Diary of a Prison Officer Ch. 01

"Right guys" Zara announced as she walked up and down the line of men. "This is what we're going to do. We're going to blindfold you, then, each of you is to strip down to your boxers. Don't look so alarmed, we will be sparing your modesty by erecting the shoulder high black plastic curtain you see to your right before you strip so only we can see you, none of the audience will be able see anything. Okay?"

The four of them looked at each other distinctly nervous but with their friends in the audience egging them on they finally nodded to one another and agreed to the game. Ingrid jumped off the stage and fetched four blindfolds from the prop box, climbed back up and then proceeded to blindfold each of the contestants. Zara then followed behind making sure that they could see nothing through the blindfolds, then, spaced them out ensuring they had room to move without bumping into each other and gauging the others progress. When all were done Ingrid reached for the curtain rail on which the black plastic curtain appeared to rest and pulled it along the stage in front of the competitors. However the black plastic curtain was actually only a foot wide, the remainder of it was totally clear, providing the audience with a perfect view as if the curtain wasn't there at all! Ingrid turned to the audience and made an exaggerated "ssshhh" sign with her finger on her lips. To reassure the guys she asked them to reach out and touch the curtain and confirm that they were hidden from view, which they did and said they were happy with it. Then turning to the audience she asked us if we could see the four guys, understanding what was expected from us we all shouted a loud "No!"

"Now then, what we want you to do is to remove each item of clothing and hang them on the curtain rail in front of you, take your time, we don't want any accidents with you tripping over now do we? Okay guys? Let's do it!"

As if by magic the music in the room changed to the strippers tune, making everyone chuckle including the contestants. We began to clap in time to the music and this spurred on Aaron to make the first move by undoing the buttons on his shirt and slipping his arms out of the sleeves before draping it over the rail in front of him. Then he pulled the T-shirt off over his head revealing his well developed torso with a smattering of dark hair, despite myself I found my eyes drawn to him and I felt my gaze drop to his waist line where I could just see the waistband of his pants peeking above his jeans. Movement to his left caught my eye, Jason, his best man was catching up, he had removed his T-shirt and was in the process of unbuckling his belt. He let his chinos drop to the floor revealing a pair of hairy muscular legs before stepping out of them and throwing them onto the rail. Lee and Simon, the other two contestants were a little slower having chosen to take off their shoes and socks, then their jeans. I had to start supping my beer to disguise the fact that my mouth was getting dry and had to discreetly adjust my crutch. I was mentally wrestling with myself, these were guys I knew and yet I was getting aroused by this drunken stag do competition. Within a couple of minutes just as the music reached a crescendo all four guys were standing in just their underpants or boxer shorts. Unknown to them Ingrid had been silently collecting up their clothes and placing them in a neat pile on the bar next to Mike for him to look after.

"So who wants the £50 voucher? Raise your hands now if you still want in, it's your free choice, if you want out take a step back and sit down on the floor." Zara said to the guys.

With only slight hesitation all four hands rose into the air to the delight of the audience and to my surprise Mike was one of the loudest with his whistling and handclapping.

"Okay guys let's do it! The first guy to remove his underpants, throw them into the crowd and wank himself off to orgasm will win the £50 voucher, the guy who comes second will win a £30 voucher, the guy who comes third will win a £10 voucher and the guy who comes last will get a box of tissues to clean up the stage!"

The room went silent for a minute before the crowd started to wolf whistle and cheer loudly. Ingrid started the music again; I was too intent on watching the action to even notice what was being played. I think Aaron was initially too stunned to react however he soon realised that he was trapped by his own enthusiasm so with a shrug of his shoulders he announced

"You're on – come on guys, let's show them what we're made of!"

