Time In Issue 8

TIME IN TIME IN

Editorial...

Editorial Issue 8

Joseph Brodsky, the Nobel Prize winning poet, was sentenced to five years hard labour by the Russian regime of the 1960s because his poems and writings were judged to be anti-Soviet. He famously wrote that ‘prison is essentially a shortage of space made up for by a surplus of time’. The Time In team has been cultivating our time and putting together a summer edition of the magazine. We hope you will find Time In to be engaging, informative and inspiring.

We have a new logo and challenging content to boot. 2016 has been a notable year for centenary commemorations. We have an article on The Battle of the Somme and The Easter Rising from contrasting perspectives. Our main affecting article is an interview with a prisoner who has spent most of his life living on the streets.

The writers’ group had three winning entries in this year’s Listowel Writers Week. An unprecedented achievement! One of our main features examines the Holocaust Museum exhibition here at HMP Magilligan. This is an innovative project that marked the Holocaust Memorial Day. Our gallery and poetry pages are a testimony to the arts in prison and the talents of our writers that are continually nurtured and given a platform.

Once again we’d like to thank everyone at the Prison Arts Foundation who supported this project. At a controversial time for the arts in a post-recession climate, it is important to thank Governor Eagleson for advocating and supporting the crucial role that the arts have in rehabilitation.

Ultimately the Time In project is about encouraging writers in prison to develop writing skills and share the work created. From bloggers to translators; the art of writing requires that you write. Style is crucial and can be developed through engagement with writers within the desired field. The different types of writers and opportunities range from academic, article writers, business writers, columnists, copywriters, freelancers, game writers, grant writers, journalists, nonfiction, novelists, online writers, play writers, poetry, reviewers, screenwriters, songwriters, speechwriters and technical writers. Ad infinitum!

And to return to Brodsky’s belief ‘that the more books sitting on our shelves, the fewer men we put in prisons’. This startling maxim comes from a man who endured persecution. He was detained in mental institutions having been labelled as ‘mad’ by the Soviet Authorities. Later, he was imprisoned and denounced in his own country for his writings. He went on to be appointed United States Poet Laureate in 1991.

Pamela Mary Brown

CONTENTS

Letters Page

The Arts in Prison PAF Interview

Listowel Writers Prize

Norn Iron a Wee Country with Big Personalities At Home on the Streets

A Year of Commemorations

Holocaust Exhibition in Magilligan

Auschwitz

Mind Your Head

Gallery

Poetry

Arts Mentoring Scheme

Hydebank College Win’s Big East and West

Banged Up Abroad

Music News

Education and Prison Life Reviews

Nature Watch

Crossword Sport

CONTRIBUTORS

Deputy Editor: DMcC

Poetry Editor: LS

Art and Design: PM

Cover: PM

Sport: IL

Proof Reading: AMcC

NOTE on Contributors’ Names:

Contributions from both prison staff and prisoners are acknowledged in Time In by their initials only.

The Letters Page

Skype Or No Skype

Dear Time In

I am an enhanced prisoner who is almost a 200 mile roundtrip from family and friends. Why are prisoners who are not in Foyleview, and don’t take visits, not allowed access to Skype? Surely it would be a huge relief to prisoners to be able to see, and talk to family. Especially prisoners who have family overseas.

Many of our parents and grandparents are at an age where travelling long distances puts considerable pressure on health and wellbeing. Surely this would be easily established in this day and age with access to computers and internet? This would not be a huge cost factor for prisoners, compared to the phone plus, and could make huge leaps in prisoner progress for many inmates who are concerned about loved ones.

There is ample space on ‘the wings’ to place Skypebooths. I, for one would love to avail of such a service to make sure my elderly mother and my eldest brother who lives in England, are keeping safe and sound. And to be able to see the progress my great niece is making in her early years. I implore the prison service to explore access to Skype for prisoners in our situation. I would have no objection to being monitored. I know security is an issue but surely it would be easy enough for the Prison Service to monitor Skype so it could not be abused.

DisillusionedEnhancedPrisoner

The Coffee Cove

Dear Time In

The opening of a coffee shop in Magilligan helps to bring a feel of normality about the place. Especially for long term prisoners, it can keep them in touch with the real world and the day to day things you would do in society, such as getting lunch from a café.

However, the problem is that prisoners have no access to it. This is unfair and a lot of prisoners believe that enhanced and working prisoners should have, even just once or twice a week, provided that they are willing to pay for it out of their own IPC accounts. And it would provide another incentive for prisoners to spend their time constructively in Magilligan.

There was a problem a few months back when prisoners who completed courses were allowed down for bacon baps and some drinks went missing from the fridge, so it was stopped.

However, this could be avoided by taking down only 5 or 6 at a time and those who misbehave would be barred.

This reflects what happens in normal society and it would teach dysfunctional prisoners the value of good behaviour, as well as keep long term prisoners in touch with functions of the real world, rather than alienate them altogether. If this couldn’t be provided for, then a takeaway or delivery service would do the very best and would provide an income stream for the prison.

Voice of the Ville

Dear Time In,

I was absolutely appalled and disgusted at the preposterous attitude taken by the Belfast Telegraph towards Time In magazine. Although this diabolical report occurred some time ago, I only learned of it recently after being transferred from prison in England. Instead of being supportive this particular newspaper decided to concentrate on the crimes some of the men had actually committed. Whatever happened to supporting rehabilitation?

Although born in Ireland I spent my entire adult life in London. So, when convicted of theft I found myself banged up in H.M.P. Pentonville. Whilst there, I enrolled in a writing and journalism class. This is run through the prison’s education department and the whole idea is to improve prisoner’s literacy. As a side product of this class the prison produces its own magazine called the “Voice of the Ville” which is published every second month and is even partially sponsored by The Guardian newspaper. In my time there various editors and well-known journalists from the broadsheet came to visit and carry our journalistic workshops. Some prisoners have even left Pentonville prison and walked into an internship at The Guardian.

The V.O.V., combined with the prison library, have various patrons such as former soldier and novelist, Andy McNab who regularly gives lectures on the benefits of being able to read and write properly. When Andy joined the army as a sixteen year old boy soldier he had the reading capabilities of a twelve year old and only enlisted to avoid a reformatory school. The army taught him to read and write and now he’s a millionaire author. There’s hope for all of us through rehabilitation but it seems that the Belfast Telegraph doesn’t agree.

The teacher who works at Magilligan’s Creative Writing class does a fantastic job and there are clearly dedicated professionals who only want to help the inmates improve their literacy. As for the inmates themselves, if they can improve their literacy it may help them get a job after release from prison and this can only add to their rehabilitation back into society.

The Arts and Prison

Engaging with prison arts teaches skills not just within the many artistic disciplines but promotes and assists communication and reflection. The creative process demonstrates how to work with focus. Finding the right note when playing an instrument takes time and dedication. Finding the right word or engaging with ways to capture an image needs application and attention to detail. Learning lines for a performance takes time. A poem, a short story or film script, a sculpture or painting, a new song or an album of songs are the results that can be shared. The American poet Etheridge Knight began writing poetry while in prison and believes that ‘art unifies rather than separates; it brings people together instead of alienating them.’ Here at Time In our Poetry Editor LS decide to interview Fred Caulfield about his role as Director of Prison Arts Foundation.

LS: First of all, congratulations on your appointment as director of PAF. What made you apply for the job?

Fred: Thank you for your congratulations in relation to my appointment as Executive Director of PAF. Following a period of being a Board Member, following my retirement from the Prison Service, I was asked by the Chairman if I would take over the post of Executive Director as the previous E.D. had resigned at short notice. Due to my passion for working with offenders and my previous experience of PAF in the prison setting I agreed to accept the position.

LS: Was it daunting for you to take on the role after Mike Maloney left such big shoes to fill?

Fred: I am aware that opinions were that Mike Maloney left big shoes to fill but this was never and will never be my intention to fill them. I intend to fully support and with funding available continue to promote the delivery of Art forms to offenders both inside and outside of custody.

LS: What is your vision for PAF and how shall this manifest itself during your time in office?

Fred: My vision is to inspire creativity, encourage personal and social change in offenders within the criminal justice system through the arts. With my vast experience working with offenders for over 30 years I have been innovative in developing projects that not only benefit offenders in custody but also in the community.

I am also developing a mentoring project for offenders upon release who are intending to continue on with their arts in the community.

LS: Do you envisage a time in the future when offenders who enter prison will learn from their mistakes?

Fred: I am a great believer that offenders can change following a period of imprisonment with the proper support. Engagement with PAF is a vital part of their rehabilitation. The PAF team of dedicated and experienced professionals across the prison network in Northern Ireland offers many offenders a life–line, helping to improve their creative and communication skills, which is key to personal and social development, building selfconfidence and unlocking potential.

LS: What is the relationship between the arts as education and rehabilitation for prisoners paralleled with punishment for crime and paying the debt to society?

Fred: A large number of offenders enter prison following a poor history of involvement in education. The sentence they receive from the courts is for retribution and deterrence but does not assist in their educational deficits. Participation in PAF. workshops is often the first step towards someone engaging more widely with formal education and vocational training services in the prisons. Our vision is of a criminal justice system where PAF.’s work is valued by all its stakeholders as crucial to the rehabilitation process and everyone has the opportunity to positively channel their creative energies and talents through the arts. PAF. increases access to the arts for those who have offended, many of whom come from socially and economically deprived backgrounds. The ultimate aim is to help those in custody to develop new skills, aiding personal development, rehabilitation and employment prospects upon release.

LS: If you had a magic wand and funding was not an issue, what would you like to do for prisoners?

Fred: I would increase the amount of PAF classes available in prison establishments and everyone in custody or on supervision in the community could avail of our services. PAF would work with young offenders earlier to enhance their skills and reduce the possibility of them going into adult custody. We could expand our services in the community with designated workshops to continue to develop the offenders’ potential and highlight their individual skills as currently there is a lack of help when they are discharged from custody.

HMP Magilligan Scoops 3 Writers’ Prizes

HMP Magilligan writers scooped three 1st prizes in the Listowel Writers’ Week under Writing in Prison category, 2016. This builds on their 2015 achievements when three awards were received and one award in 2014. This year’s entrants gained 1st prize in the Short Story Advanced and Intermediate Category, as well as 1st place in Poetry Getting Started.

