Dear Prison Widow UK. If I may share with you my personal story?
I am a Drug Addict in recovery. The recovery is exceptionally hard work, I won't lie. I have been in HMP a number of times. Yes drugs are easy to come across and yes I used when I was in prison. I got myself in to debt inside and took a punch here and there. The dealers know exactly who to target and drugs in prison, they are expensive. I do not think that the Prison Service or the Government are doing enough to tighten things up. On many many occasions I was banged up in my cell all day with very little to do apart from screw my head up. During association I would score because drugs took me away from the situation I admittedly got myself in to and the mundane day to day of prison life.
I feel torn up about the amount of suicides in prison in the UK but I understand the desperation. I was nearly there myself at one point although I would rather not speak of it.
Preparation for life on the outside is petrifying. I was a drug addict and my prison sentences weren't constructive.
The majority of the prison officers were A1 but staffing levels were dire. You could see the depressing morale and it wasn't their fault. Trust me, a smile in prison makes a lot of difference.
I have been in recovery for 6 months which isn't a long time. To stand any chance of bringing myself back to life, I have had to rid of old aquaintences. I refer to them as aquaintences because you do not have any friends when you are a drug user. One drug addict is a means to an end for another drug addict.
It is a life that is unrealistic and every drug addict says it's his last fix. It isn't and the lifestyle just gets from bad to worse.
Change has to come from yourself. As for the prison system, I have no words.
Best wishes to all. Kindest regards from Ady.
I am a Drug Addict in recovery. The recovery is exceptionally hard work, I won't lie. I have been in HMP a number of times. Yes drugs are easy to come across and yes I used when I was in prison. I got myself in to debt inside and took a punch here and there. The dealers know exactly who to target and drugs in prison, they are expensive. I do not think that the Prison Service or the Government are doing enough to tighten things up. On many many occasions I was banged up in my cell all day with very little to do apart from screw my head up. During association I would score because drugs took me away from the situation I admittedly got myself in to and the mundane day to day of prison life.
I feel torn up about the amount of suicides in prison in the UK but I understand the desperation. I was nearly there myself at one point although I would rather not speak of it.
Preparation for life on the outside is petrifying. I was a drug addict and my prison sentences weren't constructive.
The majority of the prison officers were A1 but staffing levels were dire. You could see the depressing morale and it wasn't their fault. Trust me, a smile in prison makes a lot of difference.
I have been in recovery for 6 months which isn't a long time. To stand any chance of bringing myself back to life, I have had to rid of old aquaintences. I refer to them as aquaintences because you do not have any friends when you are a drug user. One drug addict is a means to an end for another drug addict.
It is a life that is unrealistic and every drug addict says it's his last fix. It isn't and the lifestyle just gets from bad to worse.
Change has to come from yourself. As for the prison system, I have no words.
Best wishes to all. Kindest regards from Ady.
