Jon's Jail Journal

2012-02-20T03:28:00.001-08:00

Medical Issues (Part 9 by Lifer Renee)

Renee – Only a teenager, she received a 60-year sentence. Sixteen years later, Renee is writing from Perryville prison in Goodyear, Arizona, providing a rare and unique insight into a women's prison.

The Loratadine gave me no relief, so I went back to the doctor. He prescribed Cetirizine, another allergy medication. Two weeks of Cetirizine provided no relief either. My next step is nasal spray with steroids. I have to submit another HNR form to switch my medication. It takes six weeks from the time you submit a HNR to see the doctor. The next step after the nasal spray is grieving medical. I want a second opinion. I want to see an ear nose throat specialist. My right ear is throbbing as I write this.

Scabies of the hand

A photomicrograph of an itch mite (Sarcoptes scabiei).

I haven’t been outside much this last week as I’m scared to death of catching scabies, which is running rampant on the yard. The guards put yellow quarantine signs on doors. As if there is not enough going on! Prisoners are coming in affected with scabies from Maricopa County jail – just one more thing we can thank Sheriff Joe Arpaio for.

Click here for Medical Issues Part 8

Shaun Attwood

2012-02-16T05:54:00.000-08:00

Question Time

Charlie asked: any new news on the film or TV series?

Shaun: My literary agent just sent Party Time to various publishers. He's sending it directly to US publishers this time, and feels that Party Time is more likely to generate a movie deal than Hard Time because jail memoirs are so common these days. The TV producer I spoke to is in the process of changing companies, but he said he still definitely wants to do it. It usually takes me at least five years to get a big result in my chosen profession. I just entered my fifth year since my release from prison, and I can sense something big is near.

Click here for the previous Question Time

Click here to read a really touching piece written by my friend, Charlie, one of the most well-meaning ex-prisoners I've ever met: http://lifeafterhate.org/2012/01/the-art-of-forgiveness-part-1/

Shaun Attwood

2012-02-13T01:55:00.000-08:00

Medical Issues (Part 8 by Lifer Renee)

10.25am. Jewel popped her head up. “Renee they want you at medical right now.”

I jumped up, and darted for medical. I was third in line, but knew it would be a long wait. Amy and Tiffany were ahead of me. Sandra showed up a few moments later. Amy has a long list of medical problems. Tiffany was waiting for her results to see if she has breast cancer. Sandra was there for a post-surgery visit. I was waiting for lab results. We sat in the medical enclosure, anxiety rolling off us. I couldn’t sit still. I felt as though as I was going to crawl out of my skin.

One by one they called us in to take our vitals.

I went in, sat on a chair, had my blood pressure and temperature taken. I hopped on the weighing scale, deciding not to look.

“132 pounds.” The nurse said.

I looked at the scale in disbelief. A week and a half ago I was 122 pounds, but it was a different scale.

The nurse opened the door, and called my name.

I jumped up and walked into the doctor’s office, only slightly larger than one of our cells.

“Sit on the table,” someone said to me. There were four people: the provider, a nurse and two women I’ve never seen.

The provider read my HNR, and looked at my charts. “Oh, your lab results are back. Your thyroid is normal. White blood cell count is fine. No signs of infection. We tested you for several different types of infection, including mono.”

Why in the world would you test me for mono? was screaming through my head, but the words never fell from my lips.

“Your lab results really are beautiful.”

“Then why are my ears hurting and I have a sore throat and headaches?”

He looked dumbfounded.

“Just last week, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday my left ear hurt. Last time I was here you said I had a sinus infection. Since then I’ve taken the allergy tabs from the store, and still nothing.”

“That stuff really doesn’t work,” he said as he stood up. He grabbed a small light to look in my ears and nose. He checked my ears again.

“My right ear hurts right now.”

He examined it again.

“I do not see anything wrong. Your ear looks fine. I’m going to give you Loratadine once a day. It’s just allergies.”

I left medical again confused, and waiting for my new medication to arrive.

Click here for Medical Issues Part 7

Shaun Attwood

2012-02-10T00:57:00.000-08:00

T-Bone's Message to Students

Click here for T-Bone's letter - The Attack on T-Bone.

Click here for the Kindle ebook T-Bone. UK version. US version. Or download to your PC from Lulu.com. Proceeds going to help T-Bone.

Click here for Letter 15 from T-Bone

Click here to join the T-Bone Appreciation Society

Shaun Attwood

2012-02-08T02:35:00.000-08:00

2012-02-08T02:32:00.000-08:00

Schools Tour

Mutaz and Helena at

Liverpool Film Academy

De Vere Academy of Hospitality

Bradfield School, Reading

Back to Bishops's Stortford College where I did my first ever talk.