Listowel Writer’s Week Literary festival established in Kerry 1970 is considered one of Ireland’s foremost festivals. The first workshop was introduced in 1971 with the writing competitions following. Listowel enables prison writings in Ireland, and grants a number of awards to prisoners. This opportunity assists inmates to gain a platform for their writing.

Participants in workshops within HMP Magilligan have been engaging with creative writing through the Prison Arts Foundation (PAF) funded by the Department for Justice (DoJ) through the Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS), and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland (ACNI). The benefits are far wider than anything one would traditionally associate with a writing class.

Adele Campbell PAF’s Project Coordinator said ‘Our Creative Arts Residencies offer a refreshingly different approach across a range of disciplines which are readily adaptable to work alongside existing programmes and initiatives in Northern Ireland’s prisons. During 2015/16 we engaged over 511 inmates in 159 creative writing classes in HMP Magilligan. The main benefit is giving inmates a voice to express themselves. It can be very powerful and self therapeutic.’

One participant said about the creative writing classes ‘it give us focus, release and creative output; they help us to put plans and direction together for when we are released…it has definitely kept my head right throughout my time, this point in particular cannot be understated.’

‘The Writer’ First Prize in the Short Story Advanced Category tells about a writer struggling to find a narrative for a story. ‘Coco and the Glider’ First Prize in the Intermediate Category is a story of childhood adventure. ‘Midnight Gamers’ First prize in the Poetry Getting Started Category reflects the modern phenomena of online gaming and young people in a virtual world.

Pamela Brown, PAF’s Writer-in-Residence at HMP Magilligan, said ‘Prison is unlike any other creative writing environment because the setting is intensely focused on the creative process. Basically, the tools for writing are not modern technology rather more it is the basic pen, paper and the writer.’

Noirin McKinney, ACNI’s Director of Arts Development said, ‘Arts programmes in a prison setting are an invaluable tool for providing positive opportunities to help individuals discover and learn new artistic skills which benefit the individual as-well as the wider community. Congratulations to the Northern Ireland writers who won awards in the Listowel Writer’s Week, an accolade which I’m sure will empower them to continue writing.’

Jamesy, Muffles, Coco and me (Mousey) were on the school bus home on a Friday afternoon and the topic of conversation was about what we would do on Saturday. The general opinion was that we were going to spend the day on a trek to the upper-lands of Donegal which started at the end of our housing estate. We lived just next to the border.

We all met up on the Saturday morning which was a beautiful day with excellent sunshine. I was excited; this was going to be a good day. Coco was the last to arrive at the bottom of my street. When we were just about to go, Coco’s wee sister Annie came over to us and she wanted to stay with Coco. He had to take her back to her garden, and then he ran towards us screaming. ‘Run, run now!’

We all started to run towards the top of the estate. Coco felt bad about leaving his little sister and tricking her but the journey was for big boys, not for a little toddler. She would have held us back and she couldn’t climb or run fast.

We walked up to Huston’s farm. Then a while later we crossed the fields and followed the wee river up to Glenn’s pasture where there was a lot of big trees. At the trees Jamesy began by climbing the first tree we had come to. On our journey, the way was to follow the leader, so whatever he did, we all had to do the same. Muffles went next and followed Jamsey up the tree. Jamesy went out on the first limb of the branch which was about 15 feet from the ground. He began hanging like a monkey, making monkey sounds and then he let go and fell and landed safely on the soft ground. Muffles went out on the same branch made monkey noises and let go of the branch. He landed on his ass, got up rubbing his ass but was glad that the heat was off him. He had completed his task.

Coco went next and for a short while hung on with just one arm. He made the necessary monkey noises and then let go and fell to the ground. It was my turn and I felt the pressure. I completed the task and landed on my feet.

‘What’s next?’ I said.

We meandered into the countryside and came to Boom Hall. This was a derelict building and all the floors inside had collapsed. Jamsey noticed a one foot section of glass left in a window at the top of the building. We began throwing stones to break the remaining piece of glass. Jamsey and I were close a few times, while Coco got nowhere and began to throw stones at the small trickle of a river that ran beside the property. Muffles finally hit the glass and with a crash the pieces fell out of its socket and shattered on the rubble on the ground. He was the hero and he was jumping around like an eejit. He was very happy because he knew he would be remembered as the one who broke the final piece of glass in Boom Hall.

landed he hit his head off his knees and there was blood coming from his mouth. We lifted him as he had passed out and when he came around he was crying. He realised that he hadn’t completed the jump. When he opened his mouth there were puncture wounds caused by teeth marks all across his tongue. He had almost bit through his tongue. We never thought that anything like this could ever happen to us.

We went inside the house and where the floor used to be there was a small one foot wide ledge. We put our backs against the wall and shimmied along and got to the front window on the first floor. We all completed that task and we jumped from the first floor window onto the soft ground outside the house. We spent just over an hour looking around the ruins. We found nothing and decided to move on further into the countryside. We began talking about the ‘glider jump’ which was about one mile away from Boom Hall. We decided to make our way towards the glider. We were all game and agreed it was the best place to go to next. We set off and followed the river towards our destination.

The glider was the task of all tasks. It was about 15 feet wide and about 10 feet deep with 3 steps that graduated towards a 5 foot section of soft ground which was beside a river. To complete the glider you had to run, jump the three steps to land on the soft landing area. This jump was a mighty feat. Jamesy decided to go first but he landed on the third step, tumbled over and didn’t complete the jump. Muffles went next and he clipped the third step also.

I went next. I took off like a scalded cat. I ran and flew through the air. I passed the first, the second and I clipped the third step but I successfully landed on the soft ground and I nearly ended up in the river. Coco was jumping up and down and said that it was his turn and if I could do it, then he believed that he could complete the jump also. He ran and took off, he seemed to fly through the air but when he

My victory was rather subdued due to Coco’s injury so we decided to make our way home with Coco taking up the rear in our rag-bag gang of four. Coco walked along with his tongue hanging out. He was like a puppy dog following us home. We were all hungry and our little adventure had ended short with Coco getting injured. Coco was a rather unfortunate character who continually ended up getting hurt in unfortunate ways, but he was Coco, always game for an adventure. He was the spirit of our little gang and we were game for anything.

Jamesy, Muffles, Coco and me (Mousey) were hanging out near the youth club that was near to the local bar. We had pooled our pocket money together and had £6. I agreed to go and get some alcohol for the gang. I had previously collected alcohol for my parents and the barman knew me so I got 12 cans of larger, that was 3 each and should be enough to get us drunk. I arrived back with the beer booty and we all began to drink and enjoyed the high we experienced. We were like adults and were loving life through the eyes of 3 cans of beer.

We went around the back of the youth club. Jamsey climbed onto the mid-high roof. We followed and were confronted with a jump across to the other short roof. We were like lemmings at the cliff-edge, one followed another and the four of us had completed the jump. We climbed down and just stood around. We didn’t know what to do with all our extra energy.

Muffles suggested that we walk the 2 mile journey down to the bar-disco down the road, across the border from where we all lived. We set off on our journey which seemed to go on forever but we eventually arrived at the bar. There was a £2 charge to get into the disco. We had no money left so we would have to sneak in to the disco. We went to the back where the side-doors were and began by knocking and after awhile the door opened. Jamsey, Muffles and me got into the disco, Coco was away going to the toilet. When he got back we had closed the door and could hear him battering frantically at the door. The bouncers were standing nearby and began to open the double doors.

They were confronted with an animated Coco who wanted to get into the disco. Both bouncers held their arms against Coco and refused him admission. Coco was furious. They shut the door and stood guard.

Coco didn’t disappoint. Jamsey, Muffles and me stood back and then heard the double doors getting kicked from the outside again. The doors opened to the sight of Coco shouting at the two bouncers.

‘You, you,’ he shouted and repeatedly pointed at two other guys. ‘You and you outside, right now.’

The boys went outside to Coco and proceeded to beat him to within an inch of his life. There were five of them and they finished him off quickly, leaving Coco in a heap outside. Jamsey, Muffles and me decided to go out to see how Coco had managed in his battle. Coco had a big grin even though he was beaten. He was a winner in our eyes. This crazy dude had no fear of anybody. He was Coco our wee mate. Coco was an original.

One Saturday morning Jamsey, Muffles, Coco and me were trying to think of something to do. At the side of my house there was a private field belonging to Farmer Monaghan. It ran down hill towards the Buncrana Road and the British Army Checkpoint. We climbed into the field and all of a sudden Jamsey wasn’t on for ‘it’. Muffles said no, and I said the same. Coco was on for ‘it’ in our game of tig where there was a ‘parley’ if you were hugging a tree.

Coco came running and nearly caught Muffles. I meanwhile was hugging a tree. Muffles got to the safety of a tree. Coco stood looking around at us all waiting for the next one of us to run the gauntlet of being chased and caught by Coco. I ran out from the safety of my tree and Coco started to run in my direction. I had to scarper as Coco was close; he lost his balance and fell. All the other boys were laughing at Coco being stupid but when he fell he let out a shrill shriek like a girl. After a while I knew Coco wasn’t getting up to continue the game. I called ‘parley’ and went over to Coco.

Coco pulled his jumper up. I saw a hole in his elbow. When he tried to move his arm, his tendon came out of the bloody gash. He was crying and one of the bigger boys came to the edge of the field and asked what was wrong. He thought someone was fighting with Coco. John, the big fellow climbed into the field and went over to where Coco lay. He knew the injury was serious so he lifted Coco. John was wearing a black biker jacket and after John carried Coco home he came back to see us and said that Coco would have to go to hospital. John’s black jacket was covered in Coco’s blood. Once again Coco was unfortunate but he was our friend. He would be back out with us after a bit of healing time. We liked Coco and would wait until he was better. I’d love to say, there is a moral to these stories, but no! There are great memories of who dares, wins with accidents along the way.

Norn Iron a Wee Country with Big Personalities and Weird Laws

This wee country we call home is a divided nation but when it comes to tragedies or disasters we rally round as one, as we have big hearts and souls, but not many know that one in every 128 people here is a millionaire. A remarkable fact there are 14,000 in the country. Some are famous such as Eddie Irvine retired Formula One driver now a property developer worth £80m. Roma Downey, Derry born actress, famous for playing Monica in the CBS series Touched by an Angel, is worth £375m. Liam Neeson an actor from Ballymena worth £80m, to note a few.

