In Today's Issue

A poem by today's guest writer Anne Rhodes.
Prison
Random Joke
Amaaaaaaazing Fact
Born this day
Finish with a Song

Here is an emotive poem from Anne Rhodes.

A ROOM YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO BE IN

It's a prison visiting hall – a private hell

where prisoners hopes are held in privacy.

A large echoing space creates the urge to shout

sounds bouncing from roof and walls

like a hollow drum

echoes of voices even when they've gone

emotions overlapping, palpating from the walls.

Fixed seating in a circle of four

- the brown one red.

Circles of seats – segregated -

spread across the floor.

Children's play area with plastic

and sponge playthings -

toys abandoned where they lay

segregated from prisoner and visitor alike.

A “shop” in the corner where coffee or

tea and sealed bags of sweets for barter

in less than an hour will be swapped for

cigs known as 'smokes'.

Warders have escorted the prisoners

away to back on the Wing,

where peace will be ordered

when arguments begin over whose

sealed bag of sweets will pay which

prisoner some peace.

© Anne Rhodes 2013

Prison Facts
source russellwebster.com

On 15 May 2015, the prison population in England and Wales was 84,372.

The average annual cost of a prison place is £36,237.

On 31 March 2015, 70 of the 117 prisons in England and Wales were overcrowded.

 In 2014 there were 243 deaths in custody, the highest number on record.

In the last year serious assaults in prison have risen by over a third.

England and Wales have the highest imprisonment rate in Western Europe, locking up 149 people per 100,000 of the population.

People aged 60 and over are the fastest growing age group in the prison estate.

Our prison population risen by 82% in the last 32 years

6,554 are currently in prison because they were recalled

Women make up only 5% of the total prison population but 10% of people sent to prison each year

Suicide rates 10 times higher in prison

Random Joke

I was on my way to work this morning when I noticed the woman in the next car over, talking on her phone whilst driving. I was so shockedI threw my beer at her.

The longest ever jail sentence was given to Terry Nicols in 2004. After being convicted for 161 counts of first degree murder, first degree arson, and conspiracy by the state court of Oklahoma for his part in the Oklahoma City bombing of April 21, 1995.  He was given 161 life sentences with no parole.

Born This Day
If it's your birthday today, you share it with....


1912 - Woody Guthrie - American Musician
1913 - Gerald Ford - 38th USA President 
1918 - Ingmar Bergman - Film Director
1974 - David Mitchell - UK Comedian and writer


Finish With a Song

Given Anne's poem here is a song from Jonny Cash, Falsom Prison Blues,
released in 1957.  ( 60 years ago )