Bang Up: Prison walls don't just keep criminals in, the keep the outside world at bay

by Karen Woods

  Sarah pulled her shoes off and stuck them at the side of the sofa. The carpet was new and every time she’d been here with Mikey he always made sure she took her shoes off. He hated muck on the carpet and he was forever picking bits of dirt from it. His mother always said he was a bit OCD and maybe she was right. Everything had to be in a certain place, Mikey could tell the moment he walked into a room if anything had been changed. He had an eye for detail. Mikey loved all the latest gadgets too; flat screen TV, PlayStation. It was all there positioned nicely around the room. This was a home to be proud of. “When do you think he’ll be able to phone us, Rachel? Do you think it might be today? I’ve not slept for days worrying about him. My mam thinks I’m ill when in fact I think I’m lovesick. He’s on my mind every hour of every day.”

  Rachel kept her eyes on the TV screen as she answered her. “He’ll have to get some cash sorted first. He won’t get his canteen until the middle of the week, so fuck knows when he’ll be able to phone home.”

  Sarah was so behind the door when it came to the criminal world. She thought everything was pink and fluffy in her world and she’d never had to go without anything in her life. She wasn’t streetwise either. “I can get some money together for him Rachel. I think he needs to be comfortable in there doesn’t he. Can I send him a few DVDs? He loves ‘Band of Brothers’ and ‘Fast and Furious’”

  Rachel lowered the volume on the TV and pulled her legs up under her bum cheeks on the sofa. This was going to be fun, she was going to bring her back down to earth with a bang. Gary sniggered and he was listening with interest at the side of her. He covered his mouth with his hand so nobody could see his amusement. Rachel sucked on her gums before she delivered the blow. “He can’t have films sent inside the prison, you dickhead. You need to realise a few things about being in jail. It’s nothing like it is on the outside. Once you go through them doors you’re treated as a criminal. Everything you get in there is what you’ve had to fight for. Only the toughest survive! And, as for posting DVDs, you need to take your head from out of your arse and give your head a serious shake. You can’t send anything inside the big house unless the governor allows it. And that, my love, is very rare. In fact, it never happens.”

  Sarah’s eyes were wide open. She hated violence and she hated crime. She had a lot to learn though, this was going to be no walk in the park. This was real life. “I know Mikey and he will stick to the rules and do what he has to do to get this over and done with as soon as possible. He told me this is the last time he’ll ever go to prison. He wants to change Rachel. He wants to have a normal life without being scared of the police knocking on the door every single day.”

  Gary raised his eyes over at Rachel and knew she couldn’t let this go. She twiddled her hair and sat facing her. This was her son they were talking about and she knew him inside out. Who was this tart trying to convince? She sat upright and looked her straight in the eye. “Mikey will never change. It’s in his blood. Do you want him working a nine-to-five job? Because if you do, you need to give your head a shake and wake up and smell the coffee! Mikey is not one of them geeks who will sit down in an office all day long. Your family might be like that, but my son isn’t!”

  Sarah hated Rachel’s negative attitude and she was sick to the back teeth of her putting Mikey down. He was intelligent, he had hopes and dreams. Perhaps, if his mother had ever sat down with him she would have realised he wasn’t just a scally. He was lost in Sarah’s eyes and the best thing he could do was to get Rachel out of his life as soon as possible. She’d ruined her own life and now she was doing the same with his. What chance did he have living with her every day? She was a lazy cow who thought the world owed her a favour. Not once had she tried to change or turn her life around. She never looked for work, she just sat on her bony arse all day moaning about the cards she’d been dealt in life. Bone idle she was. Every day was the same with Rachel; doom and gloom and negative thoughts. She was no role model for anyone. A waste of space she was, nothing more, nothing less. Sarah watched the TV and she was aware that Rachel was waiting on an answer from her. Thinking about her every word she smirked and knew she could outsmart this woman with her hands tied behind her back. Sarah was educated and knew a lot more than she was letting on. “Mikey said we’re moving away when he gets home. We’ll have a new start and by then my dad will have seen how much we love each other and give him a job. How cool will that be? My Mikey all suited and booted for work every day.” Gary sat on the edge of his seat, this was going to be good. He’d underestimated this girl. She was a lot cleverer than he had given her credit for.