Here are some weird facts about us, Chinese (mandarin) is the most widely spoken minority language in Norn Iron. Under 16s make up 25% of the populationthat’s more than anywhere else in United Kingdom. The Marketing of Potatoes Act 1964 states that a constable may seize and detain in custody any potatoes which are being or which are suspected of being sent out of Northern Ireland. Yes, this law is still in place so don’t be packing them alongside your lotions and swim wear! On average it rains 157 days of the year in Belfast, that’s less than Scotland. Game of Thrones employs more locals than the civil service. Belfast Zoo is the home to the only group of purple-faced langurs in Europe all the more reason to visit.

There is an annual bog snorkelling competition. God Save the Queen is the national anthem. The pound sterling is the currency so all you English please take note. The best known delicacy is the Ulster fry with bacon, eggs, fried tomato, potato bread, soda bread, mushrooms, black pudding and sausage. Famous writers include C.S Lewis.

Were you aware that a sheet of ice covered Northern Ireland for most of the last ice age? Some of the worlds best sports stars are from here. Like the late Alex (Sandy) Higgins and George Best. Tony McCoy, Darren Clarke, Rory McIlroy, Denis Taylor and Eddie Irvine to name a few. In Whites’ Tavern, one of the oldest taverns in Belfast Henry Joy McCracken who was found guilty of treason was taken off to be hanged. In High Street he stopped to have a last drink before he met his fate. If you go to the cinema on a Sunday you can be fined up to £50 under the Sunday Observation Act. These are just some of the interesting facts about our wee country

At Home on the Streets

TimeIninterviews a homeless man, Clive (46), who originates from Manchester. Clive is a black man, about 6”4 and very intelligent, but calls the streets his home out of choice.

What age were you when you first became homeless?

I was 20 years old. I started in Manchester where I am from, then travelled all over the UK, then ended up here in Northern Ireland. I earned money selling the Big Issue in the big cities. I’d get bored then move to a different town. I put myself on the streets to learn how to grow up. I was being verbally bullied and had to man up, so I left home for the streets. I cried for a half an hour. But after a while, all I thought about was where I was gonna get my next bottle from or more drugs. I never cared about getting housing. I wasn’t ready.

Did you notice different reactions in the different towns?

Pretty much the same attitude wherever you go. Whenever you’re down they wanna keep you down. In Dublin they were very racist and called me a ‘nigger’, but a true Irish man also shows that there are still some very good people out there. For example, a group of fellas saw me on the street and took me to a Brazilian bar for a day’s drinking and threw me a few quid. Some Belfast people would say nasty things like get out of our town nigger. But again, some are nice.

If you were given a flat what would you do?

I’ve been institutionalised to the streets. Hostels are no good. Actually I’ve had a flat before, but left it for the streets again. I was lonely. The streets are what I know. Don’t get me wrong I had dark moments, crying, etc. I would just break down in tears for nothing at any given time. But I’m ready now (for a flat). I’m 46 and it’s time I got a flat for myself, but I’d still do 3 or 4 nights on the streets. I’m just a street man.

How do you manage to get food?

People give you food. Also the day centres and soup kitchens are there too. You can’t starve in the big cities like London and Dublin. In a small village you can go hungry till people get to know you.

What about your family Clive?

I have family but I don’t want to burden them. Both my parents are dead. My two big sisters are gone. I never really grieved. It possibly kept me out on the streets I don’t know. I kept myself away and denied it ever happened. Never really went to the graves either. I don’t know my nieces or nephews, but when I get out, I’m gonna go and see them and see the graves and sort everything in my head and my life out.

What do you think of the authorities? Do they help?

They have to be seen to be doing something. Hostels are just a business, they’re not for helping. They are full of bad people and I would rather be on the street. Even the staff in them are sneaky. I’ve had money stolen on me by a few, and know many other instances of this happening to others. Appearances can be deceptive. Whatever trust I had, completely left me. I’ve hardly met anyone in authority that truly cares. I’ve met some nice ones though, but I just wasn’t ready.

Which city is your favourite?

London is the best town for stuff going on and the buzz and atmosphere. It’s a brilliant city, but it’s a dark city – it’s kinda like living on the edge, but that’s what I like. It’s dangerous for women in particular. I don’t like to see women on the street. I personally feel safe as houses. I sleep where it is the busiest, because it is the safest. There are always cameras and people looking out for you, as well as the police. Those that seclude themselves out of the way are more vulnerable to attack, starvation and hypothermia. It is more difficult in winter, so I find a B&B or a hideout – I’d kick some vacant door through and make a squat for myself. It takes years of experience to develop the knowledge and skill to survive on the streets. I’m pretty smart, but you’re always developing knowledge.

Clive, you in fact choose to be homeless... Why?

I get to travel all over the place and meet new people. I know where to score in every city in the UK. Swansea, Wales has the best smoke in the UK. I’m a street man. I don’t mind the weather, etc.

Have you ever been in any other prisons?

Yeah, I’ve been in a few in England such as Strangeways, Hewell and a few others but this has been my longest sentence yet (12 weeks), so I’m not really a criminal as such. I just get into fights with racist people who try to do me harm.

People seem to be afraid of homeless people... why do you think this is?

Exactly. But they shouldn’t be. Some are there out of choice and some aren’t, but it makes no difference. Some have mental problems, they’re not all right in the head, but the majority are harmless individuals down on their luck.

What about signing on, is that a problem?

No, I just go to the dole every few days or every week. We can use the day centre as an address. Selling the Big Issue also supplemented my benefits. I’d buy a copy for £1.25 and sell it for £2.50, but sometimes people hand me £50, £20 or £10 for a copy. On some levels, this works and can be a great help for people who want to save up for a deposit, but for others, it further funds a drug or drink habit. So you have to be ready.

HOMELESS? NEED

HOUSING ADVICE?

Clarendon @ Ashmore L/Derry 028 7126 8581

Dillon Court Strabane 028 9023 8091

Foyle Haven (alcohol) L/Derry 028 7136 5259

Foyle Valley House L/Derry 028 7136 2689

Methodist City Mission L/Derry 028 7130 9388

SATH First Housing Strabane 028 7138 3098

Shepherds View (young parents) L/Derry 028 7134 4309

What age group is most susceptible to homelessness?

All ages are, but mostly the young. It’s all down to relationship breakdown parents, girlfriend, boyfriend, etc. It’s common for kids, but I’ve seen people in their 60s, 70s and 80s. It’s like the grave; it takes everybody including the young, the old, the rich and the poor. I’ve seen psychiatrists who can do 147’s living on the streets. So where do you go for advice?

Advice centres. Day centres help you back on your feet. You get a key worker who helps you with things like rehab, benefits, clothes, mental health, etc.

What way does the law stand? Do you get much bother?

When you sit in the doorway of derelict buildings you should be okay, and normally you don’t get hassle. But I can understand the problems with sitting at the doorway of places like WH Smith. I had problems with police on a daily basis for being in the wrong place. In the city centre, cops are horrible, but some are alright and would even give you a few quid or a prison blanket.

What advice would you give to a 20 year old Clive if you could speak to him now?

I would tell him to do it, go ahead. I recommend everyone should do it to open their eyes. It would educate you. Even if I get a place, I’m still a street man. You can’t take it out of me

So what next?

I intent to go back into Christian rehab as it will be a good start for me. From there I intend to go to university to study theology, psychology and 1 or 2 other subjects. I also intent to go and see my family and visit the graves.

Simon Community helpline N.Ireland 0800 171 2222

Strand Foyer L/Derry 028 7128 1155

The House in the Wells L/Derry 028 7126 7957

YASP L/Derry 028 7137 1849

Flax Foyer (self referral only if 18+) 028 9059 3301

Hosford House 028 9046 3482

Inverary House 028 9065 2844

Life House (pregnant or have a child under 5) 01926 421 587

Morning Star House 028 9033 3500

Ormeau Centre 028 9023 8091

Regina Coeli House 028 9061 2473

Rosemount House (alcohol) 028 9077 9740

Salvation Army Lifehouse 028 9032 0320

Simon Community helpline 0800 171 2222

Utility Street Hostel 028 9032 1132

Welcome Organisation crisis facility 028 9023 4387

Castlehill Dungannon 028 8772 5860

Linen Court Armagh 028 3751 1545

MUST hostel Cookstown 028 8676 2065

Shelter NI SLATE Project Omagh 028 8226 7010

Simon Community helpline NI 0800 171 2222

Telephone numbers can change.

A Year of Commemorations

The commemorations of The Battle of the Somme and The Easter Rising coincide in 2016 weeks apart. The Battle of the Somme was a heroic fight by its soldiers who were sacrificed by British Commanders in a badly planned offensive and failed artillery bombardment. Two and half more years of war ensued with further loss of life. The First World War in its wake sowed the seeds for World War Two and the Holocaust. The Easter Rising as an anti-Imperialist struggle achieved the goals of its leaders usually known as the Irish Rebels outside of Ireland. The actions of these ‘Rebels’ resulted in the Republic of Ireland being set up which celebrated the 1916-2016 as its founding moment. But rather than debate this we decided to write an article on The Battle of the Somme from a Catholic background and The Easter Rising from a Protestant perspective. Why would we do this? We are constantly discussing the use of language and the subtle or overt meanings of language. The resulting articles demonstrate our intention not to make any political statements but to help us understand how we use language. We wanted to present the facts from these challenging perspectives. Statistics relating to the military personnel involved in the Somme and the Rising tell their own story.

Statistics for Ireland and World War One:

 Over 200,000 Irishmen fought in World War One. 24,000 originated from the Irish Nationalist Volunteers. 26,000 from the Ulster Volunteers.

 Over 49,000 were killed out of the 200,000.

 There were 80,000 new recruits of both denominations, Catholic and Protestant who had no experience in either the Irish Nationalist Volunteers or the Ulster Volunteers.

 In total the 200,000 Irishmen were recruited from 26 counties in Ireland.

 The Rising was a very different military engagement to the Somme where thousands were killed. In the Rising 1,500 Irish volunteers fought against 16,000 British and 1,000 police. 62 Volunteers were killed, 132 British soldiers were killed; the wounded reached over 2,000 including civilians.

Sources

David Fitzpatrick, Militarism in Ireland 1900–1922. Thomas Bartlet and Keith Jeffrey, A Military History of Ireland

The Battle of the Somme

This year commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme, a battle in which many Irish soldiers played a major part, including the 16th (Irish) Division and the 36th (Ulster) Division.