Highworth Grammar School, Ashford, Kent


Truro School, Cornwall, which took 6 hours to get to on a train.

Shaun Attwood

2012-02-05T09:41:00.000-08:00

Hard Time Reviews by Prisoners No. 6: Shane

Shane - Denied psychiatric medication by ValueOptions, Shane turned to illegal drugs financed by burglaries. For stealing a few hundred dollars worth of goods, he was sentenced to eleven years. Shane is the author of the blog Persevering Prison Pages.

Despite Hard Time being banned by the Arizona Department of Corrections for being a threat to the security of the institution, Shane managed to get his hands on a copy and risk writing this review.

The vivid reality of Hard Time made this book impossible to put down. From the time Tempe Police SWAT in black fatigues and body armour assaulted Shaun’s Scottsdale apartment until his sentence of imprisonment, I was enthralled with this book.

I’ve read dozens of books about being incarcerated. They’re a dime a dozen these days with millions of people locked up worldwide from all walks of life. Hard Time was different for me though.

Hard Time did an amazing job at showing the significant changes a person goes through physically, emotionally and mentally upon incarceration. Compounded by the draconian and inhumane conditions of confinement imposed on all who enter Joe Arpaio’s jails. Shaun’s roller-coaster ride of emotions were perfectly expressed throughout. As a writer myself, adequately expressing emotions has been difficult, but Shaun mastered it in Hard Time.

Taking responsibility for his crimes, Shaun’s regret and sorrow come across well without glamorizing drugs and crime as many books of this sort do.

Hard Time also showed how unbalanced the Arizona criminal justice system is. Despite all defendants being innocent until proven guilty, Shaun did a great job of showing how the cards are stacked against a defendant, and just how the prosecution and detectives will go to any length to “get their man.”

It’s scary to think how an innocent person could easily be arrested, charged and convicted of a crime they didn’t commit. Another reason the death penalty should be abolished.

Hard Time is a good read, however Shaun’s vivid description of his stay in Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office’s Towers jail and the maximum-security Madison Street jail brought back memories of my own stays there, which I’d managed to stow away deep in my brain.

Guilty of my crimes, I signed a plea-agreement for 10 years, waiving my rights as a defendant’s under the constitution, so I’d be moved out of Arpaio’s jail system within a week. I’d been in MCSO custody for little more than 3 months, waiting for my first trial. I felt I couldn’t withstand waiting any longer, a far cry from the 26 months Shaun endures in Hard Time.

Click here for the previous review in this series.

Click here for more info about Hard Time.

Hard Time on Facebook.

Shane’s blog Persevering Prison Pages.

Shaun Attwood

2012-02-02T02:24:00.000-08:00

Medical Issues (Part 7 by Lifer Renee)

Just as I hit the stairs a guard called mail call. My room mate brought me a copy of the recent HNR [Health Needs Request Form] I submitted. I hurried to open it. It said I was scheduled for the provider, but it did not say when. So once again, I was waiting. I needed some fresh air, so I threw on my headphones and hit the track.

Everyday for the last two weeks I’ve waited for Ms. G to say, “Oh, Renee, I was looking for you.” Tonight I wasn’t paying attention when I heard a light tap on the door. I opened it, and saw Ms G, about 4 foot 8, maybe 95 pounds, huge blue blocker sunglass covering three quarters of her face, baseball cap on. She looked like she should be baking her grandkids cookies not serving time in prison.

“Oh, Renee, I’m looking for you,” she said, smiling.

“You have providers line tomorrow at 1 pm. Can you sign for me?”

“You got it, tomorrow at 1.” I signed the medical paper and wrote the appointment time on my hand. I was instantly starting to panic. My stomach was flipping.

3.38 am. Sleep was futile. I tossed and turned, not because of the lumps in my mattress, or because of my hips grinding into the metal bunk, but because I am overwhelmed. I knew today was going to be a long day. I once read that with every breaking dawn there is a new chance at happiness.

I started my day off just the same as any other, feeling sick, having ear aches. Every morning with aches I go to work just the same. At work, I went through the motions in a haze. I could not help watching the clock, hoping for my medical appointment.

Click here for Medical Issues Part 6

Shaun Attwood

2012-01-30T04:10:00.001-08:00

Medical Issues (Part 6 by Lifer Renee)

I’m still going back and forth with Medical. Waiting is crazy. Not feeling well has effected everything. It is hard to get through my work days. If I do feel decent, I’m so exhausted. Most days, I have to make or force myself to do the things I need to do. My yoga has suffered greatly with how ill I’ve been feeling.

