Unlock These Hands

By Ray Wilcox

The staff of Raymar Prison are trying to move on from the catastrophic events earlier in 2004. The governor, with an eye to the future amongst other things, embraces an idea which he hopes will restore harmony and drive the prison forward. The new Special Secure Unit has one resident, a notorious serial killer who enjoys bragging about his favourite victim and a female prison officer. Illegal drugs, currency and entertainment on the wings are in short supply until the London underworld steps in. The vulnerable are sucked into situations where they find—to certain costs—that there is no turning back. Violence costs nothing for those with nothing; the price of a life can be as cheap as a promise and as easy as a misunderstanding. Will the governor succeed or will corruption plunge Raymar into darkness?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley
• Release date: Mar 12, 2018
• ISBN: 9781370435081

Ray Wilcox

Ray Wilcox began work as a messenger boy at the Daily Mirror in London. Later followed a successful 30 year career, working in 25 UK prisons. Lock-Down Blues evolved as a result of his knowledge and experiences as both uniformed officer and governor. He now lives in Spain with his wife.

Book preview

Foreword

If you have the nose for it, the smell of prison can be fascinating. If you have the gift, try a little experiment.

Take advantage of a tour around one of the number of old prisons that have been closed and turned into tourist attractions. Some bright spark came up with the idea, so maybe they have the gift.

When you visit one of these places – clinks, houses of correction etc. – take a deep breath and try to identify what is assaulting your olfactory senses. The building you are in may have been closed for a long time, used for training or to add authenticity to one of the number of prison dramas which are growing in popularity, but it will still have that distinctive smell. I call it the ‘smell of defeat’.

In Unlock These Hands I try to put into words the smell of defeat. The incarcerated will tell you of the miscarriages of justice which have blighted their lives, or they will simply put their hands up and admit their guilt. Whatever their circumstances, their stories will still reek of defeat.

When I joined HM Prison Service in 1975, the smell of defeat was mixed with rotten cabbage and, often, urine. During the following 30 years there were massive improvements in hygiene and the quality of food served to the guests of Her Majesty. But it didn’t mask or do away with THAT smell, still present and all pervading.

Unlock These Hands does not attempt to glorify prison or its inhabitants. It does try to strip back the ‘world within a world’ that is prison and describe the lengths that people will go to challenge defeat.

Do you have the gift?

Ray Wilcox

2018

HM PRISON RAYMAR

Prison Information

Her Majesty’s Prison Raymar accepted its first prisoners in 2003. It is situated two and a half miles from the sleepy village of Whittingham in the North West of England. It is a category B establishment with single-cell accommodation for 298 prisoners.

Built on the site of the old Rosmere Prison, which was virtually destroyed by fire as the result of a riot in the 1990s, Raymar is one of the most secure institutions in the prison’s estate. The accommodation consists of four circular cell-blocks (wings), each with three floors, and a Special Secure Unit (SSU) capable of housing five prisoners. With all the facilities that the taxpayer would expect in a twenty-first century prison, Raymar is considered to be a model high-security establishment.

The normal cellular accommodation, on the wings, has integral sanitation and power points for radio and television. With the constant possibility of self-harm and suicide, the cells are safe without making them sterile boxes. Raymar has experienced one suicide in its short history and staff are constantly on the lookout for signs of depression or unusual behaviour.

There is a ‘Listener’ system in place, which is the service equivalent of the Samaritans. Selected prisoners are trained by the Samaritans and, when necessary, can use a room on the ground floor of each wing to share with the prisoner who has been identified as being at risk. Overnight, both listener and at-risk prisoner would be accommodated in a ward in the Healthcare Centre. Levels of self-harm at Raymar are considered below the national average for a category-B long-term establishment.

The Segregation Unit has ten cells and one ‘special’ which is devoid of furniture. The most aggressive and/or violent prisoners would be held in the special cell until they have calmed sufficiently to be moved to normal accommodation in the unit. All prisoners in the unit are seen every day by a medical officer (doctor), a governor and a member of the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB). The IMB visit all establishments and are there to ensure that proper standards of care and decency are maintained.