The Battle of the Somme had repercussions for Ireland long after the initial fighting. The 36th (Ulster) Division withdrew from the battlefield to re-group and marched directly into the political mythology of Ulster Unionism. Their ‘blood sacrifice’ was seen as Ulster’s side of the deal in which Britain would ‘see the loyal province right’. In the agonising over Home Rule which was sure to resume when the fighting was done and the war ended.

A Protestant paramilitary group in Northern Ireland today still uses the title Ulster Volunteer Force precisely because of the historical resonance they know that title has with Northern Protestants.

There were of course Catholic soldiers from the North and South of Ireland in the fighting on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. Along with the Ulster Division (mentioned above) and the Iniskilling Fusiliers were the Munster Fusiliers and the Dublin Fusiliers. The men of the 16th Irish Division fought with reckless courage. Within 10 days the Division had lost half of its 11,000 men. Most of these soldiers died anonymously and have virtually been forgotten. Their history did not fit in with either the Republican legacy of Southern Ireland or the Unionist legacy of the North.

Not all were forgotten however. A private soldier in the Connaught Rangers and a young officer in the Leinsters won Victoria Crosses. The Nationalist, Tom Kettle who died, wrote to his wife: “He carried his pack for Ireland and Europe. Now his pack-carrying is over. He has held the line”.

The problem was that once the war was over it was difficult for Irish volunteers like Kettle to define the cause for which they had fought. Ulster Protestants returned home, vindicated and demanding allegiance with England. They knew what they wanted in return and Britain gave it to them in Partition. If Kettle had lived, he would have returned to an Ireland in which the political initiative had been seized by Nationalist ‘Rebels’ who had refused outright to fight for Britain.

Disgusted by what was happening on home soil at the hands of the British, they staged the Easter Rising just two months before the assault on Somme began. It was the Irish Republican Brotherhood that became the Irish Volunteers and the Irish Citizen Army who fought in the Rising while 24,000 of the Irish Volunteers enlisted in the British Army during World War One.

The Rising meant the setting up of a Republic 26 County Ireland and the fates of men like Kettle were to be airbrushed out of it.

Indeed, Irish hearts had been warmed by the gallantry and spirit of the men who raised the Green, White and Orange over the GPO in 1916, but there was certainly no welcome home for Nationalists returning from fighting the War for the British. Such were met with hostility and violence given the revulsions at the murders by the British of the visionary leaders of the Rebellion, who held out for a week before overwhelming force obliged them to surrender. You’re only British when you’re fighting for them it appears, because sacrifices on both sides were not met with commensurate benefits.

Irishmen North and South fought in the Somme in the hope of somehow advancing their different causes, Unionist and Nationalist. There is no space here to argue over how they succeeded and how they didn’t but it is worth noting that for all that has happened since 1916, the echoes of the same issues which divided Ireland then continue to divide it now.

Irish Uprising 1916

An insurrection began on the 26th April 1916 in Dublin led by the Irish Republican Brotherhood and the Irish Citizen Army.

The main instigators were Arthur Griffith, founder of Sinn Fein, Thomas Clarke, a leader of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, James Connolly, founder of the Irish Citizen Army and Patrick Pearse, a schoolmaster from the Gaelic League.

The insurgents were forced to use their meagre resources to the best effect with help from Sir Roger Casement who obtained arms and munitions from Germany. Unfortunately for them the ship bringing the arms was captured with Casement taken prisoner on April 21st. Despite this the Rising went ahead using weapons from the successful Howth gunrunning without much opposition with little attention being paid to rows of uniformed insurgents marching down O’Connell Street on Easter Monday morning.

They took over the General Post Office and set up headquarters, and the Tricolour was raised by Joe Gleeson of the 50 Liverpool Irish volunteers. Other key buildings were occupied in the city by other Volunteers

From the steps of the GPO, Pearse read the Proclamation declaring the establishment of the Republic and the constitution of a provisional government for Ireland.

That day there were only twelve hundred British troops in the city as many had been given leave to attend a race meeting.

By the time the authorities realised what was happening the insurgents had captured most of the centre of Dublin and set up a cordon of fortified posts in the suburbs. As soon as reinforcements began to arrive, armed with heavy artillery, the hopelessness of the insurgent’s position became apparent. The G.P.O. caught fire and was evacuated leaving many dead.

After five days of bloodshed, with four hundred and fifty dead and over three thousand casualties, the rebellion effectively ended when Pearse and Connolly offered their unconditional surrender.

But soon the reprisals began. By the 12th of May, James Connolly was executed and all the seven who signed the proclamation were dead. Fifteen of the captured leaders of the insurgence were shot by firing squad and on August 3rd Roger Casement was hanged in Pentonville prison for treason. But these actions led to the insurgents being widely regarded as martyrs.

The Rising itself is seen, by many around the world, as the birth of the Irish Republic aided by American support but with partition still a thorny issue for many over one hundred years on in 2016.

To My Daughter Betty

by Thomas Kettle (1880-1916)

In wiser days, my darling rosebud, blown To beauty proud as was your Mother’s prime. In that desired, delayed, incredible time, You’ll ask why I abandoned you, my own, And the dear heart that was your baby throne, To dice with death. And oh! they’ll give you rhyme And reason: some will call the thing sublime, And some decry it in a knowing tone. So here, while the mad guns curse overhead, And tired men sigh with mud for couch and floor, Know that we fools, now with the foolish dead, Died not for flag, nor King, nor Emperor, But for a dream, born in a herdsmen shed, And for the secret Scripture of the poor.

Holocaust Exhibition in Magilligan

The old Nissan huts in Foyleview have been converted to house an exhibition which was hosted in conjunction with the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust. This was an ambitious project, completed in just a few weeks, and was undertaken by Deputy Governor Gary Milling, Allison Wilson and the artists, JM, SG, RMcM, GMcP and PN. Local schools were invited to view the displays and special educational material was provided to give an insight into these terrible atrocities.

Governor Milling believes that ‘the prison service is at the end of the criminal justice chain, we are about creating safer communities but this we like to think, puts us at the start where we’re looking to get school kids in, talk to them about the importance of tolerance, the importance of understanding and interacting with each other, so hopefully we don’t have people coming into jail further down the line.’

Allison Wilson the art teacher who agreed to oversee the project at Magilligan ‘sourced the images and checked them over with the Governor Milling to see if they were in line with what he had in mind.’ Once a concept had been agreed Alison ‘organised the boards and arranged transporting them to Foyleview.’

A brief as to what could be included was established as understandingly Allison said that ‘certain things weren’t allowed, such as Nazi uniforms. We used stripy pyjamas as they are iconic and we used a poem as we wanted to bring words into the exhibition.’

Allison’s team of artists showed dedication to the projects and ‘as a group, the artists worked very well together. They helped one another, respected one another’s working space; they discussed ideas and gave feedback to each other. The project was really worthwhile. They also gained self confidence and felt valued, especially by the Governor heading up the project. It made them think creatively. When the pieces were finished, the artists moved the boards to Foyleview. They got the most impact then when they included the lighting, sound and set the atmosphere. It really inspired them.’

Allison believes that not only did the project have creative benefits for the artists but ‘it also had them thinking about the victims, and in turn, about any victims relevant to their own situations. They were trusted to do the project, and they delivered. They really worked hard. They got a lot from working with the kids and seeing their reactions, and were full of chat when they came back.’

SG said that they were a bit daunted by the narrow time frame when asked by Governor Milling if he was interested in taking part in the project as ‘we were then told we had only 4-5 weeks to complete the whole thing. We reminded the Governor about Christmas and the fact we were off for 2 weeks. He arranged to get us out over Christmas if we would give our time and most of us agreed while some backed out.

We all sat down as a team and talked over our ideas. The Governor showed us the old Nissan huts that we were to use for the exhibition. We got to work putting the exhibition together. We did most of the work in the art room then carried the pieces over and put it all together.’

JM explained how at the beginning of the exhibition the school groups gather in a classroom and talk about the concept of taking a journey ‘we tried to instil the image of a journey they were going on, asking them to name numerous items in their house they would take with them. Items they named were typically TV’s, sofas, fridges, pets, and computers.

On entering Hut 1, the children were enthusiastic and a little giggly. As the audio visual projection began, all conversation and giggling ceased. The hut is cold and dark and created an atmosphere of despair. The children could be seen to move closer to one another, as the projections continue, as if looking for comfort.

From there the children move into the next area, a small space meant to resemble a train carriage. They are then faced with a mural of children in striped clothing behind barbed wire. The image was mounted at eye level to give maximum impact. The children can really relate to this image.

Hut 2 displays numbers and statistics of the Polish death camps. The children find the numbers staggering. The mural of poems and striped pyjamas was well received and the rose on barbed wire was loved because the rose was made from white bread. Hut 3 was probably the best received and the most emotive. The dates of birth of all the children resonate greatly with the children that visit because of the similarity of the ages.’

AUSCHWITZ

The silence is eerie; it makes your skin crawl. The wind doesn’t rustle the leaves on the trees and the birds never sing. The only sounds are from the coach loads of Jewish pilgrims praying in unison for people long consigned to history.

All these terrible memories came flooding back as I sat listening to Eva Schloss when she visited Pentonville. A holocaust survivor, Eva was a former prisoner at the Birkinau extermination camp at Auschwitz. I hung on her every word as she related how she was born in Vienna in 1929 but relocated to Amsterdam in 1938 following Hitler’s annexing of Austria.

Her family lived in a block of flats and were friends with Anne Frank’s family who lived nearby. When Germany invaded the Netherlands in 1942 they were forced into hiding. They remained in hiding for two years until they were eventually betrayed and shipped to Auschwitz. The train journey took three days and newcomers regularly arrived at the larger camp at Birkinau.

During WW2 the Nazis needed somewhere to house their prisoners so they commandeered a derelict army barracks in the Polish town of Oswiecim. They then used slave labour from this camp to build a new, bigger camp two miles outside the town. They changed the town’s name to Auschwitz and a terrible legend was born.

The smaller camp saw the first gallows, gas-chambers and crematoria brought into service. Block eleven was the punishment block where offenders awaited their punishment or execution. One inmate who attacked a guard was sentenced to death by starvation. They locked him in a cell without food or water and waited for him to die. Already starving and emaciated, it didn’t take long. Outside was the wall of death, used for firing squads.