I was standing in the doorway of my cell when my friend, Jen, who teaches aerobics class, was walking up the staircase with a scale in her hand. I told myself, Don’t do it Renee, but I didn’t listen. I said, “Jen, I want to weigh myself.”

“Sure babe, come on,” she said, but the smile on her face said, Are you sure?

We went into the rec room. I stepped on the scale

“What the fuck!” slid out of my mouth.

“Babe, you lost six more pounds, you're 122.”

“I couldn’t have. I eat all day long!”

Some of the heavier women were staring as if I did not have a right to complain about losing weight.

I left the rec room a little manic, and saw my room mate. “I’ve lost six more pounds,” I stated, throwing my hands up in the air.

Click here for Medical Issues Part 5

Shaun Attwood

2012-01-25T09:15:00.001-08:00

T-Bone is Free (Letter 1)

T-Bone - Radiating power and strength, this deeply-spiritual massively-built African-American towers over most inmates. He is a prison gladiator with more stab wounds than Julius Caesar. A good man to have on your side.

My brother,

How goes it across the pond?

I am FREE! FREE! FREE!

As you know, one can’t explain the feeling. I’ve been cooking because it’s a passion of mine.

Tell all the young people and whoever is listening to be strong and at peace.

I started serving time before the internet was invented, so I need to learn how to go online. I have an iPad in the house.

I want to make plans for us to get together. I love you, man, and miss you.

L&R to the T-Bone Appreciation Society

Each One Teach One

Strength and Honor

Steel Embrace

T-Bone

Click here for Letter 15 from T-Bone

Click here to join the T-Bone Appreciation Society

T-Bone's Kindle ebook. UK version. US version. Or download to your PC from Lulu.com. Proceeds going to help T-Bone.

Shaun Attwood

2012-01-23T07:17:00.000-08:00

Ms. B (by Guest Blogger Big Jason)

Big Jason was incarcerated as a youth in Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s Durango jail and the Arizona Department of Corrections Adobe Mountain juvenile facility for assault, attempted burglary, and violation of probation.

The Adobe Mountain School had been making headlines with horrid conditions that led to health problems, suicide, riots, staff assaults and more. In order to comply with new regulations set forth by the state, the moving around of inmates and changing of staff took place. During this change, I was selected for the new honor cottage – for inmates who had maintained excellent behavior over an extended period of time with no write ups or disciplinary infractions. If you were lucky enough to be selected, you could expect to have good movies, pool tables, ping-pong, popcorn, more free time and one of the best parts to me, you got to wear your own clothes.

The new building wasn't ready for us to be moved into yet, so I had to pull a few days in another cottage while ours was having the finishing touches applied. My temporary home was called Laredo and had mostly kids a few years younger than me. To my surprise, I ended up bunking with a dude named Chris that I was in a group home with before being incarcerated. We got along at the group home and this was going to be a pretty good layover.

A few days passed and word came down from my case manager that more work had to be done to the new place and it would be at least two weeks before we could move. I figured it won’t be too hard a time since Chris and I were getting along well. An added bonus was that Laredo housed a beautiful staff member named Ms. B – a case manager for kids in the cottage. She and her friend Cyndi were both pretty and rumor had it that they were known to get it on with a few lucky guys. This kind of talk was usually the spawn of some inmates fantasy from boredom behind bars or at least I had thought it was.

We returned from the gym and a group of us took up a spot in one of the open areas by the cells. Chris and me were leaning up against table and shooting the shit with some bros when Ms. B walked up with her clipboard and asked, “Hey guys, what’s up?”. Unlike the guards, Ms. B was allowed to wear her own clothes that weren't state issued uniforms, allowing her to really shine amongst the drab background of life in the Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections. Her clothes were modern and fashionable. She wore little round sunglasses like John Lennon's that stood out against her pale complexion. Long curly hair adorned her face and bounced when she walked. Her perfume was a welcome relief to the standard smell of cleaning products and body odor that permeated the premises.

Taken back by Ms. B's presence, we all stammered and spoke up at the same time with the usual oh-nothing banter. Ms. B walked over in-between Chris and I, and pushed herself up onto the table to have a seat and talk with us. My hand had been out on the table to prop myself up and she took a seat right on it. I was shocked that she didn't immediately jump up as if to say “oops” or excuse herself from the area but she didn't. She started grinding on my hand as she talked to us like nothing deviant was going on. It was obvious she was doing this on purpose and the guys took notice. I felt really weird and at the same time I liked it. It made me feel like I was important and boosted my ego in front of my comrades. After a few minutes, she got up and left and went on about her day as if nothing had happened. We all looked at each other and began whispering. The guys kept saying how lucky I was and how they couldn't believe she just did that. I was hoping jealousy wouldn't ruin a good thing by having one of these dudes snitch her out because they weren't getting any play.

