A more diverse group of individuals you could probably never meet. Prison officers are a law unto themselves. The different mix of age and gender means that you also become mixed up in their lives more than any other group of people including the military.

The fact that not only are the prisoners locked up, but so are the officers, is not lost on the inmates. You only have to look at the high level of absent and ill officers to be aware that the shift system they work relies heavily on their commitment to the job far more than the financial gain which is not that special.

As in all occupations, you get the good, the bad, and the downright indifferent. However, I found as a percentage that about 60% were ok. 20% had mood swings and the others should not be doing the job. The main areas usually concerned visits, food, telephone use and work problems.

Most prisons allocate a personal officer that you go to when you are having problems, seeing that particular officer may not always be a simple matter, as you have to wait until they are in view, within range and free to talk!

Always turn out smartly and keep your cell as clean as possible, the officers for the most part are reasonable if you are, but your private life is no longer yours, so the sooner you except the fact the easier it is to become integrated into the system and do your time.

Do not concern yourself with stories of beatings and horror, these things happen to people that deserve it and to be reading this means you have enough grey cells to know what and who I mean. Even serious sexual assault prisoners do not get beaten up as it is widely predicted in the daily rags, although you should ask the question as to their sleazy advertising, graphic depictions of rape and 0890 type phone lines, how they equate this.

The tolerance of officers is usually quite good, but this is not exercised should an inmate become violent either towards another inmate or a prison officer. Eight onto one is normal and complaints are not looked into with any real hope of success, as closing ranks is a normal process of prison staff.

To show intelligence is to be viewed with suspicion, to become hermit-like is to become equally so. The officers are always concerned should someone not eat or be seen to behave in a different way. The officers keep a log of the various people you visit and talk to during your stay at their establishment, they write down discussions and meetings with you and produce a report for the probation service regarding the possible risks to the population on your release.