Upon arrival, prisoners were seen by a doctor. Those who were fit and healthy were able to work and had their heads shaved. They were branded like livestock and forced to wear badges proclaiming them Jews. Those unable to work were sent straight to the gas-chambers. Everyone too old, too young, the ill and the disabled were executed shortly after arrival. Political dissenters, communists and homosexuals soon joined them.

The camp doctor, Dr. Joseph Mengele, was the master of life and death. Known as the” Angel of Death”, he liked to experiment with new toxins He would inject newborn babies with them and count the seconds until he could no longer feel a pulse.

At the larger camp the extermination machine went into overdrive. The Nazis used Zyclon-B gas, of which Hydrogen Cyanide was the killer component. It was pumped into the gas chambers after the inmates were told they were going to get a shower. Prisoners slept on wooden pallets without any proper mattresses or bedding, housed in hundreds of wooden huts. They used communal toilets with no privacy whatsoever. In 1943 there were over 100,000 prisoners at Birkinau. When the Russian army liberated the camp in January 1945 there were just seven thousand. In all, an estimated one and a half million died at Auschwitz in the worst episode of mass murder in human history.

All that remains are hordes of unclaimed suitcases, crutches, walking sticks, shaving brushes, hair brushes and an entire warehouse of human hair. The Nazis were using the hair for the German textile industry. Behind the larger camp was a pond where ash from the crematoria was thrown. In 1999 when I visited it had been fifty four years since the war ended and the pond was still a thick grey soup where nothing lives.

Eva and her mother survived and were liberated in1945. Her father and brother weren’t so lucky. Living in London after the war, she married and has three children. Eva has had two books published and is a trustee of the Anne Frank Educational Trust. Sadly, her childhood friend didn’t survive but at least her diary did.

I saw Auschwitz fifty-four years after Eva and under far better circumstances. After what she suffered, hell will hold no fears for her. To me, Auschwitz was an expansive monument to human misery dressed in autumn sunshine; the final ruins of Adolf Hitler’s “Final Solution”.

HONEST JIM

Mind Your Head

Do you remember the Ladybird book series that we all used in school to learn to read? Titles such as, The Farmer, The Postman, The Nurse gave us an insight into the working lives of people using words and pictures. (Other titles included: The Motor Car, The Rocket, The Carpenter, The Builder.!) Reading these books had fallen out of fashion for many years, but unexpectedly they made a return, just in time for the Christmas market in 2015. Achieving best seller status a number of Ladybird titles, albeit a spoof on the originals, appeared. These included ‘The Ladybird Book on Mindfulness’, selling over 100,000 copies. This achievement came as no big surprise as it’s hard to avoid the Mindfulness subject – it’s on apps, the web, eBooks, practised by celebrities and now in the Ladybird series.

Recently an article appeared in The Times newspaper with the headline: ‘Freeyourmind:violentprisoners are given meditation lessons’ . The idea was simple enough – the art of meditation or Mindfulness relieves stress and anger, allowing the individual to live in the present moment, being aware of feelings and controlling them. The article said that Prisoners who are taught the practice of Mindfulness are likely to be more stable and in control of their emotions and less prone to violent or angry outbursts.

The Mindfulness practice dates back to the very early Buddhist tradition of meditation which is believed can provide people with more of an insight and understanding into their emotions, improve relationships and boost concentration.

So, how does it work? It is a simple practice which only takes about 10 minutes twice a day. Here are simple steps to follow: Stand or sit comfortable, keeping the spine straight. Relax your shoulders and

place your hands on your lap or at your side. Exhale deeply feeling the diaphragm move in and out. Slowly breathe through your nose and again feel the diaphragm move in and out. Pause. Slowly breathe out through your nose and again feel the diaphragm move in and out.

If your mind wanders – don’t worry, you haven’t failed! Simply bring your mind back to the breathing, be aware of what you have been thinking about and then gently return to mind to the breathing.

The wandering is completely normal. Repeat the process for five minutes or longer if you like, twice a day.

Try it and become one of the countless people who are discovering for themselves the value of being Mindful in the present moment, living for the now and not for what might or could happen later.

Focus on the now. Stop waiting for life to happen. Stop waiting for a better moment than the one you have had in the past or are hoping for in the future. Step into the present.

Pause, look and listen to the things around you*

Just take this moment to stop and be; bringing attention to yourself, noticing yourself in this moment. Guide yourself around this moment. You might notice things around you like objects, sounds, feelings; there might be expectations, other people, or just your plain old breathing. Notice all of them. Acknowledge them without trying to get rid of them or following them. Simply let them be, and let yourself be with them. Take a minute or two. Literally, enjoy yourself.

RELAX

RecommendedReading

*Stress , Philip Cowell and Lorraine Millard, Sheldon Press, 2016.

The Littler Book of Mindfulness , Ed. Tiddy Rowan, Quadrille Publishing, 2015.

Get Some Headspace , Andy Puddicombe, Hodder & Stoughton, 2012.

Other Resources on this topic are available from the Prison Library.

Richard Dadd 1817-1886

BIOGRAPHY

Richard Dadd is remembered for his mysterious and magical fairy paintings. His paintings were produced after his descent into madness which was diagnosed as schizophrenia. In 1842 when he was 25 his degeneration into insanity ended up with the murder of his father. He briefly fled to France but was admitted to Bethlem Hospital.

While in the hospital and with the encouragement of the sympathetic doctors he started to paint. Daad was isolated from the outside world and he fell back upon the themes of his sane period, he referred to the likes of historical and literary subjects, portraits and fairies.

Dadd’s most extraordinary achievement is the enigmatic The Fairy Feller’s Master Stroke (1855-64). The painting is a vision of fantastic creatures seen as if with a magnifying glass through a network of grasses and flowers. The fairy woodman is aiming his axe at a hazelnut.

The Fairy Feller's Master Stroke 1855-64

Crazy Jane 1885

The Artist's Halt in the Desert

Come Unto These Yellow Sands

Journey Exhibition in Belfast City Hall

Selected art exhibited by PAF in Belfast City Hall; works from the past year by men and women in Northern Ireland’s prisons and those on non-custodial community sentences.

“We artists are indestructible; even in a prison, or in a concentration camp, I would be almighty in my own world of art, even if I had to paint my pictures with my wet tongue on the dusty floor of my cell.” Pablo Picasso

SG

JM

GMcP

Anon

Teresa

Anon

Anon

Anon

Anon

Anon

Honour in French Fields

A nation called up their men and boys

In line not knowing what fate had in store

Heading to a foreign field to fight and bleed

Sacrifice their lives with their will never yielding, Preparing in muddy wet trench fighting off

Lice and the stench! Drying of boots on an Open fire to keep trench foot at bay July 1st

Was the day given a shot of strong rum

To make nerves go numb, with men of all kinds

From dockers to doctors united

Fought with honour in French Fields, a band Of brothers as one 0730 came the command

Over the top, go go don’t stop with a Look of terror in their eyes, shells going

Off all around leaving massive craters in the Thick muddy ground with a smell of gunpowder

Thick in the air from heavy rain of machine

Gun fire! Deadly mowing down of the tired brave

Troops, pandemonium all around no man’s land

Heaped with bodies on German wire, it was dire

Dodging fearsome hot lead as friends and neighbours

Drop down dead, a field of blood and sorrow!

The total human cost 419,654 injured and 127,751 British dead! These brave men and boys

Gave up lives and limbs so you and I

Can have the freedom of our tomorrow Lest we forget them.

Not Ghetto or Hood Just Misunderstood

I no longer listen to what I hear on the street

I’m back to myself and I think on my feet

I lived my life selling Q’s on the street

Honey’s on my arm as we cruise to the beat

Rhythm in time and beats on the floor

The game was my life but simply no more

Banged up in a cell a prisoner of the state

A convicted armed robber; some call it fate

The haters in my life trust me there’s many

Would sink you like a ship for the sake of a penny

To break that cycle I know what to do

Aim a little higher, be sincere and true

I want to move out of my 3 up 3 down

Ditch the place that has brought me down

I want my family to live a better life

The answers don’t lie with a gun or a knife

The answer lies with knowledge its power

Plan for the future, not live for the hour

Drugs and drink is no longer the game

I’ve felt the crack in the window, trust me it’s pain

Honour your thoughts and aim for the sky

Live your life clean, it becomes the new high

No more nights on the sofa or days in my bed

Seize the moment and paint the town red

Find a girl that is loyal and true

And maybe she’ll bring out the goodness in you

Don’t put yourself down as others will do

Forget all the gangsters, your family’s your crew

They are the crew that is there to the end

Decky, you’re not just my bro

You’re my very good friend

Do me a favour and get off the drugs

Ditch the loser mates, the so called thugs

They’re only your friends when times are good

Because we both know what it’s like in the hood

I’ve struggled, you’ve struggled, you know what I mean

Change it for Tiernan, you know where we’ve been

I want you to learn from mistakes that I’ve made

Focus on the future bad memories will fade

Live your life positive your dreams you’ll achieve

But in order to get them you have to believe.

Selected Poems from HMP Magilligan

Losing a loved one is never easy especially in prison when you are isolated from the grief you share with your family. Poetry can be a place to express your loss and commemorate the memory.

The Loss of a Brother

This year I lost a brother

We were the best of friends

I will cherish you forever

Until we meet again

The memories that we have

Are forever in my heart

I don’t know why you left me

But death always does its part

I know I’ll see you again

Quicker than you know

So this is goodbye to the brother that I know

Your life is maybe over

But really it’s just begun

You are in a better place

It’s heaven in the sun

I will miss you everyday

So much you’ll never know

So I wrote this poem just for you

It’s from your little bro

I know I will see you again

Even if it’s in my dreams

Fly well with the angels

And watch over us till we meet again

Forever young

Jonny McK

11/12/90 – 6/3/16

Extract: 9

Sulking in a cell of “what ifs”

Let’s you know

You got the blues

It’s back again

Like an old friend

You welcome and recognise a few times a year

The intense sadness swells and blurs

Like being in the middle of a snow

globe

You light another cigarette

The flame flickers

Like the nervous infantile flame of hope

Dreams and aspirations

They swell and tingle your glands into being

Daring to believe in the future

Hoping a new dawn arrives and spreads light into this dark being

You want to swallow up all the dawn has to give.

Extract: 56

I’m your man

I became a father for your child

Because I can

The son was arrogant and wild

JESUS; sometimes it was hard

Fulfilling obligations, doing right

Being reminded now and then

You’re just a stand in tonight

We struggled way back when He slowly grew up and became a man

After thirteen years I let go

I left and wandered alone

I gained a new home in the snow

A new beginning, just for one

The old son and I met one day

He played music, we both sang I had to apologise, I had to say I was sorry...

