of some or all of
the quads (quadriceps muscle, in the front of the
thigh), glutes (muscles in your bottom), hamstrings (at
the back of the thigh) and calf muscles.
1. The traditional version involves bending the knees
towards the floor with a straight, upright back, and
holding the position at a right-angle so that you feel
some stretch. After coming back up, repeat 3-10
times.
2. One-legged: if you have something you can use for
balance to one side, eg. a horizontal rail or bar, hold
onto this. Lift the outside foot up, with the knee
bent a little. Bend the supporting leg and let your
torso tip forward, keeping your knee in line with
your foot. Come back up, then repeat. Change over
sides once you have done a few.
PRISONERS ABROAD NEWS
3. Squat thrust: starting in a press-up position (which
we explained in the previous issue), jump so that
your feet arrive underneath your chest, then spring
off them to bring them back to where you began.
Your back should be straight and your abdominal
(tummy) muscles in use. Repeat.
4. You can also do an easier version of the squat
thrust by starting in the press-up position, then
moving just one leg forward at a time, alternating
this with the other leg so that they’re almost
moving like scissors.
5. Squat jump: you can do this one faster and more
powerfully. Beginning from a standing position,
bend your knees, then jump upwards and bend
down again, putting your hands on your calves each
time you bend.
11
Poetry Corner
Colours of My Moods
Smile
Green is for envy,
My envy of you,
The way I’m not normal,
I long for the blue,
Blue is for balance,
The balance of moods,
When my mood’s red I’m obnoxious
and rude.
Red is for anger,
The fire inside,
Inside my manic yellow moods
My red mood sometimes hides,
Yellow is for energy,
The rush I feel when manic,
But when the yellow’s fading,
That’s the time to panic,
That sets as the darkness
The cloud that’s all consuming.
I think it’s about time for a storm,
I feel the darkness blooming…
Smile no matter where you are or what you’re going through
There’s always someone in this world in far worse shape than you.
Smile because you’re beautiful in some way, shape or form
And because you’re almost there, you’re almost through the storm.
Smile when you accomplish goals - you finally have arrived
Just to know somebody cares and that you’re still alive.
Smile when you receive a letter or someone says hello
To know you have a friend somewhere should always make you glow.
Phillip R Grant
Chris Brummitt
The Well’s Stories
A man came to find me,
with a forked branch in his hands.
Wood always leans and aches towards water.
Even peeled, dried and twisted,
the wood shivered and yearned
as he drew near.
This man fierce with intent,
dug with pick and shovel
while he sweated and he swore,
and despite myself I answered
with a surpassing sweetness.
He surrounded me with stones,
making me captive
to his terrible thirst.
They complain that I taste of iron,
and smell like copper,
but this is just the echo
of the sweat and blood
it took to make me.
CM, USA
This poem was the winner of the
Outstanding Award for a single poem in the
Koestler Awards for Art.
Spinning Well, JD
The Name is Attitude
Every change in human attitude must come
through internal understanding and acceptance.
Man is the only known creature
who can reshape and remould himself
by altering his attitude, always do
more than is required of you. You
are where you are because of the
dominating thoughts that occupy your
mind. Do you see the green near
every sand trap¹, or the sand traps
around every green? The situation you
live in doesn’t have to live in you.
The good news is that the bad news
can be turned into good news
when you change your attitude.
Our children are like mirrors
They reflect our attitudes in life.
English, USA
[¹A sand trap is a bunker on a golf course! Ed]
Please send your poem to the Editor, at the address on the front page.
12
PRISONERS ABROAD NEWS
Poetry Corner
Untitled
Jail America 2008
Hmmm…
I looked at the world today,
And my tears began to flow
I fell to my knees and began to pray.
It hurts so much, this pain and sorrow.
Every day inside the jail
Waiting patiently, still no mail
Sleepless nights, I lay in my bed
I truly wish I was dead
Sometimes, I cry myself to sleep
Hopefully my cellmate can’t hear me weep
Have you ever wondered why
My smile does not reach my eyes?
Or when I giggle and laugh it isn’t real?
It’s just hollow, that’s how I feel.
For now my tears are full of sadness,
One day they will turn to joy
And when you kiss the ground when you’ve arrived
And see how much you have survived
And like a beautiful rose in bloom
You will grow, shine and flower
To become the beautiful person I know
MM (sister of a prisoner)
A View From My Room
Trickle down the window
Raindrops of hope
Cleansing my spirit
As I hang onto my rope
Rays of sunshine
Bend with gravity
Into the black hole
I can see with crystal clarity
Dive, swoop, birds of paradise
Dance, sing, like the story of my life.