With that he grabbed the waistband of his pants, pushed them down and quickly stepped out of them before raising them over his head and threw them into the crowd. A cheer went up with enthusiastic clapping. He started to play with his balls and cock quickly arousing it to a decent erection of six inches. Not far behind him Jason threw his boxer shorts into the crowd, there was silence for a second before an even louder cheer went up. Jason's cock was already standing erect and it had to be the biggest cock I had even seen. No word of a lie but it had to be at least ten inches long and very wide, any wonder he always has a crowd of girls in attendance! He was busy whacking his cock off as if there was no tomorrow. Lee and Simon in unison threw their pants as far as they could but this only served to slow them and their cocks were only semi hard before Jason started to shudder and rock before with a guttural grunt he spewed jet after jet of jism into the air before landing with a distinct splat on the stage and curtain. There was an audible intake of breath round the room which turned into a roar of approval. Aaron started to pant and grimace, then he went rigid and spewed sunk all over his hands and the floor. Claps and cheers met this spectacle. Simon started to panic realising that two guys had already beat him and his cock started to soften as his concentration lapsed. Lee, bless him, always the quiet one (except apparently when orgasming) cried out and howled as his spunk became airborne much to the amusement of the audience and his fellow competitors.

With a loud clap of her hands Zara announced that the game was over, Simon was to stop beating his meat and that the competitors could now remove their blindfolds. Well, their expressions were comical to say the least! It went from relief to have the blindfolds off and being able to see, then came the realisation that the curtain was not black but see-through and they could see the audience, then finally it dawned on them that the audience had been able to see everything from start to finish. To give them their due they did recover from the shock remarkably well, initially they flushed red with embarrassment and their hands flew to cover their crotch. I thought Aaron was going to lose his temper but at the sight of his dad, Mike, giving him a standing ovation he lost his embarrassment and his hands dropped to his sides. Deciding to go with the flow was the best course of action; he started to chuckle himself, then turned towards Jason and shook his hand to congratulate him on winning the competition, all the time trying not to stare at the pendulous cock facing him. He then shook the hand of Lee before clapping Simon on the shoulder in commiseration. Ingrid signalled to the guys that they were to join her by the microphone where she handed the £50 voucher to Jason, the £30 voucher to Aaron, the £10 voucher to Lee and the box of tissues to Simon, which he took with a grimace before kneeling down and carefully wiped up each pool of cold jism. When he rejoined the group Ingrid and Zara thanked them for being such good sports and for having gone with the spirit of the game, was there anything they wanted to say. Aaron, sharp as ever asked Ingrid who had thought of this game because this certainly hadn't been on the planned itinery. Laughing she said it was the bright idea of your father, he said that you were cocky enough to go through with it and he was right! Fair enough he replied but it's his 50th birthday on June 12th 2010 and it will be payback time - dad you've been warned! Mike, by now very drunk roared with laughter and told him to bring it on.

Shortly afterwards the four guys were allowed to leave the stage and retrieve their clothing. To my surprise they seemed in no hurry to do so as their mates surrounded them and much raucous male bonding ensued.

2pm

Feeling distinctly drunk I leave the club along with the others, all fully clothed now and catch a taxi home before falling fully dressed onto my bed and slipping into oblivion.....

MONDAY 1ST MARCH 2010

Dear diary, the big day finally dawned, the first day of my new job. Daunting would be a very good word to describe it but at the same time it was exciting. I arrived at the staff car park a little early as I already had experience of the traffic levels, this time when I entered through the controlled access door and into the reception room things were a little different. This time there was a prison guard sitting behind the desk, checking the new recruits in off his list and ushering them down the corridor to the fitting room where we were kitted out with two sets of uniforms, one to wear now and the other for spare. From there we waited in what we would call the classroom sited adjacent to the gymnasium until all twenty new recruits had arrived. Liam entered without warning closely followed by Max and Adrian, as a group we went to stand up but with a relaxed gesture Liam indicated that we were to remain seated. Liam informed us that Max would be responsible for training us initially and then Adrian would take over when it came to going "live" on the shop floor, as it were. Any questions or problems should be directed to them in the first instance, with that he and Adrian withdrew leaving us under the care of Max.

The rest of the morning up until lunchtime was pretty mundane, making sure that all personnel records were correct and up to date, then came the usual breaking the ice exercise where we all had to stand up and introduce ourselves, give a little speech about our backgrounds along with likes and dislikes. The guys seemed by and large a likable bunch and I think we will bond pretty well over the coming weeks and months.