The Healthcare Centre has eight cells and a four-bed ward. Although a local healthcare trust provides much in the way of direct input, the centre is bound by prison rules and regulations, the same as the rest of the establishment.

As with all new prison establishments, Raymar has been provided with the latest equipment and technology to try to make some impact on re-offending rates. The gymnasium is very popular, particularly amongst the younger element. The workshops, plastering and bricklaying courses have moved on considerably from the days of sewing mailbags and waxing string. The rates of pay, although low compared with outside, attract prisoners because the activities get them out of their cells and give them the ability to buy tobacco and other luxuries. Those who are unemployed still receive a small amount of money each week. Those who refuse to work get nothing. The Incentives and Earned Privileges scheme (IEP) also exercises a degree of control, by rewarding prisoners for good behaviour.

The governing governor is in charge of the prison and is answerable to his area manager. He will chair a senior management team, whose primary function is to deliver the performance targets for the year. These would range from the number of hours prisoners spend out of cell to the number of education hours delivered, and all activities in between. The budget for the year is also discussed at each monthly meeting and a governor who overspends without permission will quickly find themselves in trouble.

Since opening in 2003, Raymar has stayed within budget and is meeting all performance targets. I am confident that Raymar will be elevated to ‘high performing prison’ status by the end of the financial year.

Mitchell Hagen

North West Area Manager

2004

Part One

Chapter One

Roger Mason, Governor of HM Prison Raymar, was bone-tired. The events of 11 June 2004, when a prisoner was killed and a prison officer taken hostage, weighed heavy on his shoulders. But today, 26 October, he intended to start the process of driving his prison forward and enhancing his career prospects.

His guests, who would join him at the full staff meeting, were in the boardroom. He put his Next suit jacket on and hoisted his trousers up. He was a tall, commanding man and well aware that the past months had contributed to an expanding waistline. The gymnasium at Raymar boasted state-of-the-art equipment which he intended to use before matters really got out of hand.

After leaving his office he collected his guests and they made their way to the main visits room where the staff were waiting.

The visits area was full. Late arrivals were standing on tables and chairs in the legal visits section, which was separated from the main area by low partitions. On the podium, to the left of the double doors, were five empty chairs in a neat line. Security Principal Officer Kevin Small was putting the finishing touches to setting up a public address system which had been borrowed from the Blue Cow pub in nearby Whittingham village. He intended to strangle the man in the electrical shop in Carlisle who had let him down by not delivering the new PA system.

Although heavy rain was the order of the day, staff had come in from annual leave and rest days, and probably the only ones missing were those on sick leave.

At two minutes past midday the double doors opened and a hush descended over the room. Five figures made their way to the podium and filled the seats. After a minute, Mason rose from his seat, took a step forward and adjusted the microphone on the lectern.

‘Good morning, ladies and gentleman, and welcome to this most important staff meeting.’

He had no notes to refer to. He didn’t need them because most of the information would be coming from his guests.

‘For the record, I will formally introduce my colleagues. On my left is Tony Bowles, Deputy Director General. On his left is Mitchell Hagen, northwest area manager. On my right is our new deputy governor, Daniel Clayton. On his right is Martin Towle, governor of HM Prison Parkhurst, who led the investigation team. First, please welcome Tony Bowles to Raymar.’ There was a light smattering of applause and Bowles stepped forward to the microphone.

‘I’m glad to have the opportunity to visit your establishment. I bring greetings from the Director General and his apologies for not being here today. As I speak, he is negotiating for an increase in the monies necessary to run our service during the next financial year. This is a difficult time for all public sector services but we will do our best to secure the level of finance to continue to push the service forward and meet the targets in our strategic business plan. Before I sit down, are there any questions?’ Bowles looked around the room and knew that he was on safe ground because he had used the ‘are there any questions’ strategy for the past three years and had never been challenged. He was not disappointed; the room remained silent.

‘Thank you, Tony, and for making the time to visit us today.’ Mason said and received a nod and a smile in return.

