Quotes for Na,onal Jus,ce Museum
Quotes suppor,ng the ‘Mothering, Nurturing and Caring’ Exhibi,on theme (These quotes support this theme from the prisoners but also the prison staff employing a caring approach with the prisoners as a preventa:ve measure for self-harm.)
“I think it (peer support) is something we really rely on a lot in jails, peers are a way of suppor:ng each other, a lot of women do in prison, they form important rela:onships” (Ross, staff member).
“I have experienced a US and them culture in prison, it isn't like that here though. I think it's because its women prisoners, they are more open" (Adelaide, prison staff member).
‘All I’ve ever wanted was that! You know a family of my own, and to think she had that! She can’t call herself a mother! She isn’t one! I wouldn’t even want to call her a woman! Or a prisoner, she is something else’ (Sally, prisoner).
The prisoner (Sally) dis:nguishes between her own sense of self in rela:on to the prisoner who has murdered her child; any iden:ty in which they share should not be applied to this prisoner. The something else, something different not at all like the prisoners in which she could easily be compared to.
“In the male estate it's different, males will punch each other. Women have more complex problems. We don't get the same level of violence, its more handbags, it's not black and white here" (Shane, staff member). "Here it is emo:onally draining not physically, it's handbags" (Alan, staff member).
“We have male and female staff so some:mes something's are bePer coming from a woman you know so we do that. We also check any dates, like offence dates any trigger dates. We don't tell them bad news at weekends as there are less staff to support, it's liPle things like that, it's makes the difference" (Dee, staff member). "We have an equal mix of female and male staff members so that if a prisoner has issues with men they can talk to another prison officer, I think that's important" (Ross, staff member).
"I don't want anyone to call me sir, it doesn't feel right. There are those officers who say we shouldn't talk to prisoners or call them by their first names. I think it's about respect, I don't want to be called by my surname and I doubt the women prisoners do either" (Pete, staff member).
Caring for other prisoners
“I had female body parts but I didn't feel female, you know. (Pause) not un:l recently. I felt nothing! I kept it all in, I was taught that. Therapeu:c Community teaches the opposite so I struggled at first. I can't walk out, some:mes I don't want to hear their crimes but they hear mine. We help each other" (Joy, prisoner). Displacement of the mothering role “I don't know my son as an adult. He is 19 years old now. I have been in prison 11 years and I was only with him 8 years. Even then I was there with him but not there, I had issues going
on" (Adele, prisoner). "Trying to be a good mum, finding it difficult as I don't know how to be a mum" (Bella, prisoner).
“It’s difficult when you've not had a good example from your own mother, all the work you are doing is worthwhile, empathy, equal rela:onships all help as a parent. You have lots of reasons to be op:mis:c, it's not easy being a mum" (Andy, staff member).
“I’ve never really considered that his life has moved on, I s:ll see him as the eight year old liPle boy I le^. It’s very hard, I don’t know him now, I only know the years before” (Norma, prisoner).
“I’ve not looked through that, another prisoner le^ it for me, I don’t even know what is in it. I mean I know its baby stuff; I don’t have a baby now. I don’t need it.” (Prisoner 14).
“Yes I self-harmed before prison, ten overdoses. The first was when I was 9 years old” (Laura, prisoner).
AFachment in custody “Cell mates would be a good thing, even if you don’t talk, just for company” (Jan, prisoner).
“Here in HMP… it’s very good. I like the fact that the ladies don’t change o^en, you see the
same familiar face and that’s more approachable” (Bella, prisoner).
“We all self-harm. Well most women anyway. Some:mes it’s a way of belonging” (Holly, prisoner).
I can’t talk for others, although I’m prePy sure we all self-harm for the same reason, you know (pause) bad childhood, abuse, you name it. Although now in prison we all have the same problems, away from my loved ones and that (Laura, prisoner).
Expect things may come in cycles for a woman to do with hormones, menstrual cycles, I think they are more (pause) ..Well the ladies understand that women can get highly excited or highly stressed, especially about not seeing family and children and being shut off contact. What used to be their job in the family, suddenly they are cut off from that role (Bella, prisoner).
“I’m tempted to hit a wall, get myself harmed. No video link with my partner for 3 months and it’s s:ll not sorted, these are reasons that push me to self-harm” (Karen, prisoner).
Rehabilita,on NJM theme "I was thinking over the weekend that life as a castaway must be like being in prison. You are in prison remembering the life you had outside, and when you go back to this, you realise that life has moved on, as have the people. It must be like being a castaway on an island and when you come back the personal expecta:ons are not met with the
reality" (Alan , staff member).
“Staff are excellent you can always talk to them” (Laura, prisoner).
“It’s different here, it’s not your typical prison, we don’t just lock prisoners up, we try to change them” (Andy, staff member).