I hoped it would be an ongoing thing – a repeat performance to feed the beast she had awakened within me. During a count, she was walking by the lined-up inmates and someone yelled, “Bitch!” With a flustered face, she immediately turned around and scanned the crowd. “Who said it?” she yelled with a furious look. A few of the Hispanic kids that I didn't talk to chimed in with, “It’s that white guy, Jason.” She turned and looked at me, and told me to separate from the line and prepare to roll up for GULF. I was pissed. GULF was the isolation unit used to punish inmates beyond the normal 24 hour lock-down.

I protested but again like many times before when I had a gripe or complaint, my words fell on deaf ears. There was no arguing or it would only make things worse. You could end being beaten by the guards and have charges brought against you for whatever they decided to say you did. I have witnessed this happen to other kids and wasn't about to let them do me like that. The C.O.'s from GULF arrived and cuffed me. I was placed on the back of a golf cart and driven away to the isolation unit for a few days of “the hole.” How this would effect my honor cottage status I had no idea. I wouldn't be seeing my case worker until I got out. My rage was being suppressed by my desire to not make things worse than they already appeared to be. In the back of my mind the only thing I thought about was getting out and running a shank up in those lying punks who caused this. Why they targeted me I was unsure. Perhaps they thought I was stealing their thunder in the cottage and because I didn't kiss their asses like a lot of the white kids did, they didn't like me. Guess I wasn't expecting this from them.

After two days at GULF, I was released back to the cottage and informed that I was not to engage with the Hispanics. It was also made clear that I should be on my best behavior as the honor cottage deal was still going through. Happy to be out of the hole, I brought my stuff back into my cell where Chris was anxiously awaiting my arrival. I told him about what they said and he agreed I should play it cool. I could have easily smashed those punks, and the thought did cross my mind, but I had to behave to get to my new home with its rewards.

My repressed anger got the best of me again and after a day or so of steaming, I decided I would walk over to the Hispanics section and confront them. I was hoping to punk them and embarrass them for causing me to go to the hole. I knew none of them would stand to up to me, and this would give me the opportunity for some action without creating a huge scene. On the way over to their side, I passed by some cells and something caught my eye. I looked over to the left and saw two guys naked with only towels on, engaged in a mutual sex act. I'm unsure what I said but it brought the attention of other inmates and now there was a scene. A crowd formed outside the cell to see what the commotion was and bust the balls of the embarrassed lovers. Staff took notice and called for a lock-down to investigate the incident. So much for my plans.

Click here for Big Jason’s previous blog:Wearing a Snitch Jacket

Shaun Attwood

2012-01-20T10:34:00.000-08:00

Student Email

This has got to be one of the nicest emails I've ever received from a student:

Hi Shaun,

You came to my school today to talk to us about drugs, and yeah like you said, I think just about everybody was expecting a boring assembly where they tell us about drugs and why we should stay off them. But today completely shocked just about everyone in the room, and moved them. I think you are amazing to come back from what you went through and what youre doing, in my opinion, really makes young people like me think twice about doing and getting involved in drugs.
Thank you for sharing your story with us, it cant be easy to remember such a hard time in your life, but I think your story really does change the way we think of drugs and exposes us to the horrible consequences of getting involved with them.
Once again, thank you.

Yours sincerely,

Jasmine Sherwood
-Steyning Grammar School

It's feedback like this that keeps me doing the talks. Thanks so much, Jasmine.

Shaun Attwood

2012-01-20T08:17:00.000-08:00

Schools Tour

Another week of nonstop talks to schools. Here are pics of all of the students who assisted.

Tring School, Herts

Steyning Grammar School, West Sussex

The Elizabeth Woodville School, Northampton

Shaun Attwood

2012-01-17T02:29:00.000-08:00

From Polish Avenger (Letter 5)

Polish Avenger - A software-engineering undergraduate sentenced to 25 years because his friend was shot dead during a burglary they were both committing. Author of the classic "Shit Slinger" series.

Bloody Plonk,

“’Ello there, you git!” Yes, believe it or not, it’s me at long last. As usual I’m sorry for the long silence. The conditions were I was housed were (are) very oppressive to even the basic functions of life, let alone creative endeavors like writing or painting. Now, granted, that’s not a very good excuse, but dude… that unit was literally the most soul-corroding time I’ve done since good ol’ Hotel Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

And so it is with great and happy joy that I am writing this to you from the rarefied air of minimum security! Yay! Yes, the guards came right out of the blue and insisted I come over here. I had no idea I was even eligible. Geez, the difference is just astronomical. It is so much better over here. It took a week or so to get the stress out of my body, and another to get the stink out of my clothes. And now it’s back to feeling human again, and not like neglected/abused cattle. They hired me almost immediately to do fine art on flagstone and canvas, and thus I’ve been experiencing a personal renaissance in paint. Not to mention, I can have real pro-quality equipment and not the Crayola kindergarten crap I’ve been painting with the last 8 years, which is a very happy turn of events, I consider myself fortunate to be here.