I notice all this from the room I’m in
It sounds quite poetic.
But really… it’s a given.
SS
Thinking About the Time
Think about the time
Before you commit the crime
All the loved ones
You leave behind.
Kids crying, wife weeping
Still you got to deal with the time.
Family, friends are gone astray
Due to the fact
You’re locked away.
What can you do or what can you say
Oh I’m sorry you felt betrayed
Day in, day out, I think and pray
One day, I will be out to stay
Locked up inside, day after day
Will God hear me as I continually pray?
No-one really seems to care
What can I do? It’s so unfair
I miss my wife, who I really love
She’s my Angel, she came from above
I tell myself, I did something wrong
Can I get through this and stay real strong?
Will I end up going to hell?
In conclusion, time will tell
I hope my sentence is really near
Finally everything will become more clear
I don’t expect sympathy, for I’ve done wrong
For life in prison is way too long
I look outside at the open skies
And wish somehow I could fly
One day I hope to be back with my wife
Then we can build a brand new life
Look out the window, what can I see?
Graveyards, green grass, bushes and trees
What does this all mean to me?
Learn from my mistakes – it’s better to be free.
PJM, USA
Keep Smiling
It’s not where we come from, or how we are born,
We make some wrong choices and land in a storm
All of us out there that have landed bad luck
It’s only for a time, that locked up we are stuck
Look on the bright side, one day we’ll be free
This is only a lesson, not our Destiny.
Don’t give up fighting and don’t become shy
Let all the hurt out and have a good cry.
Many of us out there lost all that we had
Just remember we had reasons, doesn’t make us bad
Loneliness is tough, far from loved ones the worst
Sadness takes over, we feel we can burst
Don’t let this beat you, please don’t give up
Take each day slowly and keep those chins up.
Melanie Watson, Japan
KG, USA
PRISONERS ABROAD NEWS
13
Games and Puzzles
Across
1 Dorset town's home for Penny Barker (6)
5 It's unpleasant when crowd almost swamps
island state (6)
9 Spin fabric, changing direction before the
end (5)
10 Drunken bum's outwardly dead ringer for
body-builder's pick-up (4-4)
12 Lad turning to booze over time finds
remedy (7)
13 Monkey going without oxygen displays
listlessness (7)
14 Travel round America - east of Connecticut with great enjoyment (5)
16 Ancient style of writing in clay, principally,
that's consistent around the East (9)
18 Old measure of distance's always a problem
for the motorist (9)
21 Go around one European city (5)
22 Girl from Israeli town returned after noon
with answer (7)
24 Smash hits involving controversial rap
musician (7)
26 Is virgin about to get reprimand? (8)
27 Mr Jones has daughter out of the blue (5)
28 Lean bit of steak eaten rare (6)
29 Loudly express relief when given the cutting
tool (6)
Down
Sudoku
Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every
3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9. There’s no maths involved,
and there’s only one correct solution. The answer is on the
back page. Good luck!
© The Daily Sudoku 2005. All rights reserved. www.dailysudoku.co.uk
Send your jokes and puzzles to the editor
at the address on the front page
14
15 Toils hard, having obtained work here (9)
17 The train from Bury to London? (9)
19 Recluse regularly yearned to have child (7)
20 Renovates part of Oxford at last? (7)
23 So one side is up at end of game; the other side will be
this (5)
25 National flag seen over hospital (5)
Crossword set by Alberich and provided by www.freecrosswords.net.
Answers on the back page.
9
5 3 4
9
7
5
3
7
2
8
6 9
4 1
2
9
6
5
9
6
1
5 3 7
8
© Daily Sudoku Ltd 2008. All rights reserved.
2 I put most rubbish outside in skips (5)
3 Delighted when getting tasty recipe for cold starter (9)
4 One wanting medicine for treatment of disease (7)
5 This town's rat-catcher took issue when he was not paid (7)
6 Hood of gown finally replaced by one that's new (5)
7 Sick jokes can cause bad feeling (3-6)
8 Notes clue for a type of flour? (11)
11 Pontiff in Rome dismissed two fellows, possibly as
warning (11)
PRISONERS ABROAD NEWS
Games and Puzzles
Brainteasers
Palindromes
A palindrome is a word or phrase which reads the
same forwards and backwards, eg “was it a cat I
saw?” or “a Toyota”.
1. What palindrome did Adam use to introduce himself
to Eve?
2. Pronounced as one letter but written with three,
only two different letters are used to make me.
I'm double, I'm single I'm black, blue, and grey.
From the front and the back I read the same way.
What am I?
3. This can go very fast – might be driven by Lewis
Hamilton?