The Storm

Why oh why do I have to cry

My days are lonely

And so sad and blue

Why is this happening?

It’s because of you.

In this place I feel alone

My world’s in turmoil

It’s completely gone

I wish we could go back to norm

Without you I’m in an endless storm.

Secret sadness

See I’ve got a secret

Some may call it a sin

It started way back

When I was just a kid

Hello sadness, my old friend

See you’re at your tricks again

Stones break windows, glass cuts skin

See you’re at your old tricks again

No I can’t hide all these lines

My happy ship’s sinking, with my disguise

Although I try and try, I try

To turn back the time, can’t turn back the time

My life is on the line

I’m running out of time

Hello sadness, my old friend

See you’re at your tricks again

Stones break windows, glass cuts skin

See you’re at your tricks again

Oh hello sadness my old friend.

Arts Mentoring Scheme

New Arts Mentoring Scheme

taking talent

to the next level

If you are a prisoner and due for release before December 2016 and have an interest in creative arts that you would like to develop, then we want to hear from you.

Whether you would like some help to create work, or guidance to take your talent to the next level, mentoring from the Prison Arts Foundation (PAF) can help you to take the next steps.

We offer one-to-one mentoring to people across a range of different art forms in Northern Ireland. You will work with your mentor to identify the goals you would like to achieve such as applying to college, creating a piece of work or accessing local arts resources and receive support from your mentor and the PAF to achieve these.

ThePrisonArtsFoundationisNI’sonlyprisonartscharity. Wehaveforthelast20yearsbeenina uniquepositiontochampiontheartswithinNI’scriminaljusticesystem.

PAF Mentors are trained artists, writers and musicians who support people who have been involved in the criminal justice system and who would like to develop their arts interests.

If you would like to find out more about the scheme, you can request an application form from

A PAF Artist/Musician/Writer in Residence,

Your PBNI Probation Officer

Your NIPS Coordinator or Support Officer

You can also attach additional information to this form as it will really help us in finding you a suitable mentor –for example you could send examples/photocopies of your work, or include a letter or supporting statement from an arts tutor, teacher or writer in residence. Please note, that a failure to disclose relevant information such as convictions may mean that we are unable to consider your application.

Once we have received your application, we will seek a reference to support your participation in the mentoring scheme and there is space on the form for you to give us details of who we should contact. If you are still in prison, or are on licence in the community, please give details of a PBNI Probation Officer, NIPS Coordinator or Support Officer.

Please be aware that we are only able to work with a limited number of individuals. Unfortunately PAF cannot guarantee that a mentor will be found for every applicant.

If you have any queries or concerns regarding the completion of this application form please contact one of PAF’s artist/writer/musician in residence in your prison.

Hydebank College’s Entry

‘a blooming construction’ Win’s Big

‘Best in Show’ and ‘Gold’ Awarded at the Garden Show

Ireland 2016

Over 20 gardens were created especially for this year’s show, many with an edible theme, including the highly acclaimed Nourishment Garden created by design duo Michael and Rohanna Heyes who are owners of Flourish Garden Design, and Hydebank Wood College’s award winning ‘a blooming construction’ whose imaginative design impressed the judges.

Prison Arts Foundation’s Artist in Residence Anne Scullin initially got involved in the ‘Garden Show Ireland’ Project, when Governor Austin Treacy asked her to help out with the proposed entry for 2016. Although she was initially concerned that gardening was not her area of discipline, after talking with the Gardening Instructor at Hydebank, she felt the project would be both challenging and inspiring. The theme and thinking behind the design of the garden was based on some of the workshops offered to students at Hydebank Wood College as part of their daily activities within the Learning & Skills Department. The workshops involved in the design and build of the garden included bricklaying, plumbing, joinery, recycling, painting and horticulture.

Anne Scullin, Artist in Residence said “I wanted the garden to incorporate and highlight some of the methodologies and materials used within the workshop environment. After several meetings with the instructors, I drew up preliminary plans of the proposed ideas for the Garden Design. I had also wanted to bring a quirky element to the design. Each of the instructors offered advice and suggestions on limitations and restrictions within their areas, throughout the project. The Events Manager of Garden Show Ireland, Claire Faulkner, was extremely helpful and encouraging. Overall this project was a very rewarding experience and a great team effort.”

Throughout the garden design there was a simple hard and soft theme flowing, which reflected on how basic materials from a builder’s yard can be married with everyday garden produce, including fruit and vegetables to create a working garden design. One of the focal points of the garden was the large chair which amalgamated elements from some of the workshops. By uniting these workshops the whole team produced a garden that shows creativity, innovation and resourcefulness.

It took three days to build and construct the garden; the set-up was initially a bit daunting as the team were surrounded by fellow entrants who had teams of professional designers and landscapers working on their gardens. As the garden grew they became more confident and felt they had created something completely different to the others. Indeed it was this uniqueness that caught the judge’s eye as they later informed them that it was very inspiring to see such a quirky garden design.

The team were delighted when they received both ‘Best in Show’ and a ‘Gold Award’ and were presented with a carved-wood inscribed sculpture by TV Professional Gardener, Monty Don. Many visitors to the Garden Show commented and praised the teams’ unique design and told them how inspired they were by the many different elements they had incorporated into their garden.

EAST AND WEST

Dawn broke in the east of the city and the animals in the zoo awoke to beautiful sunshine. The various creatures in their cages and compounds stretched themselves and looked forward to their breakfasts. It had been a long time since they’d last been fed the previous day and they were hungry. In due course the zookeepers turned up and the animals were fed as they were every morning.

In the west of the city the inmates in the local prison climbed out of their beds to see bright sunshine sprayed around the walls of their cells. After the doors were unlocked the convicts quickly used the toilets, sluices and showers. Then they got some breakfast and returned to their cells. Badly needing some exercise they paced up and down their cells anticipating an opportunity to go to the exercise yard so that they could properly stretch their legs.

In the east the animals also needed exercise after they had eaten their fill but they could only walk forward and back in their cages and it soon became boring just pacing to and fro. So they gave up and lay down on their beds of straw. In due course their handlers came by and checked that they were all fine and any animal that appeared under the weather was seen by a vet.

In the west too any prisoners feeling unwell were told to put in an application to see a doctor .They were then given an appointment to see the resident general practitioner in a couple of weeks, if they were still alive by then. The gates were then opened to the public and many visitors came to the prison to check that the inmates were in good state and happy enough. After all the visitors had left the prisoners were fed again and then locked up in their cages for the night.

At the zoo too there were numerous visitors. Families and hordes of children laughed and pointed at the animals who were so bored pacing up and down their cages year after year that they were starting to go insane. Then, when the visitors had left, the poor animals were fed again and the zoo was shut for the day. After dark you could hear the crazed creatures roaring and howling at each other for company, shrieking and screaming long into the night.

While across the city to the west the prison inmates, tired with marching to and fro in their tiny little cells, shouted and yelled at each other through the cell windows just to try and alleviate the brain-numbing boredom which was slowly driving them crazy. Some of the other inmates wished fervently that the shouting would stop so that they could get some sleep. A prison is supposed to be a civilized institute of learning and correction. But it was a jungle out there.

HONEST JIM

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) Imprisonment in the WHO European Region:

 Six million people are incarcerated in the WHO European Region every year.

 Most prisoners return to their communities after an average of 10 months in prison.

 Prison populations are becoming increasingly complex with regard to special needs, older prisoners, ethnic minorities and foreign prisoners, among others.

 Incarcerated women are far more likely to have had traumatic experience in early childhood than incarcerated men; this includes sexual, mental and physical abuse. Half of female prisoners have also experienced domestic violence.

Time In’s deputy editor DMcC decided to interview a Lithuanian prisoner (GJ) who has served two sentences in Northern Ireland and others in Europe. We compare his experiences of N.I prisons to his experiences in other European prisons, such as Holland, Germany, Lithuania, France and England.

PleaseexplaintoushowourprisonsinN.Istand up against others you have been in throughout Europe?

One thing in particular that makes prisons in NI very different is the fact that the wages for working are very poor. In other prisons on the continent where I have served time, there is good production and you get paid well for all jobs. This is crucial as it gives prisoners the opportunity to save up to help them upon release and establish themselves in the community. For example, even for cleaning jobs (landing orderly) you would get paid at least €300 per month. Other jobs pay up to €600 per month such as working the prison garage, textile workshops, woodwork and kitchens. You can also get paid for attending education.

In my opinion there also seems to be problems with staff shortages. This can lead to tensions building up especially if prisoners are locked up for long periods of time. This is really difficult during the summer months and many negative situations are possible. In Europe, no such situations have occurred when I was there as the jails were always well staffed.

In terms of food, whilst some prisoners might find the food fine, I personally think it contains far too little nourishment. The little vegetables that you get are frozen and undercooked. They contain no nutrients by the time we eat them and the small portions of meat contain far too little protein for a healthy balanced diet.

In Europe, there are plenty of fresh vegetables (and more available in the tuck-shop), decent portions of meat, and the food isn’t overcooked.

There is far better overall nourishment which is essential for keeping the human body healthy, especially if you are serving a longer sentence A poor diet is detrimental to health and life expectancy.

The tuck-shop has a good selection of sweets and crisps but hasn’t got much with nutritious value, such as fresh vegetables. In Europe you can buy pretty much anything you can get in Tesco. You just put in an order and get it a few days later, such as fresh meat and vegetables, herbs and spices, fresh eggs, bacon, good coffee, etc. There are fridges in each cell and each wing has a working kitchen for cons to cook their own food.

In terms of visits, most European jails allow one family visit per month, where the prisoners’ families are allowed to come and stay at a 2 bedroom flat within the jail for 2 days and 2 nights to help maintain family connections.

I think some changes could be made to bring Northern Ireland’s jails more in line with Europe to make life in jail more humane. Yes, we are here to be punished, but there is punishment enough in being deprived daily liberty for the duration of your sentence. Health and nourishment should still be given a chance to thrive just as much as it is on the outside, if prisoners value their health. Family ties should also be given a chance to stay strong… it is only humane.