Fellow bloggers and Hard Time alumni Otis and Shane were here also. I say were as Shane got transferred for unknown troublemakery and of course took Hard Time with him as I had finished it, and it was his turn to read it. Otis also sends his love.

All right, Duke of Plonkington, I’ll get this happy news away to you. Eventually, when I get more settled, I’ll get to posting again.

Luv,

The Polish Avenger

Click here for Shit Slingers V.
Click here for Letter 4 from Polish Avenger.

Our friends inside appreciate your comments.

Shaun Attwood

2012-01-16T04:04:00.000-08:00

Schools Tour

I just got back from a one-week 600-mile tour of English schools that took me as far north as Sheffield and as far south as Dorset.

With medical students who stayed behind after the talk and asked loads of questions, North Nottinghamshire College

Kingswood School, Bath

Bryanston School, Dorset

Shaun Attwood

2012-01-10T02:27:00.001-08:00

From Warrior (Letter 13)

Warrior - Serving 14 years for kidnapping and aggravated assault. Half Hispanic and Scottish-Irish with family still in Mexico. Brought up by a family steeped in drug commerce. He writes some of the best prison-fight stories on the Internet.

Shaun,

Keep doing your thing, bro. You mentioned in your letter about someone asking you why you do what you do. Because it’s the right thing to do. How many people can say with honesty in their hearts that they do the right thing and it changes lives? Who can say that they truly live by what they believe and are not just saying words to look good, attract a mate, or hold onto a job? Very few, bro. Next time someone asks you why you do what you do tell them it’s because you understand what it means to be a human being and act like one. I’d give up riches to live in poverty if I’m fortunate enough to change lives for the better. That is what life is about, allowing and aiding every soul to become the best possible version of itself.

Much Love, bro,

Warrior

Click here for Letter 12

Click here for Warrior's blog about an undiscovered dead body of a prisoner.

Links to more prison stories by Warrior:
Warrior v Big E.
Rapist on the Yard
Bucket of Blood
Central Unit

Shaun Attwood

2012-01-08T05:03:00.000-08:00

My brother, the Brit in a US jail (by Karen Attwood)
.

My sister Karen recently had this article published. Click here for the original on page 4 of The Record. Click here for Karen's ebook, English Shaun.

My family’s ordeal began in May 2002, with a phone call from my Aunt Ann, who lived in Arizona, usa. She called to tell my mother that my older brother, shaun, had been arrested. Shaun and I come from an ordinary, loving home in Cheshire. But at the age of 21, Shaun was eager to spread his wings and he followed other members of the family by emigrating to the states. For many years he enjoyed a successful career as a stockbroker and our parents had been proud of his achievements. But he had been living a double life.

He had been involved in organizing drugs sales at the raves he ran around Phoenix. His criminal activity finally caught up with him and led to a swat team knocking down his door in a dawn raid. After his arrest Shaun spent two years on remand in some of the toughest jails in America. This was a horrendous time for my family stuck on the other side of the Atlantic. At first my parents didn’t tell any of their friends as, despite the fact they had brought Shaun up well, my mother was consumed with guilt and they both felt deeply ashamed. My parents used up their life savings to get Shaun a lawyer and we flew several times a year to visit him in jail. We are used to hearing stories of life

Inside prisons but rarely do we hear what it is like for the families. Yet family members and loved ones serve the sentence alongside the prisoner and the impact of an arrest is devastating for everyone. After a local Phoenix newspaper ran a sensational article painting shaun as a vampire-like gangster, my mother had a nervous breakdown. My father started to have panic attacks. I was full of conflicting emotions. I was angry with my brother for being so stupid and selfish but I also loved him and wanted him to be safe. I had nightmares of terrible things happening to him while inside. Eventually we told all our friends and neighbours and everyone was incredibly supportive, many writing letters to the judge about Shaun’s previous good character. In 2004, two dozen friends and family members gathered in an Arizonan court room where Shaun was to be sentenced after pleading guilty to drugs offences. Both of my parents, my two aunts and I, all spoke in mitigation, pleading with the judge to be lenient. This was the most stressful day of all of our lives. Shaun was sentenced to almost 10 years but he came out after five and three quarter years. My parents and I were there once more to welcome him back to the uk where he has - slowly but surely - rebuilt his life.