‘I would now like to welcome Martin Towle to our meeting. Many of you will know Martin and his team and will have been involved, at various levels, in the service investigation into the murder of prisoner Raymond Butterworth and the assault on Officer Hilary Brand on 11 June. Before I hand over to Martin I would like to thank him for the sensitive way in which the investigation was conducted. I know that I also speak for the chairman of the Raymar branch of the Prison Officers’ Association who, unfortunately, cannot be with us today. Martin, welcome back to Raymar.’ Mason said and sat down.

As Towle made his way to the microphone, the overhead lights were unkind and penetrated his comb over. His pinstriped suit had seen better days and his soft voice still had echoes of his childhood growing up in Warrington.

‘Thank you, Roger, and it is a genuine pleasure to be here again. My team send their regards and wish to join me in thanking all those members of staff who assisted us during the investigation, for their co-operation. I offer no apologies for the length of time the investigation took and the subsequent preparation of the report. Some of the delay was due to the police investigation into the murder of prisoner Raymond Butterworth which, as you will appreciate, took primacy. Copies of my report are with your governor and the area manager. I will now take the opportunity to tell you about our major findings and our principal recommendations.’ Towle took a moment to drink from a glass of water and opened the bulky document which he had retrieved from the flight case next to the lectern.

‘Our major findings are as follows,’ he began. ‘The mix of prisoners on spur D3, D Wing, was unfortunate and should have been reviewed, especially after the apparent suicide of prisoner Brian Lincoln. I use the word ‘apparent’ because the full coroner’s inquest has yet to take place. We did review the internal investigation into the death of Brian Lincoln and agree with the findings and recommendations.’ Towle paused to sip from a glass of water. ‘Secondly, the staff on D Wing were, at the time of the incident, relatively inexperienced and not sensitive to the tensions which were obviously building on the wing and across the prison.’ Once again, Towle paused to sip from the glass. He wasn’t thirsty, certainly not for water. No, the sipping-water ruse was used to give him time to gauge how well his delivery was being received. So far, so good.

‘Our third finding, I’m happy to report, is that we are satisfied that no member of staff was in any way responsible, or contributed to, the events which culminated in the death of prisoner Raymond Butterworth or the assault on Officer Hilary Brand.’

‘Our fourth finding is that the amount of information flowing into the Security Department should have been given more credence and a more robust approach to the management of certain prisoners would have been appropriate.’ Mason and Hagen exchanged knowing looks as Towle continued, ‘The number of serious assaults, on both prisoners and staff, which occurred during the weeks leading up to the incident were not adequately investigated and would have provided essential intelligence about the overall unease in the prison.’ Towle took another sip from his glass and added, ‘Those broadly describe our major findings but, of course, the report records them in much greater detail. I will now move on to our principal recommendations, which are as follows…’

Towle spoke for another fifteen minutes to a quiet, attentive audience. There were no surprises until he was near the end. ‘Because of the number of staff vacancies at Raymar, consideration should be given to recruitment of experienced staff, particularly those with backgrounds in high security establishments. Lastly, the actions of Officer Max Williams, when negotiating for the release of Officer Hilary Brand and prisoner Raymond Butterworth, should be recognised as reflecting the highest standards of the HM Prison Service. Those are our principal recommendations. Thank you for the opportunity to address you today and I wish you all good fortune in the future.’ Towle sat down and drained his glass.

‘Thank you, Martin. Now, your area manager Mitchell Hagen,’ Mason said, anxious not to lose the momentum.

‘Thank you, Roger,’ Hagen said as he walked to the lectern. ‘I will not keep you long because lunch is calling and some of you will obviously want to enjoy what remains of your time off. My thanks to Martin Towle for his detailed report and realistic recommendations. I have discussed the report at length with Roger Mason, and I am happy to say that I accept and will fund the recommendations. Implementation plans will commence in the next seven days.

