In and Out of Prison...

The day has finally arrived... It's time to goto prison and face what lies ahead of me!

When I reached the outskirts of the vicinity - it looked like a concentration camp... however, as I drove into the depths of the prison - the outsides of the buildings looked like Ikea but in white! I got out of my car and headed towards the reception area, where I was asked for ID and signed in. Myself and my bag were put through 2 different machines - one x-ray and one metal detector. I was then searched. Forbidden objects included chewing gum, metal objects, mobile phones, foil (not too sure why foil!), paper clips, lip salve/vaseline - these I had to put in a locker before I was allowed to enter into the main prison area.... There were guards standing and the morning rush was heaving with work people queuing as if they were going to catch a plane!!! Thank goodness I arrived early - the whole process took about 15-20 mins!!

I then had to wait for someone to collect me... once that happened we went thru numberous doors which had locks, bars and safety time systems in place... It was rather daunting as we went thru corriders, then doors, then more corriders until we arrived at the pharmacy. Think of hospital corridors, but all the doors are thick and shut... There are no windows in these corridors and you could be easily disorientated if you werent a regular.

Well, the pharmacy was small, but cosy. There was a hatch in a wall with metal bars - so that inmates can talk to you and collect their meds... I learnt that this prison was a male prison with all ages including young offenders... Their crimes varied from mild to serious (including sex offenders and murderers!!) - However, they are separated according to the severity of the crime in different wings...

My first job of the day... Supervised consumption of methadone and other abusable substances... I dispensed the meds and before I knew it - it was time for the first appointment... So my colleague and I gathered all the meds into another room (like a consultation room) after going thru more corridors and locked doors... At this point all the inmates with appointments were waiting in a locked room guarded with security guards. One by one we would call them and they would be escorted into our room where they would take their meds... Nothing scary - its like what we do in community. In some cases, I had to goto the inmates cell and give his meds there... Depending on which wing you were on, some cells were relatively large(!) with a toilet, shower cubicle, single bed and TV!!! But for inmates with less security needed, their cells were smaller, but they had access to communal areas and had more freedom - pool tables, TV, seating areas...

Then it was dispensing scripts amongst everything else... (The prison has its own doctor, dentist, optician, physiotherapist, nurses etc.... so, its well equipt.) Once dispensed we would call the inmate's name and they would show us their prison ID cards and we would hand over their meds through the hatch- no ID means no meds! It was like school - children waiting to be called up for their prize... "Thanks Miss" - That was what I was referred to... "Miss"... I really didnt know what to expect but all were courteous - maybe becos they knew they needed us?!?!?! We do supply the meds!!!

Time had gone so quick, before we knew it, it was lunch time. Lunch was served somewhere else and again we had to trek thru more corridors and locked doors... I must say - it was tedious... My colleague had a huge bunch of keys and each time - she had to unlock the door, then relock it... Lunch was great - christmas dinner for a whopping £1!!! cheap and tasty! Over lunch I learnt alot about the prison...

What do the inmates do? Generally, they wake up and work or goto school within the prison. For young offenders, they are educated (some learn to read and write, some get qualifications...). The older ones work e.g. in industry - they produce car/household machine parts; some work in laundry dept; some serve food; some are decorators and continually update the prison buildings... Those who are more trusted work as cleaners - as they are the only workers (who are inmates) that are not supervised...

After lunch, it was back to work... Dispensing and wing rounds... Making sure the medicines there were stocked up and replenished... During the week there are many clinics that the pharmacy dept holds - smoking cessation, phlebotomy, diagnostic testing (diabetes, cholesterol), medicines management - to be honest - alot more than what you would normally find!!!

During my stay there, I had a very eye-opening time, where I learnt alot more and fully appreciated what actually happens in prison... My heart does go out to SOME inmates becos here in the prison - they have a "good life". They have 3 main meals a day, they have a bed, TV, clothes, someone to talk to, they work (they get about £2 a week), then they have events like football tournaments and the prizes include £10 each for the winning team... Sometimes, in the real world, they have less than this... Although they do very well in prison and have gained an education there - in society - they said they find it hard to do well and then they revert back to doing wrong because they simply are not accepted and they then cant afford anything... They become institutionalised and its really sad...

Another event happening today included alarms of all nurses and doctors beeping, as someone had tried to harm themselves... He had managed to cut himself on the wrist and up his arm... It was rather horrific but for some reason, I wasnt scared when I saw the nurses and doctor try to refrain him and the blood was all over the floor... I suppose, you get into the mode where you have to do your job and dont let your emotions affect you...

Another surprise of the day included meeting a regular customer of mine where I used to work, as I was doing my wing rounds!! We chatted for awhile and it was a shame to see him here... He looked well though - much better than when he was out of prison... He had put on weight and hhis cheeks were rosy...

Overall, I enjoyed the day and would I go back? Yeah. Although today was daunting and at times, I did feel a little nervous and scared - the whole experience was life-changing and rewarding. The colleagues from the different depts all mucked in and helpped each other as a unity and I really liked that...