Karen Attwood is a freelance journalist and has written a book about her experience, details of which can be found on the english shaun Facebook page. Shaun’s book Hard Time is also out now.

2012-01-06T08:52:00.000-08:00

T-Bone is Free!

T-Bone was released on Dec 30th. The pic shows him in his "prison blues" - release clothes. He has finished his sentence and has no parole. If you want to send him a greeting, please post it in the comments below.

Click here for Letter 15 from T-Bone

Click here to join the T-Bone Appreciation Society

T-Bone's Kindle ebook. UK version. US version. Or download to your PC from Lulu.com. All proceeds going to help T-Bone.

Shaun Attwood

2012-01-04T02:36:00.001-08:00

From Warrior (Letter 12)

Warrior - Serving 14 years for kidnapping and aggravated assault. Half Hispanic and Scottish-Irish with family still in Mexico. Brought up by a family steeped in drug commerce. He writes some of the best prison-fight stories on the Internet.

I’m on a Level 3 yard now, dorms and stuff. It’s fast-paced, always fights popping off, reminds me of my old neighborhood. The irony I find is that the lower the custody level, the more freedom, but the pace is faster as though we are preparing for freedom.

I’ve realized two major realities: you learn who really cares about you when you are in prison or sick. There’s no rest in prison for the weary, old or sick. In here, predators are constantly looking for prey, and those who were once prey are trying to become predators. Given that I’m ill and have lost weight, I’m in a weaker spot than I’m accustomed to. Fortunately, even though I lack strength and size now, I’ve got skills and technique to put a predator on his ass. I already had to knock two predators down, and I had to do it quick, too. Can’t let the rest of the predators smell or recognise the wounded or ill in me.

Clickhere for letter 11 from Warrior

Click here for Warrior's previous blog about an undiscovered dead body of a prisoner.

Links to more prison stories by Warrior:
Warrior v Big E.
Rapist on the Yard
Bucket of Blood
Central Unit

Shaun Attwood

2012-01-03T06:33:00.000-08:00

My First Media Story in 2012

My jail horror in US prison Click here for the original

Published on Tuesday 3 January 2012 14:04

When a SWAT team broke down the door of Shaun Attwood’s American home and arrested him for drug offences, he couldn’t deny the accusations against him.

He had been living a party lifestyle, organising raves, taking drugs himself and getting other people to sell them for him.

But although he was willing to hold his hands up and admit his mistakes, he had no idea how gruelling his punishment would be.

Shaun ended up in Maricopa County Jail, the prison with the highest death rate in America, in such unimaginably appalling conditions he came close to a nervous breakdown.

He had a cell mate who put a padlock in a sock and threatened to smash his brains out with it while he slept.

He heard prisoners’ heads being smashed against toilet bowls by other inmates, and each night had to suffer cockroaches crawling all over him.

Shaun, 43, said: “There are various gangs divided on race lines. I was approached by the white gang, called the Aryan Brotherhood, and asked what my charges were. If you are in for paedophile crimes, or offences against women or children then you are KOS - Kill on Sight.”

“I saw prisoners being stretchered out with horrific head injuries.”

Once when his family were coming to visit, Shaun was beaten up by a gang member.

“You have to fight back and try to defend yourself. If you don’t fight back then they all pile in,” he said. Shaun spent nearly six years in prison, including time in maximum security after his bail was raised to $1.5m.

“Lock down was 8pm and lights out was 10pm. Just before the lights went out you could see the cockroaches getting ready to come out and as soon as it went dark they swarmed all over the cell.”

“You could wrap yourself up in your sheet like a mummy, with just a breathing hole left for your mouth, but it was 50c heat and so hot that you ended up having to throw the sheet off and just let them crawl all over you. They didn’t bite but they go into your ears as well to get the wax.”

“The heat gave everyone skin infections as well and people would have sores full of pus.”

Shaun was unable to sleep at night and was near to a nervous breakdown when he was put on sleeping tablets.

He told his incredible story to around 400 students aged 16 to 18 at Worksop’s North Notts College.

Friendly and well-dressed, Shaun believes that not looking like a sterotypical ex-con helps teenagers to relate to him.

“I was a model student at school. I went to sixth form and then to Liverpool University where I graduated in business studies.”

“I think they can see that if this could happen to me, it could happen to them if they start getting involved in drugs.”

Shaun, originally from Widnes in Cheshire, moved to Phoenix, Arizona, in 1990 after graduating. He had two aunties living there and was intoxicated at first by the lifestyle.