Birth Name: Prince Rogers Nelson

Music News

Also known As: as performer: Camille. (Love Symbol). The Artist Formerly Known as Prince (TAFKAP). The Artist. as songwriter: Jamie Starr. Joey Coco. Tora Tora. Alexander Nevermind. Christopher Tracy.

Born: June 7, 1958 Minneapolis, Minnesota, US

Died: April 21, 2016 (aged 57)

Genres: Funk Pop R&B rock

Occupation: Singer songwriter. Multi-instrumentalist. Record producer. Actor. Film director

Instruments: Vocals. Guitar. Bass guitar. Drums. Keyboard

On the 21st April this year, the world lost a true star, a shining light of the pop world that was Prince Rogers Nelson aka Prince. He has sold over 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time.

Born in Minneapolis in 1958, Prince had developed an interest in music from a young age. He signed a recording contract with Warner Bros. at the age of 18, and released his debut album For You in 1978.

Prince came from a musical family. His father was a pianist and a songwriter and his mother was a jazz singer. He was named after his father, whose stage name was Prince Rogers, and who performed in a jazz group called the Prince Rogers Trio. Prince was a musical innovator. Throughout his career he exploited many areas in music, showing admirable versatility, never tying himself to one specific genre. His music integrates a wide variety of styles, including funk, rock, R&B, new wave, soul, psychedelic and pop.

The Purple Rain singer had won seven Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe Award and an Academy award for the film Purple Rain. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, the first year of his eligibility. Rolling Stone ranked Prince at number 27 on its list of 100 greatest artists the most influential artists of the Rock & Roll era.

In 1984, Prince starred in his first motion picture, Purple rain. This was loosely autobiographical, and included the eponymous studio album, the soundtrack to the film. The Purple Rain album sold more than 13 million copies in the US and spent 24 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. The film won Prince an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score and grossed over $68 million in the US.

Unfortunately like so many pop icons before him, Prince had fallen foul to the murky underworld of narcotics. He was known to eschew alcohol and marijuana, and no one who went on tour with him could indulge either.

But Prince appears to have shielded from even some of his closest friends that he had a problem with prescription medication, particularly pain killers. Prince had been battling an opiate addiction for almost 25 years.

On the Morning of Wednesday the 21st April, Prince was found lifeless in the elevator of his Minneapolis home. The Coroners Court ruled that it was as an opiate overdose of the powerful pain killer, Fentanyl. Prince wasn't the first and certainly won’t be the last to fall foul to this killer...that is Prescription medication.

Dearly beloved, The Top 10 Prince Songs

1. ‘Purple Rain’ - Album: ‘Purple Rain’

2. ‘When Doves Cry’ - Album: ‘Purple Rain’

3. ‘Cream’ - Album: ‘Diamonds and Pearls’

4. ‘Kiss’ - Album: ‘Parade’

5. ‘I Would Die 4 U’ - Album: ‘Purple Rain’

6. ‘I Wanna Be Your Lover’Album: ‘Prince’

7. ‘Raspberry Beret’ - Album: ‘Around the World in a Day’

8. ‘Little Red Corvette’ - Album: ‘1999’

9. ‘Let’s Go Crazy’ - Album: ‘Purple Rain’

10. ‘1999’ - Album: ‘1999’

Paddy Nash

Music...

On the 10th January the internet went into meltdown with the news that David Bowie had died. Biographer David Buckley (Strange Fascination) called Bowie ‘both star and icon. The vast body of work he has produced ... has created perhaps the biggest cult in popular culture. ... His influence has been unique he has permeated and altered more lives than any comparable figure.’ Time In’s deputy editor DMcC met up with Musician-in-Residence Paddy Nash to ask him about the influence David Bowie had on his music.

Tell us a little bit about David Bowie and how, or if he inspired you?

Growing up I was the youngest of 10 children and had a lot of music at my disposal. One brother was a Rocker and introduced me to Thin Lizzy, Black Sabbath and Zepplin. Another brother was a Punk and he gave me The Ramones and The Clash. The Bowie records in our house belonged to my sister and sat proudly in her collection with the likes of Showaddywaddy and Leo Sawyer. I avoided her records like the plague so Bowie for years lived in the ‘uncool, wouldn’t listen to that’ section in my brain. It wasn’t until I was a gigging musician in my late teens that I began to appraise his genius. An older friend who saw potential in my writing started making me tapes of artists that I’d never heard before and artists that I had missed along the way. Among those tapes were Dylan, Tom Waits, The Velvet Underground and Bowie. The album was Honky Dory. It blew me away. I collected everything but nothing could compare to that album for me.

How do you think he influenced artists down the years, and do you hear his influence in other artists?

He was always a step ahead, wasn’t he? I think he inspired artists to be true to their craft and be true to their sound. In whatever flamboyant, far out form their talent emerged.

What’s your favourite Bowie song?

Suffragette City.

Who do you prefer...David Bowie or Ziggy Stardust?

I prefer David but my alter ego Moody Moonflakes loves Ziggy.

What kind of legacy do you think he will leave behind him?

Like all the greats his genius is there to be absorbed or dismissed. I’m sure there’ll be many artists yet to come that will draw on him for inspiration. The same can be said of Guy Clark, and Merle Haggard who we also sadly lost this year.

Musicians & Singers Welcome

The music class is always looking for original songs Why not send us your lyrics and if they’re good we’ll get the band to put some music to them. You never know - maybe you’ve got a number one hit just waiting to be discovered!

Education and Prison Life

‘Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time’ DesideratabyMaxEhrmann

Prison, what is it all about? Does it really help you to change your life? To be honest, NO. I think every course under the sun won’t help you unless you are ready to help yourself. At some point in your life you will say to yourself, ‘enough is enough’ and then do everything in your power to better yourself.

I’m 36 years old and I have been locked-up in some sort of institution from the age of 9. I have tried every thing under the sun not to come back to prison and nothing has ever helped. Now, I’m a lot older, something has just clicked in my head and I know I’ll never come through a prison gate ever again.

I walk up and down ‘the wings’ looking at the younger lads, only in their 20’s thinking its funny or it’s a game but they will wake up one day and really think about where they are and what they are missing out on. On the outside their friends, their family and their children. Life doesn’t stop when you come to prison. They will get out one day and their kids won’t be kids. They will have grown up into young men and women. That’s when things really hit home and you realise what a waste of life they have had up till now. At that point you realise you have to change, you need to change before it’s too late.

Nowadays there are things in prison that can really help you help yourself if you are willing to try new things. You can do some sort of education to better yourself and once you do that you can get a prison job. There are all sorts of jobs available in the prison to better yourself. You could do a City & Guilds. There is a welding course, you could do a joinery course, a bricklaying course, a tiling course, a painting and decorating course, a computer build course and industry projects (aka) maintenance around the prison. There are also art classes, creative writing and guitar classes.

To be honest I wish some of these jobs were available 15 years ago and maybe I wouldn’t be where I am now. I just hope by telling my story I could help somebody change their life around before it’s too late. Please, really think about what I’ve been saying. You don’t wanna waste your life in this place. Trust me. I have the t-shirt.

New courses delivered by staff from the North West Regional College

All courses allow you to achieve City & Guilds qualifications that can lead to employment or access to further study.

Courses that are currently available include:

Numeracy the use of number

Literacy the use of English

English for Speakers of other Languages (ESOL)

Information & Communication Technology (ICT)

Personal Computer (PC) Maintenance

Enterprise and Employability increase your chances of employment

Food Safety and Hygiene an essential qualification to work in the food & catering industry

Art

Metal Welding & Fabrication

Joinery

Painting and Decorating

Horticulture and Gardening Skills Tiling

Furniture Making

Contact Alison on 65365 or Pauline on 87591 for further details or speak to your Sentence Manager or Residential staff

nformation

The Big Book Share

If you have children at home, and are worried about them missing out on activities like bedtime stories, then read on.

■The Big Book Share is an interactive programme developed by the Reading Agency, which enables children to listen to a story read by their parent (or grandparent) and, if they wish, to read along too. Background music, poetry, sound effects and personal messages can be added to the recordings. Illustrations and other images can be added to CDs and covers.

vital role of a parent, often a father, in the formative years of his child’s life. Reading can help to keep the family bond strong and can help a parent in prison to be a positive role model to his or her children.’

■The Big Book Share currently has around 50 prisoners participating at Magilligan which can be enjoyed in a relaxed and supportive environment. Elaine points out that ‘many prisoners initially feel a little awkward about the idea of recording their own voices. But the lads encourage and support each other, and participants and their families have benefitted enormously from the programme’.

AD:EPT Alcohol and Drugs: Empowering People Through Therapy is Northern Ireland's largest drug and alcohol treatment service for adults based in NI's three prisons.

Core Harm Reduction Session, One-toone Counselling, Pre-release, PASRO, FDT

Hydebank Prison & YOC: (028 9049 4169)

HMP Magilligan: (028 7775 1831)

HMP Maghaberry: (028 9261 4066)

Drug and Alcohol Treatment Service

■The Libraries Northern Ireland project believe that ‘prison punishes families as well as offenders it can take away the

■If you are interested ask a class officer to pass your name on to Elaine on ext. 65477.

Turning Pages

Have you heard about Turning Pages the Shannon Trust Reading Plan ‘by prisoners, for prisoners’? Here in HMP Magilligan, help is available to all prisoners who wish to improve their reading and writing skills.

Independent of the prison ‘establishment’, Shannon Trust was founded in 1997 by Christopher Morgan, a farmer from Sussex. In the early nineties he joined a pen-friend scheme run by the Prison Reform Trust and began corresponding with a life sentenced prisoner, Tom Shannon. Through Tom’s letters, Christopher learned about prison life and the shocking levels of poor literacy

amongst prisoners. The letters were put together in a book entitled, ‘Invisible Crying Tree’, royalties from the book were used to found Shannon Trust and over the next few years and a lot of experimentation the ‘Shannon Reading Plan’ really began to impact on the lives of nonreading prisoners. A major breakthrough came about in 2011 when Neil Lodge, a prison officer at HMP Wandsworth took an interest and went on to develop Christopher’s ideas further. Enabling prisoners to teach other prisoners, ‘Turning Pages’ now operates in nearly every prison in the UK and has won many awards for its positive contributions to learning in prison.

If you would like to find out more about Toe by Toe, please contact Elaine at the Education Centre.

Cruse Bereavement Care offers support to all members of society, including people who are imprisoned. In conjunction with the Northern Ireland Prison Service, we deliver a service which supports bereaved prisoners both as they serve their sentence and within the community on their release.