Finally, a few words about your new Special Secure Unit (SSU). This unit is integral to the overall prison service strategy to contain the most violent and subversive prisoners in a safe, secure environment. New building technology allowed us to install the unit and its special features in a speedy manner which, I hope, did not impact unduly on the day-to-day work of the establishment. I do not normally focus on individual prisoners at a staff meeting but I will take a moment to mention the sole resident in the SSU, Thomas Colley. I consider this man to be one of the most dangerous and challenging prisoners presently in the system. He will test your security, patience and tempers. I know that you are equal to the task. Roger, over to you.’

Mason returned to the lectern. ‘As you are aware, no special staff were drafted in to open the unit because I am satisfied that all the skills necessary to run the unit already exist in Raymar. The recruitment process, which has just been announced, will attract staff with experience in high security prisons but, I must emphasis, they will not initially be used in the unit. They will rotate into the unit in the normal way and will be welcome additions to our expertise across the prison. Finally, the trial of Anthony John Masters, charged with the murder of Raymond Butterworth and the offences against Officer Hilary Brand, is scheduled to begin in the next few days. Some of you are being called to give evidence, as am I. Remember, he is on trial, not Raymar. Any questions?’

There were no questions, and Hagen surprised everyone by starting to clap and smile at the audience. He was quickly joined by Mason, Towle and Clayton. The staff responded with an applause that was loud and genuine and would be remembered during the coming months.

The following morning Mason almost ran into his deputy’s office. ‘Hagen is as good as his word. I received his email about twenty minutes ago. I didn’t realise that he got into work this early. We have his permission to bypass the normal recruitment procedures and send out a service-wide email asking for expressions of interest from officer grades who wish to transfer to Raymar at public expense. Initially, we are authorised to recruit ten. Superb.’ Roger Mason exclaimed and his deputy David Clayron was caught up in his enthusiasm.

Clayton, at thirty-five, was one of the youngest deputy governors in the North West and intended to be in charge of his own prison within three years. He knew that his good looks and quiet manner were what the service was looking for in their rising stars but he was also able to chuck a few threats around if the circumstances required it. He liked Mason and he knew that the feelings were mutual.

‘Hagen has suggested that I convene an extraordinary Senior Management Team meeting to decide on recruitment criteria and designate a governor grade to oversee the process. He wants our action plan on his desk by end of play today.’

‘No problem,’ Clayton said, ‘I’ll get the team together. Can I suggest that we use Denise Hampshire to oversee the process? I know that she’s only been with us for a month but the experience will be good for her.’

‘I agree. We’ll sit down with her after the meeting. Set it up for 2.30 in the boardroom, no excuses, all to attend.’

‘Done.’ Clayton said and Mason returned to his office.

Mason called the meeting to order and looked around the room. Clayton was on his left, his secretary Sheila Black on his right. There was Denise Hampshire, recently promoted from principal officer to governor grade. Next to her was Andy ‘Jock’ Leitch, a governor grade of vast experience and seen by staff as a safe pair of hands. Beside him was Head of Management Services Patricia Spedding. She knew that Mason had a soft spot for her but, despite her best efforts, the soft spot had stayed just that. The two principal officers, Watts and Small, were present because the meeting was specifically discussing officer grade recruitment. The final two seats were occupied by the accountant Lance Trembath and Senior Nurse Margaret Nelson.

‘OK, let’s begin. The area manager has given us permission to advertise for ten officer grades to join us on public expense transfers. We are to work to a tight deadline. The normal snail’s pace of recruitment will not apply. Once the area manager has agreed our criteria we will email all prison establishments, and I do mean all. The closing date for applications will be 21 December. We will have a shortlist by 30 December. Applicants will be called for interview between 10 and 13 January. Successful applicants will be in post by 10 February at the very latest. The usual rule that prevents staff being transferred until a replacement is found or six months has passed will not apply. The Deputy Director General is of the opinion that the service has been slow to rectify problems and believes that this is the way forward. I do not intend to disappoint him. Your thoughts on a criteria please,’ Mason said, and the meeting began in earnest.

Just before 5.00pm the work was completed. The criteria stipulated that applicants must have been in the service for a minimum of five years. Their past three staff appraisals would show a satisfactory or above marking. Applicants must have worked in high security establishments or units. Gender balance would be ignored because only the best applicants would be successful.

