When Des arrived at Walton prison his first memory was an officer
declaring that he had won the rosette for the longest sentence that day. He was placed in a holding cell by himself.
He was joined by a civil prisoner who warned him to tell no one why he was in prison. This hightened his fears but proved to be good advice. He was given
prison clothes: jeans far too large, a sweatshirt with no sleeves and shoes without laces or strengthening at the back. The person sharing the cell with him said
it was normal for 'VP' to be so treated by the 'normal' prisoners who worked on reception.
During the evening the cell filled up. At around 8.00 pm everyone else was taken elsewhere. Soon after he was collected by a nurse. She offered to replace
his sweatshirt. He was taken to the hospital and placed in a cell with 3 others. One appeared to be sedated, one was Spanish and spoke no English. The third
was apparently suicidal, Des played cards with him that night.
The following morning Des was moved to 'A' wing. He was taken to a cell and then a problem seemed to arise. No one really explained events and in his
state of mind he found it very confusing. He does remember 'Bury' (the 1st complainant from the trial) saying that he had nothing to fear from him. Des was in the
cell for
only a few minutes before he was taken back to the hospital. A nurse later apologised and told Des that an instruction for him not to be taken to the wing until
after 'Bury' had been taken back to Wakefield had only been passed on when senior staff had come on duty.
It was about 3 days before he went to the wing. For the first couple of weeks he was without a job. He had a number of cell mates who luckily were perfectly
reasonable to him. This was just as well as he spent most of his time in his cell. This was partly his own fault as he chose not to take exercise because when
he left his cell he met verbal aggression and was a spat on a couple of times. He was advised by his cell mates to ignore this and as soon as he was no
longer 'flavour of the month' this would subside but if he was to make a fuss this would further alienate inmates against him.
At this time he received a letter from his solicitor's firm. It included an advice from his barrister to the effect that he could only appeal against sentence. It also
said his solicitor would visit once he had returned from holiday.
After about 2 weeks he was given a job in the laundry. This was generally an improvement except that he shared a cell with someone who had been in
Dyson Hall but did not actually know Des from there. For the next couple of weeks he tried to see how far he could push Des without him complaining. This
included being barricaded into the toilet and having excreta rubbed into the earphones of his Walkman. After a couple of weeks he was moved as part of
being punished for reasons unconnected with Des.
Des learnt from him that he had been in Dyson Hall at the same time as 'Bury' and had recognised him when he came to Walton from Wakefield.
He said he could remember 'Bury' writing an account of his abuse for the teacher at Dyson Hall . If indeed 'Bury' had done this it was inconsistent with
his claim to have remained silent about his abuse whilst at Dyson Hall.
His solicitor arrived the day before the 28 days allowed to submit an appeal was up. This was the first time Des had seen him since the first day of his trial.
He put it to him he felt the sentence was reasonable for what he had supposedly done - it was because he had not done it that he wanted to appeal. Eventually
he accepted the advice that he could only appeal against sentence (at least for the moment). He also mentioned a writer had been in touch and would like to
talk to Des. Des agreed to this.
In August Richard Webster (the writer) visited with a friend and his former professor. They felt he had received poor legal advice from the start. It was agreed
that they would seek a new solicitor willing to take up his case. By October Richard had found David Woods who already knew something of his case. David
visited him and the process of preparing an appeal against conviction began.
Des's new cell mate had severe psychiatric problems. Des felt sorry for him
but life was quite difficult, not least because he masturbated frequently and openly. Others were aware of this (someone in the next cell asked what the noise
was and Des told him. He, in turn, told virtually everyone in the laundry). Someone else was having a similar problem with his cell mate so he was moved
to his cell.
During this period Des was threatened with a razor blade for a radio he did not have. Someone tried to get his cross and chain. This same person tried
threats to Des's family to get him to have drugs smuggled in. His standing up to these threats seemed to put an end to them. Thereafter, apart from a weekend of
silence when a new cell mate found out why he was in prison, he had no problems other than those that could be regarded as normal in prison whilst he
remained at Walton. Indeed, by the time he left Walton (13 June 1997) he was the Wing Clerk, a position which brought with it as comfortable a lifestyle as
could be enjoyed in that prison. He had also settled well enough to train as a listener to try and help others in adjusting to prison life. This was the period
he was least uncomfortable in prison.