  Rachel was chain smoking and popped another cigarette into her mouth. She let out a sarcastic laugh. Did this daft bitch just say “her Mikey”? No, there was no way she was having that. He was her son and nobody was taking him away from her. “My Mikey,” she stressed as she continued, “would tell your dad where to shove his job! He knows what he’s been saying about him and he’s like me like that, he won’t forget. Mikey is fine the way he is, so do yourself a favour and stop trying to meddle in his life. He is who he is - deal with it.”

  Sarah was on form today and giving as good as she got. “You must know a different Mikey than I do then because when we used to talk about this lying in bed, he was all set to meet my dad and tell him how much he loved me. He’s not going to tell you everything we speak about is he Rachel? Come on, he’s a man now, not a small boy. He told me he doesn’t have a close relationship with you anyway!”

  That was a killer blow and you could see the pain in Rachel’s eyes. This war now and the two women were ready to scratch each other’s eyes out. Gary had to step in and change the subject. He came behind Rachel and placed his hand softly on her shoulder as he spoke to Mikey’s girlfriend. “Sarah, we’re trying to get some money together for a parcel for Mikey, as you know, we’re a bit short and we were hoping you could chip in?”

  Sarah flicked invisible dust from the corner of her jacket and looked Rachel straight in the eye. She wasn’t scared of her, no way. “Yes, of course I will Gary. I don’t agree with being part of anything illegal but I’m aware sometimes you need to turn a blind eye and this is one of them. I’ve got fifty pounds here, will that be enough?”

  Gary rubbed his hands together and scratched the side of his nose. “Smashing that Sarah, that will help him right out of the shit, won’t it Rachel?”

  Mikey’s mother was silent. She hated this rich bitch with a passion and the sooner she was off the scene the better. Mikey loved his mother, this tart was lying. The mobile phone started ringing at the side of Rachel. Gripping it in her hand she checked the caller ID. She was hysterical. “It’s Mikey, I just know it is.” Sarah moved closer and tried to get in on the call but Rachel twisted her body around and made sure she couldn’t hear a word being said. “Hello, oh son, I knew you would be in touch with me. I’ve been out of my mind with worry.” Rachel smirked and raised her eyes up to Gary. “Where have you landed, son? Is there anyone you know in there?”

  Sarah was getting restless and she shouted out so he could hear her. “I love you Mikey, when can I come and see you?”

  Rachel listened to the call and whatever Mikey said to her she wasn’t happy about. She rammed the phone into Sarah’s hand. “Here, he wants to speak to you. Hurry up, because I still need to sort stuff out with him.” Sarah took the mobile phone into her hand and walked out of the room. Rachel stood and held her ear to the door. She twisted her head back to Gary and snarled. “Can you hear her? What a soft cow she is! She’s crying down the bleeding phone. As if he needs to hear that when he’s just landed in chokey.”

  “Just sit down and leave her to it. Give her a bit of space and stop interfering all the bleeding time.”

  Rachel paced the front room and growled over at him. “Listen, he’s my son and I need to make sure he gets through this sentence no matter what. The last thing he needs is some daft bint giving him grief when he’s trying to find his feet.” Gary was pissing
in the wind, she never took advice from him. She never would. Sarah came back into the room snivelling and dabbing her finger into the corner of her eye. She walked over to the sofa and plonked herself down. Her heart was low and she was struggling to hold it together.

  “Rachel, Mikey wants you to book a reception visit for Lancaster Farms. He said make sure you sort him out too.” Rachel understood what that meant and now Sarah was willing to cough up the cash she could start organising the parcel. “He seems alright. His spirits were high and he said he only had a short time on the phone because he was using his mate’s mobile.”

