Main charge is GBH but have 2 other lesser charges as well.
Solicitor reckons I'm looking at 2-4 years with everything so thinking 3 years. I know you only do half vut it still seems a long time with everything else going on as well.
You did a fair bit of time mate. looking at the list of nicks you've been in you could nearly do a whole Trip Advisor thing on prisons. Must have been great getting out for the whole Millenium thing. Was only 9 myself back then!
Thanks for saying it will be alright. What did you find the worse thing about it? I did 6 months in MCTC Colchester when I was in the Army when I was younger so not totally new for me but I know regular prison will be different from that.
Don't know if you had kids back then but what do you think of having them visit me in prison? Not sure if it is a good thig for them or not. I knowI woud like to see them but not sure if it would be good for them to see me there. My oldest lad understands about what is happening and it's
been the hardest thing dealing with him when he was asking why I was a bad man! Also worried about if he might get a hard time at schoo when I get sentenced as am sure it will be in the local papers.
I feel your pain and hope all works out for you. I went through this same thing, was in the local papers and it was horrible for my family.
I got a 3 year 6 month sentence around 7 years ago. Served all my time in jails up north. Hmp marshgate and moorlands closed.
The hardest thing I found was dealing with the pain of what i was putting my family through. You're essentially taking your whole family to jail. It really tested my relationship with my wife and 3 children. I didn't let any of my children visit me because I didn't want them to be exposed to it and I only let my wife visit once a month. Again because i didnt want her to go through the mental torture.
The jail time itself is relatively easy but it depends on which jail you're at. At hmp moorlands closed there was only 2 hours of association a day. One hour in the morning and one hour in the night which included having your dinner in that hour. It was 22 hours a day lockdown. However once you get used to it; it becomes a routine like anything else.
What is portrayed in films and stuff about being bent over is all nonsense in the category c and b jails I was in. This type of stuff is in life jails and category a and double category a jails, which based on yout offences you're unlikely yo go to. If you keep yourself to yourself no one will bother you.
You will probably see fights, stabbings pool balls in socks sugar in boiling water being thrown at people but that's prisoners who have history with each other settling scores inside.
It best to try and find prison employment such as wing cleaner, working in the servery, the gym or the main prison kitchen. You get paid for the work which means more funds for your weekly canteen were you can stock on food which you'll need. But more importantly you get more time out of your cell.
I would also recommend you to take up any offender management courses that the prison offer you. If you eligible for release on curfew it will help your case.
Luckily for me because of the nature of my offences the offender management courses were of no benefit to me and it was recommended i did not need to participate in any. I got in to the routine with in 2 months and the pain of what I was doing to my family became easier. I got employment as a reading mentor teaching people how to read and write so I got extended time out of my cell. I was released early after around 18 months and served time on tag and the rest on licence.
Prison changed my whole life and made my relationship with my wife children and extended family alot stronger and it's made me appreciate the smaller things in life which I never did.
Since prison my life has never been better and I've become a better person and husband.
Employment can be extremely difficult after prison depending on what type of work you're looking for. I am blessed that I had specialist experience in a certain industry and the employer who took me on and am still employed by looked past my criminal record I am forever grateful for that.
I wish you all the best and I'm sure you'll be all good. Stay strong, stay blessed
). Been to Reading (x2), Onley and Portland YOI's. Highdown, Pentonville, Camp Hill (x2) and Swansea HMP's.
I'm only 10 years older than you tho. It was definitely a lucky touch to get out when I did. I should have been out two weeks earlier but they added two weeks on to my sentence for getting busted with a tiny bit of weed. Just glad they gave me two weeks extra and not three! I was only 19 at the time so they'd shipped me up to Onley YOI which is right up in Warwickshire. A 5 hour drive home.