Lunch was a buffet style affair served to us in the classroom by a couple of inmates dressed in catering attire. One looked familiar to me, perhaps he was the same guy who brought the tea trolley in during my interview, whatever the reason he took no notice of me. I was simply another face in the crowd.

The afternoon was more interesting, we were given a more in depth explanation for the mass recruitment and the direction in which the prison was heading. In the long term they wanted HMP Ollerton to become a flagship of excellence for prisons in the UK and lead the way in reforming other failing prisons. Before that could happen there was a lot of work to do and was summarised as follows:

1.Eliminate prisoner violence

2.Eliminate prisoner intimidation

3.Eliminate prisoner drug abuse

4.Eliminate prisoner sexual abuse

5.Eliminate smuggling into/out of the prison

6.Reduce rates of reoffending by at least 50%

This will be initially be addressed by monitoring every prisoner and room in the prison, at present workmen are installing damage proof CCTV monitors into each cell and room within the prison and the outside areas. Once completed implementation of the new prison rules would start following 24 hour surveillance of all areas including cells.

Someone in the class mentioned that it sounded draconian. Adrian laughed in response, saying that it may indeed but as mentioned during the interviews the new management believes in tough love and sorting out the criminals once and for all by whatever method works successfully. Sounds fair enough to me. By the end of the afternoon my head was reeling from all the facts and information that had been imparted and I was glad when it was time to leave.

So that diary was my first day at work, my brain aches and all I want to do is fall into bed and sleep like the dead, so night night until tomorrow.

FRIDAY 5TH MARCH 2010

Sorry diary, a bit late I know but I simply haven't had the energy to maintain my diary for the last couple of days. Not only have I been mentally exhausted every day but I have also been physically tired too. Each day at work followed a set routine:

09:00 – 10:00hrsFitness class in Gymnasium

10:30 – 13:00hrsPrison Theory & Practice – Classroom

13:00 – 14:00hrsLunch

14:00 – 17:00hrsPeople Management - Classroom

I never realised how much was involved with prison work and the responsibilities that came with being a prison officer. By the end of next week we will have trained enough to be introduced to the prison and the inmates and get down to the real work – what a scary thought now that I know the realities of prison life! One consolation is that my body is becoming more toned and even fitter, not only that but I am regaining my confidence in dealing with people again which I had lost somewhat since my divorce. Something inside me is looking forward to the conflict management, perhaps because it seems akin to being in the army again, who knows, time will tell.

FRIDAY 12TH MARCH 2010

Same excuse again! Busy week but what an eye opener! Yesterday we completed our training course and today we went on a walk about the prison and its grounds led by Max and Adrian. Each of the six wings were being modernised and made more secure (or should that read more manageable for us staff?) and all of the CCTV installation had been completed much to the disgruntlement of the inmates! Needless to say that there was a lot of jeering and catcalling from the gang members and leaders but the average inmate was either wary or respectful which was the reaction we were seeking. Outside were the kitchen gardens, recreational green (used for cricket, football or rugby depending on the season), the small prison farm where pigs and chickens were kept, and finally the multi-faith chapel which had fallen into disrepair. It was in this last building which held the biggest surprise for us. It had been converted into a small cinema but one in which would be used for correction treatment of inmates who had broken the rules. I asked for an explanation, but was told to be patient as all would be revealed. At one end of the room was a huge white viewing screen facing twenty five rows of chairs capable of seating up to five hundred inmates at any one time. Then at the back of the room behind the last row of chairs was a door marked "Staff Only" with a controlled access keypad. Adrian tapped in the pass code and ushered us through the doorway, the sight that met us was astonishing. It was a cross between a gymnasium, shower area and torture chamber. In one area there was a leather sling, a large wooden St. Andrews cross and a vaulting box. Each device had hand cuffs attached at each corner. In another area was what looked like a dentist chair along with an operating table, again with restraints attached to each arm. In the shower area there were two handcuffs hanging from the tiled wall above which a single shower head could be seen. What puzzled me was a second hose which came out of the pipe feeding the shower, it had a rounded end with holes (looked rather like a pepper pot!) and hung redundant on a hook next to the shower head. There was also a commode (toilet seat fitted within a chair) made from clear plastic suspended over a clear plastic tank with water inside. From the ceiling over each device was a CCTV camera standing safely away from the wet area near the entrance was a handheld video camera and stand. On the other side of the entrance was a large wardrobe sized metal cabinet securely locked, inside which we were told were implements to be used in the correction treatment. With the tour of the correction room over we were led outside and back to the main dining hall for the inmates from where a lot of hammering noise was emanating. Inside two of the maintenance crew were attaching a large notice on the wall in clear view of all diners, this is what it announced.