  Gary felt her pain and unlike his girlfriend he actually felt sorry for her. He needed to show her some compassion. It must have been hard for her. He offered her some comforting words. “Once he gets into the swing of things he’ll be on the blower all the time. Come on now, there’s no need for tears. We’re here for you aren’t we Rach?” Gary sat down and cradled Sarah in his arms. Rachel was chomping at the bit and gritted her teeth tightly together. This girl was such a drama queen and she was doing her head in. She watched the way her boyfriend touched the young girl and her stomach churned inside. He fancied her for sure, he was all over her. He’d never touched her like that! She very rarely saw this side of him. She bit the bullet and spoke in an aggressive tone. “Pass me that money then, Sarah. I’ll go and get what he needs. Gary, will you make a drink for Sarah to calm her down? I’ll see you when I get back.”

  Gary was sat with his eyes wide open. How on earth was he going to cope with her? Rachel smirked at him as Sarah sobbed her heart out. She rolled her eyes and thought she would teach him a lesson for being such a soft arse. “Gary’s a good listener, Sarah. You just sit with him for a few hours and you’ll be fine. Won’t she love?”

  His face was bright red, he knew he’d been stitched up. Sarah dug deep in her pocket and passed the cash over. Rachel shoved it deep into her pocket. “See you later, Gary,” she sniggered, “get the biscuits out for our guest to go with her cuppa and make sure she gets everything out that’s worrying her. It’s better out than in, that’s what I always say, Sarah. Gary’s got all the time in the world to listen, so you take your time.”

  Rachel was taking the piss now, she left the room laughing to herself.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Mikey sat in the classroom with six other inmates, there were loud noises, rustling. The lads were fucking about throwing paper at each other and slapping each other around the side of the head. It was just like the old days in school and Mikey was the ringleader as per usual. He sat flicking small pieces of paper from an elastic band at the other members of the class. Each of them were sat at a desk and the teacher stood at the front of the room talking away to herself, oblivious to what was going on behind her. Education was big on the agenda in any jail and each prisoner was offered it when they landed in the big house. This was a chance for offenders to get their lives back on track and to try and make something of themselves. A second chance at putting the record straight and living a crime free life. This was a big ask - some of the inmates were past any kind of education and their minds were elsewhere. Who wanted to sit in studying all night long when they could be out on the street earning a few bob? That said, there were always a few prisoners who reformed and got their life back on track but they tended to be a lot older than this crew and at the end of very long sentences.

  The only time most of the prisoners had done a day’s work in their life was when they were in the big house. Anything to get them out of their cell really. To work in any jail was a privilege and something every inmate didn’t take lightly. It was a chance to meet people, an opportunity to pass contraband around the jail, to stick a blade in someone if needed. Mikey planned to get a job inside the jail once he’d settled but as yet there were none available. Perhaps a shift in the kitchen or as a wing cleaner, anything to get him out of his pad for a few hours. He needed all the money he could get his hands on to get his empire up and running.

  Brendan Mellor sat behind Mikey in the classroom and he’d lost a lot of weight already. His cheeks looked empty and his hair seemed to be thinning. The poor fucker was stressed out and his mind wasn’t with it. He’d not slept properly either, just a few hours here and a few hours there was all the shut-eye he was getting. Potter was in the class too and the work he’d been given to do was child’s play to him. He never once told the teacher how intelligent he was and he just let her carry on thinking he was as thick as pig shit like the rest of the students sat there. In his defence he could have probably taken the class. He was well educated and before he got nicked he had an opportunity of working at one of the top banks in the area. The other lads were lively and none of them were ready to learn. This was just another ploy to get them out of their cells for a few hours a day.

  Mikey looked at the words in the book in front of him, his eyes squinting together tightly. His mouth moved but not a single sound come out. The teacher was by his side and she pulled up a chair next to him. She could see he was struggling. “Right, just read this paragraph for me and let me assess just how much help you need. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, lots of people can’t read properly.” Mikey’s ears pinned back and he hated that she’d put him on the spot. It was just like being back in school again, people making fun of him, calling him a thicko. The words started to roll from his tongue. He was doing well and he had the attention of the class. Suddenly, he paused. It just happened to him, his concentration went and his mind went completely blank. The words didn’t make sense anymore. They were all jumbled up inside his head. There was an eerie silence and all that could be heard was his struggled breathing. Sniggering and whispering could be heard behind him. An inmate from the back of the class let his voice be heard as he chuckled loudly.