Mason left the room and emailed the criteria to area office. He returned to the boardroom and announced that Hampshire would oversee the process. Spedding couldn’t contain herself. ‘With due respect, Roger, how can you expect a brand new governor grade to manage a process which is complicated and time consuming. In my role as head of management services I am uniquely qualified to manage the process and I insist that my expertise be recognised,’ Spedding spluttered, her face a deep red.

Mason looked at her and frowned. This was the first public challenge to his authority and he knew that he had to deal with it immediately. ‘Patricia, nobody has questioned your expertise. As I explained earlier, the process has been simplified by headquarters and I, for one, am grateful to them. Secondly, Denise will lead the simplified process to gain experience. Thirdly, and finally, I decide who does work for me. I decide what happens in this prison and I will not be challenged by you or anybody else. Have I made myself crystal clear?’

‘Roger, I…’

‘Have I made myself crystal clear, Mrs Spedding?’ ‘Yes, Roger.’

‘Yes, Governor,’ Mason growled.

‘Yes, Governor,’ Spedding whispered, a tear splashing the notepad in front of her.

There was a knock on the door and one of the administration assistants handed Mason a slip of paper.

‘Excellent, the area manager has agreed our criteria. Let’s get cracking. Denise, join me in my office in ten minutes. Thank you all for your efforts this afternoon,’ Mason concluded and smiled as the room emptied. The only person to miss his smile was Patricia Spedding.

‘Come in, Denise, and close the door,’ Mason said and gestured her to a couch by the side of his desk. She looked crisp and fresh despite having been at work for over ten hours. Mason made coffee, remembering that she took hers black, no sugar.

‘I was going to see you after your first month here as a governor so this seems to be the perfect opportunity. Well, how have things been?’

‘Just fine, Sir,’ Hampshire started to answer.

‘Not Sir, Roger from now onwards,’ Mason said softly.

‘Thanks, Roger. The month has flown by. I didn’t realise how different it would be, but pleasantly different. The staff have been really welcoming, which surprised me because I’ve seen how destructive and sarcastic some staff can be to a new governor grade.’

‘Do you think they have taken to you because you came up through the ranks?’ Mason ventured.

‘Probably, in fact, yes. They know that I understand the pressures of being in uniform and coming up the ranks. As you know, I did a year on the POA Committee at Cookham Wood so that must have helped.’

‘Any problems I can help with?’ Mason asked ‘Nothing I can’t deal with, thanks,’ she answered.

‘Good. Now on to our recruitment exercise. I want you to manage this process and know it like the back of your hand. I want the deadlines met and the process clear and not open to criticism or misunderstanding. When we conduct the interviews I want to know that we have the right candidates in front of us. By the way, the interview panel will be Daniel Clayton and myself and will be chaired by your good self. Comments?’

‘Thanks for your confidence in me. I will not let you down.’

‘I know, that’s why I chose you. Mrs Spedding will offer you any assistance and advice you require. Ignore her outburst earlier. She is highly strung and sometimes I think she should be.’

Hampshire laughed and decided that she liked Roger Mason.

The email went out, service-wide, later that day and impacted in a way that hadn’t been seen since Fresh Start had become a reality in 1987.

Denise Annabel Hampshire had been in the service for nine years. Having opted to move up the ranks in the traditional manner and not apply for the Accelerated Promotion Scheme (APS) she was, at age thirty-four, exactly where she wanted to be in her career.

She had moved on promotion to manager F (junior governor grade) from Cookham Wood women’s prison. Working with male prisoners was not the nightmare that some of her colleagues at Cookham Wood had warned her about. She was now in charge of two wings, the Segregation Unit and the kitchen. There was enough to do without requiring her to work excessive hours. Now that she was a governor she had no fixed hours of work. The system was called ‘all hours worked’. In effect, it meant that she would be paid the same if she worked thirty or ninety hours. She didn’t mind because she had taken the promotion with her eyes wide open, looking towards the future.