4. A religious question asked of birds?
5. Advice on what not to do if you don’t want to
agree?
The Name Game
All of the answers to these questions are first names.
6. To tease good-naturedly or engage in banter.
7. A hard, translucent yellow to brown fossil resin.
8. Happiness.
9. To be holding something while going somewhere.
10. Part of a book.
Copyright 2007 John R. Potter. John's wordsearch puzzle
www.thepotters.com/puzzles.html
Joke
From RR: ‘If I had two goldfish I would call them one and
two because if one dies I will still have two.’
Please send us more of these if you know any!
Service evaluation
Last year we asked all prisoners with whom we were in
touch to complete an eighteen-page survey, to find out
their opinions of the work we do. We received over 400
responses, and over the last few months we have been
analysing the data and reading all the comments. This
led to a fifty-page report, including fifteen
recommendations on ways we could improve the
services we offer to prisoners. A summary of this report
is included with this newsletter for prisoners and their
family members. If other readers are interested in
seeing this report, please contact Prisoners Abroad and
we can arrange for one to be sent.
PRISONERS ABROAD NEWS
We have also recently conducted an in-depth survey into
the causes and effects of British women being
imprisoned overseas, and next year we will be writing
to all registered family members to ask for their opinions
on the services we offer them.
Once again, we’d like to take the opportunity to thank
everyone who completed and returned any of the
surveys we have been working on. All of your opinions
and comments are extremely useful to us as we seek to
improve the services we offer.
15
Backpage bulletin
Thanks
Freepost envelopes
Our thanks go to Alberich, John R Potter and www.dailysudoku.co.uk for
allowing us to reprint their puzzles; the Noel Buxton Trust for their ongoing
support with the production of the newsletter.
If you use freepost
envelopes to have your
mail forwarded, please note
that it is not necessary to
use a separate envelope for
each letter. Several letters
can be enclosed in a single
envelope. Remember to tell
us the addresses to which
you wish them to be sent.
This will help us to keep
costs down.
Many thanks to all artists featured in the calendar – we hope they brighten
your year.
Change of address
Mail is frequently returned to us at Prisoners Abroad because people have
moved on. If you and your family wish to continue using our services, you
need to inform us as soon as possible of your new address. A lot of time is
spent processing returned mail and investigating where people have moved
to. In future, if mail is returned to us, there will be a temporary hold on further
mail. If there is no further contact, after 3-6 months the individual case will be
closed.
Christmas cards for prisoners
Some words from a Prisoners Abroad supporter: ‘Christmas will soon be with
us and, whether in prison or out there, preparations for the festive season
begin in earnest. A Christmas card to a lonely prisoner, who has nothing and
nobody, can make a huge difference.’ If you are not in prison and would like
to send a seasonal card to a prisoner to show that s/he is not forgotten at this
time of year, please contact Iris, who will send you information about how
much postage to attach, depending on which area of the world it is going to.
We will not release the names of the prisoners but will forward your card on
to someone in prison. The deadline for receipt of cards by Prisoners Abroad is
2nd December.
Reminder
Please note that Prisoners
Abroad can only offer
resettlement services to
people
who
have
registered with us prior to
their return to the UK. If you
wish to use our services
when you are released, it is
essential that you complete
an Authorisation Form. If
you have any doubts about
whether you, or a family
member, are registered,
please
contact
our
Casework team.
Forwarding letters
Prisoners Abroad is happy to provide a free letter-forwarding service for
prisoners to keep in touch with family, friends or other organisations. If we
receive any envelopes enclosing letters to forward, we reserve the right to
open and read these intermittently, as a result of the service being abused. It
is not out intention to vet all letters but we have to protect the organisation’s
reputation.
Writing to PA
Please note that, as we are a very small team, we will not always be able to
reply to your letter if there is not an obvious query for us. Postal systems can
also be slow, so if you don’t receive a response it may be because we did not
receive your letter or we are still working on it!
Prisoners Abroad
Please note that it is the
remit of Prisoners Abroad
to offer help to British
citizens detained overseas.
We regret that we are
unable to offer help to, or
correspond with, anyone
who is not a British citizen
because of a lack of
resources, not a lack of
caring.
1. Madam in Eden, I’m Adam.
2. An ‘eye’. (Or alternatively, a ‘ewe’.)
3. Race car
4. Do geese see God?
5. Don’t nod.
6. Josh
7. Amber
8. Joy
9. Carrie (carry)
10. Paige (page)
Puzzle solutions
The views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of Prisoners Abroad, Registered Charity No. 1093710 © Prisoners Abroad 2008