  “Come on, we’ve not got all day. Derr…”

  Mikey clenched his fist tightly and twisted his head back slowly. He shot a look at the prisoner and nodded his head. He swallowed hard and his nostrils flared. This wasn’t good, it was about to kick off. Mikey’s chest was firm and the vein in the side of his neck was pumping with rage. “Are you talking to me you clown?”

  The teacher was aware Mikey was embarrassed and she tried to diffuse the situation. “Boys, boys. Come on, Mikey you were doing so well. Just carry on reading, you only have a bit left to read. Just concentrate.” He was in a zone now and nobody would ever take the piss out of him and get away with it. In seconds the desk was launched and he threw the chairs out of his way as he sprinted for the lad at the back of the class. This kid was quick and he ragged him from his seat in seconds; head-butts, blows to the face and stomach quickly followed. It was over in seconds. A knockout blow put the inmate straight on his arse. He was out for the count and didn’t have a clue where he was. He fell to the floor like a sack of spuds. Mikey stood over him and spat in his face. “Who’s the thicko now? You fucking prick!”

  Alarms rang throughout the jail; sirens, red lights flashing on the wall. The jail was on red alert. The screws were there in minutes. Five of them rushed into the room and twisted Mikey up. The teacher stood with her back to the wall, fanning her hand across her bright red cheeks. This was going to be messy, she hated any act of violence. Her husband had warned her about taking a job like this and although she hated to admit it, he was right. Every day she faced another challenge working with the dregs of society and more often than not she was always a witness to some kind of fighting or bullying. This woman thought she could change the world when she first started her job here but as time passed she realised that the world was such a dangerous place and all her good intentions went out of the window.

  Mikey jumped onto a table and screamed at the top of his lungs. “Come on then you cunts. I’ll bang you all out. Come on! Do you think I’m arsed. Let’s see what you’ve got!” The security officers ran at him with force. They were all trained in this department and worked like a pack of wolves in bringing the criminal to his knees.

  Brendan stood quiverin
g. He covered his eyes with his hand. “Stop it, stop it,” he mumbled under his breath. The other inmates jeered as they watched the action from the other side of the classroom. No one was getting involved. This was Mikey’s beef and they all left him to deal with it. Punches were thrown, tables knocked over, this was a war zone. It took a while before the prisoner was restrained. He was having a good go. The screws had his head pushed to the ground. His mouth scraping along the floor, his arms twisted behind his back. Mikey was fighting a losing battle and even though he knew the game was up, he was still trying to shout the odds out as they lifted his body from the floor. Brendan chewed rapidly on his thumb and even though he was one of this guy’s best friends on the out, he knew better than to get involved in this fight. He was weak and couldn’t take the chance of getting into any further trouble. He was a shit-bag, a yellow-belly, a sell-out.

  The rest of the inmates were hurried back to their cells. Education was over for today and the rest of the offenders would pay a price for Mikey’s behaviour. The injured prisoner was helped to his feet and he was grey, he was still shell-shocked and unaware of his surroundings. Not so big with his mouth now, was he? That would teach him to fuck about with the big boys. The medical team led him out of the room. He was moaning and groaning and unsteady on his feet. He’d learned a big lesson today, one he would never forget: Never fuck with Mikey Milne.

  Brendan stomped over to the teacher and stood quivering near her side. “Where have they taken him? They were a bit harsh with him, did you see the way they treated him. Are they allowed to use that much force on a prisoner?”

  Mrs Edwards folded her arms tightly in front of her chest and raised her eyebrows. She was sick to the back teeth of the behaviour in her classes and stood her ground. “He should have respected the other people who wanted to learn. He acted like an animal. That poor lad is in a bad way. He was cut, his nose was pouring with blood. Nobody deserves that, no matter what they have done. I feel sick to the pit of my stomach. I need to go home for the rest of the day. I just can’t take much more of this. I’d rather sit at home knitting than be in a room with this bunch of animals a second longer.”