This description of his time at Walton is chronologically as he remembers it but there are a few points which he needs to conclude.
In November 1996 the Court of Appeal reduced his sentence was reduced to 8 years.
Des was told by someone who said he had been friendly with 'Bury' during his time in Walton that 'Bury' had told people he had been younger than
he really was at the time of the supposed offences. He told Des this in the context of explaining the initial hostility. Des feels that what
was accused of doing would be horrific whatever the age of the victim, however, this incident shows that 'Bury' was capable of altering his story to suit his
circumstances.
Any time spent in prison will acquaint you with a "compensation culture". If anything goes wrong someone advises you to put in a claim. Des took the
Guardian during his imprisonment and, when it became clear that the system of assessing reductions in sentence for time served on remand was wrong, it was
much in demand so people could get the full details to assess new release dates and compensation claims for wrongful imprisonment. Any (ex) prisoner will tell
you that for both complainants (given their histories) to claim to have not considered claiming compensation was simply not credible.
Des was also told that 'Bury' had been approached by the BBC. He told an officer who in turn told Des. For some reason he was reticent about
speaking to them. Des drew inferences from what the officer was saying but feels that it would be wrong to put words into his mouth.
Des says that those imprisoned on similar charges to him tended to show one of 3 different reactions:
- If they pleaded guilty they tended to wish to share their remorse with others.
- If they admitted guilt but not of the specific offences for which they were convicted they, like the first group, tended to be open in their discussion of their
offences.
- Those who maintained their innocence tended to be wary about talking about them.
You'd expect that it would be the first 2 groups who would keep quiet and that the third group would be shouting from the rooftops. This is, until you consider that
the prison system is geared to the acceptance of one's 'guilt' and then dealing with it. Prisons, not surprisingly, dislike the idea they contain innocent people.
Such people soon learn to try and keep a low profile.
Des gives an example of how false allegations can be used to manipulate the prison regime:
"On the same wing as me there was an ex-worker from another home. He had been accused of similar offences to me and, like me, he maintained that he
was innocent. Two former residents of his home were supposed to be on the same wing but preferred the hospital wing. So, to prevent being transferred back to the
wing they made allegations against this man. As a result he was transferred to the hospital and then to Wakefield. When they came onto the
wing one told me he believed this man to be innocent and would make a statement to that effect."
On Friday 13 June 1996 Des was given 30 minutes notice that he was to be transferred to Risley. He was moved to Reception and went to Risley several
hours later. He was led to believe he was going to the training prison but upon arrival was told there were no places available and was put on the allocation wing.
Two of us were placed in holding cell not realising this was normal location. Des's fellow prisoner let it slip that they had come from the VP wing at Walton which
led to a very uncomfortable couple of hours of waiting. Eventually he was taken to the wing where he was placed in a cell by himself.
The next morning he was interviewed by an S.O. Des asked him why he had been transferred from Walton to a similar prison and as a result lost all the
privileges he had earned. The S.O. said that they intended to transfer him to the training prison as soon as there was a place available. In the meantime he offered
Des a place on the segregation wing which he took though he regime was very restricted.
On Monday morning he was interviewed by an officer from the training prison. He asked Des about doing the Sexual Offenders Treatment Programme (SOTP).
Des told him he was willing to do it but had been told that he was ineligible because he maintained his innocence. He said they had heard all this before and
knew it was just a way of avoiding the programme. As a consequence there would be no place for Des on the training wing. Des returned to his cell. Later that
morning he asked a wing officer where he now stood and was told he would have to wait for a place at another prison which could take weeks. Early that afternoon
he had been told to pack as he was going to the training prison.
On arrival on the wing Des was interviewed by a P.O. who told him they would be on his back to do the SOTP and he would not get enhanced status or
parole unless he did so. Des explained that he was unable to admit to something he had not done.
From day one he was pointed out to other prisoners as the 'social worker' and subject to verbal aggression virtually daily at first. On the first morning he was
going around the various prison workplaces trying to find employment when he was approached by 'Anderson' (a fellow prisoner) who warned him to ask for a transfer
out or he would live to regret it. After a few days Anderson offered an apology, of sorts.