She used the prison gymnasium four times a week and was justly proud of her figure. A friend from Cookham Wood had warned her that trousers and short skirts were definitely not on for a female governor in a male prison. Some of the staff and probably most of the prisoners would immediately label her as either a slag or a lesbian. She had quickly learned, when joining the job, that a reputation can be acquired in an instant but it could take a lifetime to live down.

So, she had given it much thought and had settled on good-quality combinations of fitted jackets and skirts that showed just enough leg to make her look interesting. She had always looked after her hair and now took the opportunity to visit one of the best hair stylists in Carlisle twice a month. Above all, she looked and felt good about herself.

Her personal life had consisted of one failed marriage and a series of fit but boring boyfriends. She had never dated anyone from work but had made the decision recently that changes might occur in the future. Daniel Clayton appealed to her but, for now, he would have to wait. Her real target was Roger Mason. He wouldn’t normally have been her first choice, especially after catching a glimpse of him in the gymnasium changing rooms, but she knew that he was destined for a very bright future in the service, as long as he didn’t screw up. She had decided that, although she enjoyed her work, the thought of being the little woman at home appealed just that little bit more. The horrific events that had hit Raymar before she arrived had proven that Mason had what it took to manage a prison through a crisis and she fully intended to share in the good things that were sure to come his way in the future. The fact that he was married was a minor problem, which she intended to resolve.

At a little after 8.30 the following morning Mason received a message from the gate senior officer. Apparently, Patricia Spedding had just phoned and left a message for Mason.

‘What was the message, Mr Downs?’ Mason asked. ‘I’m too embarrassed to repeat it, Sir,’ Downs said.

‘Do it anyway, Mr Downs.’ Mason insisted.

‘OK, Sir, this is it, word for word, Tell that cunt Mason that I’ve gone on sick leave and I’m going to sue his fat arse and that he can shag that bitch Hampshire because he won’t get into my pants. Sorry, Sir, but that was the message, word for word,’ Downs concluded, trying to stifle a laugh.

‘Thanks, Mr Downs. No chance of any misunderstanding, was there? Oh, and by the way, it’s OK to laugh,’ Mason concluded and replaced the handset.

Mason phoned Area Office and told Mitchell Hagen, because he was certain that Spedding was not going to go away. Hagen laughed and said that she wasn’t even worth a sympathy fuck.

Chapter Two

Just because I like to kill doesn’t make me odd or a nutter. In fact, I take exception to anyone who says I am.

Your average lion and tiger don’t find themselves plastered over the front of the gutter press or fighting for top billing on News at Ten because they go about their daily business of killing. No, they go through their routine of stalking, pouncing and killing without attracting a modicum of criticism, because that’s what they do. You might say, in fact you often do, that Mr Lion and Mrs Tiger are only killing because they have to if they are going to survive and feed their little ones.

I’m no different, no, I’m not. Give me a moment to explain. OK? Good. I kill to survive because if I didn’t I wouldn’t have anything to live for. I do have the occasional mouthful if I’ve completed a particularly enjoyable piece of work because you can’t beat a nice bit of fresh leg or kidney. But, as always, I’m particular about what passes these lips because one has to look after one’s body, doesn’t one? I like saying that, makes me laugh.

The only way that I’m different to Mr Lion and Mrs Tiger is that I don’t have any children. Not for the want of trying, I might add. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with me in the old chap department. All the old slags who enjoy my company can’t seem to get enough, particularly when I bring the old pork sword into play. But, as I’ve said, no sprogs. Shame, but there you go. One old fifty-something actually asked for a pregnancy test after a particularly heavy session. Silly cow, I told her that she was too fucking old to be up the duff but she kept going on and on. So, being Mr Reasonable I gave her a test. I said, ‘Are you dead?’ And she didn’t answer. I asked her again and still no answer. So I told her that she’d failed the test. Mind you, I’d have been surprised if she had answered because I’d strangled the bitch. I had to, just to stop the moan, moan, moan. You just can’t please some people however hard you try.

As I’m sure that you’ve guessed by now, I’m very intelligent, handsome and body-mass perfect. I train every day and watch what