I had been brought up as a Catholic, but when I reached the age were you start asking why it is that all these churches have gold and expensive robes, how come all these countries have starving children. I also have a question, if God knows the past, present and future, preying to him seems a futile exercise as he is not going to change the future if he knows it already, is he?

From this you will think my idea of religion is very limited, but when you have been through war and prison you feel God is not doing any favours to mankind. The various denominations are very well represented, but you get the feeling a lot of prisoners find God at the gate for other reasons than hope and promptly leave Him at the gate on the way out!

I found my discourse with the Catholic Nun who looked after us was wonderful, she did a fantastic job. She was Irish and did not stand on ceremony. She would work all manner of hours and did a lot of fine work with many of the inmates.

The religious groups would meet once or twice a week and you would have church services on Sunday. All the various church holidays were well supported, but as I was very sceptical and still am, I found the hypocrisy very difficult to comprehend.

One point I will make is that I caused the nun to cry when I asked her who she turned to when she needed a break from all our woe and worry, she said it was only the second time someone has asked her, with concern, in twenty-five years. I felt much humbled by this, but point it out because the authorities should note, these people who give of themselves to help others need far more support, than they get.

I helped out by counselling other inmates when they were in need of talking through their problems, but the energy and spiritual effort that nun displayed, is still as emotive to me now, as it was then.