At this time Des was asked by a staff member if he knew 'Webster' (another inmate). Des replied that he didn't. Then he
learned from other prisoners that 'Anderson' had learned from 'Webster' (a prsoner who had been at Walton at the same time
as Des) the nature of his supposed offences. 'Anderson' had subsequently been overheard by staff making threats against Des. Des also heard he was
supposed to have abused 198 boys. 'Webster', serving a sentence for rape, tried to pretend he was not a sex offender. Part of his technique for hiding his
offences was to highlight the 'offences' of
others. It is a joke at Risley (a non-segregated prison) that there are an awful lot of armed robbers, because this technique is so common. He was assured that
once he was no longer 'flavour of the month' things would calm down. For an idea of what he went through during the first 6 months or so at Risley here is a list
of just a few examples of what he had to endure which went beyond the normal taunt of 'paedophile'.
- He was tripped up at the altar when he went for communion. (He eventually stopped going to mass.)
-
- He had a visit cut short (with his agreement) because staff were concerned about what other prisoners were saying.
- Water was thrown over him while he was playing cards. He stopped going to other wings.
- Others were asked why they were talking to him.
- His cell was robbed several times. He was told that those responsible justified this by quoting his supposed offences.
- Someone from Walton asked Des not to seek his company as he had been warned he may live to regret being associated with Des.
Intellectually Des can understand and agree that his supposed crimes are offensive to others, including prisoners, particularly as so many have been in
care. This does not make it any easier to deal with emotionally. He is not a paedophile and found constantly being pointed out as one very distressing. Even
more difficult to cope with are those who admit their guilt of actions he found totally reprehensible justifying themselves by saying that what they did "was
not as bad as what he [supposedly] had done".
At his sentence review in October Des had reached the point where he only really left his cell to go to work. This was discussed, as was his doing the
SOTP. He again had the discussion about whether he was refusing to do it. Eventually at both the board and probation interviews he managed to get
recorded that he was maintaining his innocence and was therefore ineligible for SOTP. Though SOTP was recorded as an objective he was also supposed
to see a psychologist for two reasons. Firstly, there was concern that he might be becoming agoraphobic. Secondly to discuss his offences as he might be
in denial. On both counts he was happy with this, in the case of the second because he wanted to try and demonstrate that he was not in denial. To date
he has not seen a psychologist.
His 'outside' probation officer was unable to attend the board because she had not been informed in time. She visited him in November and went through the
papers. She always adopted a pragmatic approach and accepted he maintains his innocence. She said that there was a course at Wymott which did not
require him to admit guilt and suggested that this might demonstrate his willingness to cooperate. He was now so unhappy at Risley he also saw the transfer
as a way out.
He chose to spend most of Christmas and New Year in his cell. Risley has many more facilities to offer which he did not avail himself of because of the
way he felt. He did not even go to the television room. In the January he spent some days thinking about his position. He had kept a diary of incidents,
initially to show the psychologist that he had genuine reasons to be concerned. This showed him things were indeed settling down. He also realised that
he was focused on getting out of Risley whereas the real issue should be that he was innocent and should not be in prison. He had heard that Wymott
may not be such a good move. In February he heard he could continue in his current workplace on a permanent basis and that his solicitor thought the
time had come to seek a barrister. As a result of thinking things through logically he found Risley an easier place to live in. He decided to stay and
cancelled his application to do the course and to concentrate on his appeal.
He remained in Risley until his release on parole in June 2001 and feels the decision he made at that time was the correct one. He made detailed
notes on prison life and, at some point, would like to write a book on the subject.
Had Des actually been guilty and admitted it he would probably have been freed in 1997. He would have spent less time waiting for trial and sentence,
been able to get a reduced sentence for cooperating and been in a position to do the SOTP and get parole having served half his sentence. Moreover,
by not taking the course that the authorities prescribed meant that he had to endure a more restricted regime. But he couldn't take the course because he
protested his innocence. He served a longer and a harsher sentence because he stuck to the truth. |