“I got a job as a stock broker and for the first two years worked really hard and lived on cheese on toast and bananas. But then I started making a lot of money, hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, and became a millionaire during the dot com bubble of 1999.”

“I had been taking recreational drugs since getting involved in raves in Manchester in 1989. It was part of the stock market lifestyle in America, people took stuff at their desks.”

Shaun says the prison experience has changed his life completely.

“When I was in prison my sister gave me a book on yoga and I got into meditation, which helped me. I was very lucky to have the support of my family and my biggest regret is what I put them through.”

“I did 119 talks last academic year, all over the country, and I’ll be doing more this year. I’m hoping to improve my karma by doing something good.”

“Teachers have told me that the hardest to reach students are the ones who stay behind to ask me questions and I had an email from a student who said she had been dabbling in drugs but had given up after hearing my talk.”

Shaun wrote a prison blog called Jon’s Jail Journal, which put the spotlight on conditions within the jail, and has also written a book called Hard Time.

Angela Adams, head of students services at the college, booked Shaun to speak. She said: “You would have to have your head in the sand to think that no teenagers are dabbling in drugs in Worksop and this talk is part of a series on being safe.”

Click here for info on my talk to schools on drugs and prison

2012-01-01T05:05:00.000-08:00

Happy 2012!

Under doctor's orders to rest my vocal chords, I stayed in last night for the first time ever on NYE (excluding my prison time). I ended up watching an interview on YouTube with Richard 'the Ice Man' Kuklinski, a Mafia mass killer, responsible for over 200 murders, and considered to be one of the most dangerous prisoners ever. Kuklinski was also Sammy 'the Bull' Gravano's partner in the killing of Paul Castellano. Sammy the Bull was my Ecstasy-ring rival in Arizona. Really dark stuff:

Shaun Attwood

2011-12-27T13:04:00.000-08:00

Home

Finally made it home after 15 days on the road. So nice to be in my own bed and able to lie down and do nothing other than read and eat partially melted chocolate truffles that I left too close to the radiator while I went to BodyCombat class that taste even better in their gooey condition but have turned my fingers brown. Nothing to do other than catch up on emails – at least until the talks start again in 2 weeks time and I set off on a loop around England that includes London and Sheffield and Dorset. Nothing to worry about other than my MOT (Ministry of Transport Test), which I may brave tomorrow if I wake up in the mood required to take on mechanics.

Shaun Attwood

2011-12-25T04:15:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Keeping within the Christmas spirit, here is a conversation I had in prison with Two Tonys, an Italian Mafia mass murderer of gangsters, about his Christmas and Positive Mental Attitude:

http://jonsjailjournal.blogspot.com/2007/02/28-dec-06-christmas-spirit-of-two-tonys.html

After 8 back-to-back book signings, I slept for 10 1/2 hours last night, so got a day of rest before driving to my sister's for Boxing Day dinner tomorrow, a day of rest that includes visiting Wild Man's house tonight, where anything can happen...

Previous Xmas Posts:

2009 in Germany
2008 Xmas Holidays in a Women’s Prison
2007 in England shortly after my release
My release December 2007 part 1
My release December 2007 part 2
2006 Xmas with Two Tonys
2006 Xmas Day Blog
2005 Xmas visits from my parents
A Christmas Eve poem from an anonymous inmate

Thanks for supporting Jon's Jail Journal and our friends inside!

Shaun Attwood

2011-12-24T11:13:00.000-08:00

Manchester Waterstone's Signing

Thanks to my sales team, we sold 148 copies of Hard Time today at the Trafford Centre, setting a new record.

With my cousin, Sadie, and her boyfriend, Nick.

Wild John moonwalking across Waterstone's/

With manager, Matt.

With Dennis the Chemist.

Click here for the previous signing blog

Shaun Attwood

2011-12-23T11:43:00.000-08:00

Birkenhead Waterstone's Signing

We sold 100 copies of Hard Time today in Birkenhead, which has the liveliest characters out of all of the Waterstone's we've visited, and the highest proportion who admit to having been in prison. Time went fast talking to such friendly witty people.

My brain is frazzled from seven back-to-back all day signings. One more left tomorrow: Trafford Centre, Manchester.

Click here for the previous signing blog

Shaun Attwood

2011-12-23T11:31:00.000-08:00

Wigan Waterstone's Signing

We sold 140 copies of Hard Time in Wigan, stealing the record established at the Trafford Centre last Saturday of 125 copies. Now the Trafford centre want the record back, and we are there on Christmas Eve.

Click here for the previous signing blog.

Shaun Attwood

2011-12-21T12:35:00.000-08:00

Latino War Veteran Murdered by Sheriff Joe Arpaio's Guards

More senseless murder in Arpaio's jail system:

After being kept alive for days following a fight with guards, a Latino military veteran died late Tuesday when he was taken off life support by doctors at a Phoenix hospital.