The Cruse Prison Support Service provides bereavement support to prisoners over the age of 18 who are finding it difficult to cope with their grief while serving their sentence, whether their bereavement is recent, or some time ago. Grieving in prison can be extremely difficult due to the separation from the normal family unit and its support, which means that often prisoners stand the least chance of coming to terms with bereavement than any other group in our society.

Have Faith

The spiritual needs of inmates are catered for here in Magilligan. The main denominations have chaplaincies, but others are also accommodated. You can contact a chaplain by asking your class officer to phone the office and leave a message. You can also have a request put on the computer system or you may speak to a chaplain at the Sunday Service and make appropriate arrangements. Roman Catholic, Combined and Free Presbyterian services are held on Sundays at 9.00, 9.15 and 9.30am respectively. Foyleview services are on Wednesday (Free Presbyterian) and Thursday (Roman Catholic and Combined) from 4 – 4.30pm. If you require materials relevant to the practice of any other faith, please make chaplains aware of your requirements.

‘Time is the only true unit of measure, it gives proof to the existence of matter, without time, we don’t exist.’ Lucy

Homeland

Winner of the 2012 Golden Globe for best television series-drama, Homeland begins with C.I.A. analyst Carrie Mathison (Clare Danes) in Iraq, trying to get to an Al-Qaeda bomb expert who is locked-up waiting execution, who claims to have information on an imminent attack on U.S. soil. Mathison is able to sneak in to where he is being kept and he tells her that an American P.O.W. has been turned.

Ten months later, during a C.I.A. briefing, it is revealed that Delta team infiltrated an enemy operating base and found Marine Sergeant Nicholas Brody (Damien Lewis) within, who had been missing in action for eight years. Mathison is immediately suspicious of Brody as he is the only known American P.O.W., so she immediately thinks he is the P.O.W. who has been turned.

Mathison will risk everything to get to the truth, with colleagues, friends and family beginning to question her sanity. Is Brody the war hero the media make him out to be, or is there something darker going on?

The series delivers some compelling, believable characters, each with their own flaws which adds to the realism. The story has plenty of twists, suspense and for every question that gets answered it brings up ten more, all of which is made possible by some great writing.

In all honesty I went into this show a bit sceptical, thinking it would be another cheesy, “America is number one!” type of show, but what I found was a well written, open-minded story that will quickly have you hooked and when one episode is finished you can’t help but put on the next one.

The show also gives us a glimpse of what may motivate someone to commit an act of terrorism, although at the same time does well to show that being Muslim does not go hand-in-hand with being a terrorist and I think this is important with today’s view by society on the matter. All in all, this is a great TV show and definitely worth a watch.

I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. (series 1 & 2 available in the Library)

Lucy

The average person uses 10% of their brain capacity. Today Lucy will hit 100%.

Luc Besson has created some of the most memorable female action heroes in cinema history. From La Femme Nikita (Anne Parillaud) and The Professional (Natalie Portman) to The Fifth Element (Milla Jovovich). This time Besson directs Scarlett Johansson as Lucy. The film is an action-thriller. Lucy is accidentally caught up in a dark drug deal and then turns the tables on her captors. She ultimately transforms into a merciless warrior evolving beyond human logic.

The film stars Morgan Freeman as professor Samuel Norman who (allegedly) explains the ‘science’ behind what is going on. The story develops around what one human could do if they unlocked 100% of their brain capacity. This film received mixed reviews from the critics. It has action-packed scenes and an interesting premise, however dubious.

A New Phase for Magilligan

Nature Watch

You might have noticed some new additions to the ‘Phase’ recently. The walled planting beds that have idled opposite Health Care for over a decade have been given a makeover. In a joint venture with The Conservation Volunteers six new structures have been erected to house an abundance of flora and woodwork displays. As the summer beckons take a moment to stop and enjoy the view – but please, don’t run off with the decorative wheelbarrow, and that includes the officers!

Hothouse Heats Up

As we enjoy the picturesque hanging baskets dotted around the site have you wondered where all the flowers and plants come from? Many have been grown from seed months prior, but the climate in this part of the world is not apt to produce success. All seeds require four things to grow: nutritious soil, regular watering, heat and some tender loving care. The gardeners can provide three out of four but they have little control over the temperature. Enter a hothouse. Designed to trap heat and focus light, a hothouse is perfect to encourage young seedlings to mature. The existing build was an ageing relic covered in holes so its relegation and the construction of a new hothouse was most welcome. Within days, its shelves were brimming with an assembly of seeded trays and now the results can be clearly seen, and hopefully enjoyed.

Can You Spot …?

Recognize any of these plants? You will find them amongst the planters, troughs and pots around the prison. The names are scrambled with answers at the bottom.

Red is the colour of passion and it seems that the humble tomato has a history of painting the path to love. Introduced from South America, it was the Spanish who first noticed its vivid sensuality and told tales of its aphrodisiac properties. Named pomme d’amour – the apple of love – by the French they were considered merely as an erotic ornamental. Different varieties were soon given different names. The Italian pomodor translates as the ‘apple of gold’ and portrays the intense yellow sheen of those original fruits. In Magilligan the gardeners grow an variety of tomatoes ranging from the brutish beef to sunset yellow and succulent cherry. TOP TIP! Rubbing your finger against the cut flesh of an unripe tomato prior to washing will remove grease and oil from your skin.

Compost Happens

Three large compost bays feed the shrubberies and planters throughout the prison but how do you make good compost? The secret is in the mix. All cut grass is added in layers to the existing soil, turned over in regular intervals, and given time to break down. Then the worms feast! Nature takes its course and what comes out is top quality compost which is used to good measure.

ANSWERS: DAHLIA, BEGONIA, SALVIA, PRIMROSE

HILDAA BINGEAO VIALSA RIPSMORE

Saucy Tomatoes

Crossword

Celebrity Inmates

Celebrities enjoy privileged and opulent lifestyles. Celebrities may even be able to afford top-notch legal teams but all of our celebrity musicians, actors and sports personalities have done time in prison.

A SUMMER OF SPORT

???

The Olympics in Rio will be starting on 5th August but up to 12 countries could be banned including Kenya and Russia. A decision will be made on 17th June. Lord Sebastian Coe has promised that for the good of athletics he will ban countries who are proven to have assisted or encouraged their athletes to take performance enhancing drugs but will the IAAF allow him? Without the Russians or Kenyans will the Olympics be seen as a “real contest”? In 1980 the USA boycotted the Olympics in Moscow over reaction to the Russian invasion of Afghanistan. Then in 1984 Russia and 13 other Eastern block countries boycotted the Olympics in Los Angeles.

Another concern surrounding the Olympics is the Zika virus which causes birth abnormalities in children. The virus is spread by mosquitoes, and health organisations have said that only pregnant women or women considering becoming pregnant in the near future are at risk but there are some concerns about athletes or spectators returning to their own country with the virus in their blood stream and then spreading it at home. Greg Rutherford the British long jumper has publically stated that he has had his sperm frozen to avoid the possibility of any of his future offspring being affected.

A month of football can be looked forward to by fans with the Euro 2016 tournament running from 10th June until 10th July but French police have said that they cannot guarantee the safety of fans with possible suicide attacks. Thousands of fans from England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland already booking travel and match tickets. This is the first time that all four out of the five countries from these islands are competing in the same competition with only Scotland missing out on qualification. Let’s hope to see entertaining games and tat least one of the “home countries” can progress to the later stages. This tournament is a wonderful opportunity for local players to shine and is an example to many big Premiership teams who are dominated by foreign players and indeed foreign managers.

The Great Muhammad Ali

After winning gold at the Rome Olympics in 1960 Cassius Marcellus Clay returned home to a rapturous welcome. The young heavyweight boxer, still only eighteen years of age from Louisville, Kentucky, had the world at his feet with an arrogant personality to match. He quickly turned professional and over the next few years despatched everyone brave enough to enter a ring with him.

In 1964 he defeated then undisputed heavyweight champion Sonny Liston, insulting and ridiculing Liston before and even during the fight. Upon winning the world title he converted to Islam and changed his name to Muhammad Ali stating” Cassius Clay is a slaves name; I’m no longer a slave”. After stopping Jerry Quarry and Henry Cooper amongst others, he refused to be conscripted to go and fight in Vietnam and in 1967 he was stripped of his titles, and imprisoned. He said “no Viet Cong ever called me nigger”.

When he returned to the ring over three years later he faced reigning world champion “Smokin” Joe Frazier. Perhaps a little ring rusty he was beaten on points but after winning a rematch Ali went on to beat Frazier again in a third fight. Again he insulted his opponent calling Frazier an “Uncle Tom”, an insult that Frazier never forgave him for.

In 1974 Ali fought new world champion George Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire in what became known as the “Rumble in the Jungle”. Foreman was slightly bigger, stronger and younger than Ali and was a hot favourite but Ali foxed him by just covering up for six rounds and letting Foreman tire himself out. In the seventh round Ali started to fight back and soon won by a technical knockout. He was world champion for the third time, later saying of Foreman “that was a bad time to get tired”.

After retiring Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. He carried the torch when opening the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 but the disease’s toll was there for all to see. The man who proclaimed himself “The Greatest” died after a short illness at the age of 74 and was buried in his native Louisville. He is survived by his nine children.

HONEST JIM

Summer in Magilligan

The accommodation may not be five star

Though it’s full board with a choice of meals

Close to the beach and the enchanting sea

A single bed studio…big enough for me

Lying, simmering beneath the pale blue sky

A peaceful calm all around

The sun-loungers may not be the best

But surely a haven to ponder and rest

They say it’s all about getting away

No mobile in hand, or family and friends

I can go for walks and clear my mind

Remember the ones I’ve left behind

A gym for exercise on your floor

Restaurant and chemist behind your door

Snooker, pool and cue in hand

All of these…yet near the sand

So what’s the catch I hear you say

Booked in August, arrived in May

And not a shilling, it’s all for free Isolation and luxury for all to see

But somehow within is a lesson to learn

The door is locked and the window’s small

A holiday camp it is certainly not

My dull grey clothes, my plastic pot

The days are long, I lose track of time

A thousand men linked by crime

Gathered behind the high daunting wall

Yes…a hell on earth for me and us all.

Contact Details: TIME IN Magazine

Education Centre

HMP Magilligan, Point Road, Limavady

BT49 OLR

JMcG

Olla Bess!