Ready salted and cheese flavoured...

Ready salted and cheese flavoured...

In mid 1971, I was 20 years of age (but looked 14), and had been transferred from Armley Prison in Leeds to Walton Prison in Liverpool enroute to Wakefield Prison in West Yorkshire. That Leeds to Wakefield is only 10-15 miles, it was strange that the Prison Service goes via Liverpool. In any event, for me it was a case of bums to the wall. I had long wavy hair just like one of the 3 Muskateers (I didn't say musky queers). One day I was approached by a young lifer who said he wished to speak to me in confidence. I was expecting him to proposition me, as I knew he was a bit that way inclined. The Great Yorkshire Understatement. When he got to his cell he asked me if I would put my hand up his arsehole. He wished to retrieve about 12 inches of brush handle which had got stuck up there after it had been sucked in after it had broken off from the remainder. I was trying not to laugh at his plight. The problem is that when a brush handle snaps, it produces a pointy weapon which some prisoners use as a wooden knife to stab another prisoner. In this case, it had turned sideways inside and was protruding under the skin as though he was about to give birth to an Alien. I told him I didn't think I could do anything to assist him and he should go along to the prison hospital to get it removed. This is when I first learnt about the Black Museum kept at Walton Prison. It contains, amongst other things, objects removed from inmates rear ends. I tell you this because I was reminded of this bizarre incident when I read the following letter and the reference to empty crisp packets. Beyond the humour it raises a serious issue.

MICHAEL QUINN - OUT-SIDE-IN
In 1999, a High Court judge upheld a case allowing access
for gay inmates to condoms so as to prevent the spread or contraction of transmittable diseases. Almost eight years down
the road we are now facing the same type of ignorance and
bigotry from prison management and staff.
We have recently been contacted by inmates stating that
although they are in consensual relationships whilst ‘inside’,
on approaching medical teams for condoms they are being
refused on instructions of management. This is in clear violation
of Mr Justice Latham’s court decision. We have contacted the
prison management involved only to be ignored. We have also
contacted the various Home Office and prison ministers, similarly
to be ignored.
We have in our possession horror letters from inmates who have
resorted to using empty crisp packets, cling film or nothing at
all. This is totally unacceptable and flies in the face of every
safe sex instruction available, therefore I write to Inside Time
to ask for help in clarifying the current situation.

Matthew Lees, Offender Health, Department of
Health, writes:
Above all other considerations, prisons must maintain good
order and discipline for people in custody. They should not
therefore take any action that can be interpreted as encouraging
overt sexual behaviour by prisoners.
However the Prison Service recognises that sex in prisons is a
reality, which carries with it a public health dimension. Prison
doctors therefore have authority to prescribe condoms if, in
their clinical judgement, there is a risk of HIV infection or
transmission of any other sexually transmitted illness.
Richard Bradshaw, the Director of Prison Health in the
Department of Health, issued a Clinical Guidance Note in July
2006 which sets out the policy very clearly in order to ensure
that good clinical practice on issuing condoms is in place in all
establishments.
The letter leaves governors free to devise their own protocols.
It may be appropriate to attach conditions for the issue of
condoms in certain cases; the overriding principle must be the protection of the health of prisoners.