"With effect from Monday 15th March 2010 the following rules will be implemented:

1.Possession of weapons, drugs and contraband of any kind will be strictly prohibited.

2.Violence or abuse of any kind will be strictly prohibited.

3.Smuggling of weapons, drugs and contraband in or out of the prison will be strictly prohibited.

The first infringement will result in temporary (48hrs) loss of all personal possessions.

A second infringement will result in permanent loss of all personal possessions.

A third infringement will result in public correction in the chapel.

Any further infringements will result in public and prolonged correction.

If you have any questions regarding the above rules please speak to a member of staff."

Then underneath in bold red writing was another announcement.

"There will be an amnesty for weapons, drugs and contraband on Monday 15th March 2010 from 00:01hrs to 23:59hrs inclusive. Any prohibited items found after the amnesty period will result in due punishments described as above."

Adrian warned us that Monday will be busy but the rest of the week will be busier as the rules will have to be implemented as the toughest inmates will seek to resist and break them. We have been warned to make sure that we're thoroughly rested this weekend ready for next weekend.

SATURDAY 13TH MARCH 2010

Time out with the boys tonight, met up with Mike and Tom and had a real laugh at the Kings Head supping a few pints and enjoying their down to earth sense of humour. I kept my tales of my job pretty lightweight with no mention of the new rules made. Tom was slowly coming round to the idea of me working for the "establishment" but Mike still needed convincing and thought I would have been better off working for the college. Ah well, time will tell and all that.

MONDAY 15TH MARCH 2010

First day of the new regime and the amnesty produced a flurry activity from the small time crooks and regular guys who were sensible enough to understand that the writing was on the wall for their activities. By the end of evening some two hundred weapons had been surrendered and several kilos of drugs. I expressed my admiration on how successful the amnesty had been to my supervisor, Pete. He snorted and laughed saying that he thought less than half of the gear had been handed in, so tomorrow will be long and tiring as there will be some tough nuts to crack.

TUESDAY 16TH MARCH 2010

Dear diary, Pete was sooo right! During our morning briefing the first of the gang leaders were to be targeted. His gang name is "Flick" on account of his favourite weapon being a flick knife cunningly disguised within a toothbrush, his real name is more mundane – Charlie Smith. His reputation was of being fearless and the first to wade in if a fight broke out, although he wasn't the tallest or heaviest built of guys he was strong and knew it. He was being targeted to send a strong message to the rest of the gangsters.

So after the briefing six of us donned riot gear and armed with stun guns we marched into A-Wing and climbed the stairs onto the first floor and headed for cell 59 where Flick was housed. The normally noisy wing fell silent as the inmates realised something was happening and stopped to watch the proceedings. Arriving at the cell, the door was flung open catching Flick by surprise; he was sprawled out on his bunk reading a glossy girlie magazine. The look of shock rapidly changed to the customary aggressive expression and demanded to know what was going on. He was told that he and his room was being searched for prohibited items. Laughing in response he said that we would find nothing; his mirth was short lived because unknown to him using the CCTV installed in his room we had watched him secreting his stash of weapons and contraband. Within a couple of minutes we found the first of his knives, his face fell as he realised the game was up. We radioed back to the control room that we required a belongings box ASAP (this is a large plastic box on wheels which can be secured with a padlock and chain used to store confiscated items). Five minutes later the box arrived and we continued searching the room, as each article was examined it was placed into the box with prohibited items being placed into a separate bag. As bit by bit his cell emptied of his personal possessions Flick became agitated protesting at the treatment he was receiving. He was told in no uncertain terms what the new rules were and as he'd broken them he was facing the confiscation of all his possessions for 48 hours, he'd get them back if he was a good boy.