Ernest “Marty” Atencio was 44. He was injured early Friday morning, just hours after the Justice Department accused the Arizona sheriff of running an agency that regularly violates the rights of Latinos.

“His entire family was by his bedside when he passed,” the family’s attorney, Mike Manning, said. His parents, two brothers and three sons were there to make the decision.

Atencio had been taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in critical condition with injuries from the fight. Doctors later determined he had been shocked at least four times with a Taser, according to Manning.

Earlier on Tuesday, Manning said Atencio was brain dead and his family had flown to Phoenix to decide whether to take him off life support.

Phoenix police arrested Atencio after he was seen kicking on the door of an apartment and then harassing a woman walking down the street. Manning said Atencio suffered from bipolar disorder and had been off his medication.

Phoenix officers processed him and took him to the Maricopa County jail for holding. At the jail, however, Atencio began struggling with officers from both Phoenix and Maricopa County law enforcement, according to statements by both agencies.

Neither agency has detailed exactly what happened during the struggle. The sheriff’s office has yet to release a video of the incident to Phoenix police, Atencio’s family or the public.

2011-12-21T11:44:00.000-08:00

Chester Waterstone's Signing

Tomorrow we are in Wigan where we set a new sales record last year of 99 copies. Thursday December 22nd, 2011 - Waterstone's, 6 The Grand Arcade, Wigan, WN1 1BH (01942 497 095) from 11am until 4pm.

Click here for the previous signing blog

Shaun Attwood

2011-12-20T10:57:00.000-08:00

Wilmslow Waterstone's Signing

Pic of the day: Gab choking Dean

People of all ages read Hard Time: this man is 93 years old.

The joy of cockroch hand-stamping.

Tomorrow we are at Chester Waterstone's: Wednesday December 21st, 2011 - Waterstone's, 14 Eastgate Row, Chester, CH1 1LF (01244 345 066) from 11am until 4pm.

Click here for the previous signing blog

Shaun Attwood

2011-12-19T10:41:00.000-08:00

Warrington Waterstone's Signing

Thanks to my team of helpers in jail outfits, today's signing in Warrington sold out all 100 copies.

With Nick from Warrington who popped in to say hello, and kindly helped with the sales.

Cockroach hand-stamping

Click here for the previous signing blog

Tomorrow we are at Waterstone's in Wilmslow: Tuesday December 20th, 2011 - Waterstone's, 29 Grove Street, Wilmslow, Cheshire (0843 290 8685) from 11am until 4pm.

Shaun Attwood

2011-12-18T10:39:00.000-08:00

Liverpool One Waterstone's Signing

Mum restraining Wild John.

A big thank you to everyone who helped and attended the Liverpool One signing today. We sold 100 copies. Again, I had barely any voice, but with Wild John unleashed on the friendly Scousers, sales racked up and up and up... The mechanical cockroach resurfaced at today's signing. Can you spot it in the picture? Click on the pic to make it big.

Tomorrow (Monday Dec 19th) we are at Waterstone's in Warrington.

Click here for the previous signing blog

Shaun Attwood

2011-12-17T12:18:00.000-08:00

Manchester Waterstone's Trafford Centre Signing

Hardly able to speak and with Mum having a day of rest, I still managed to sell 125 copies of Hard Time today - my highest sale ever - thanks to the help of the five wonderful people in the pic above: Gab, Emily, Natalie, Iain, Lydia.

Click here for the previous book signing blog

Tomorrow's (Sunday Dec 18th) signing is at Waterstone's, Liverpool One. Click here for more info.

Shaun Attwood

2011-12-16T04:25:00.000-08:00

Eight Xmas Waterstone's Book Signings in the Northwest

Anyone who wants to help Mum and I smash our existing sales record is welcome to show up at any of the signings, hand flyers out, and dress as a prisoner. Six people are helping at the Trafford Centre, where we hope to sell 200 copies tomorrow.

Manchester Trafford Centre: Saturday December 17th, 2011 - Waterstone's, Trafford Centre, Barton Dock Road, Manchester, M17 8AA (0161 749 8623) from 11am until 4pm.

Liverpool 1: Sunday December 18th, 2011 - Waterstone's, 12 College Lane, Liverpool, L1 3DL (0151 709 9820) from 11am until 5pm.

Warrington: Monday December 19th, 2011 - Waterstone's, 23-24 Golden Square Shopping Centre, Warrington, WA1 1QE (01925 658 484) from 11am until 4pm.

Wilmslow: Tuesday December 20th, 2011 - Waterstone's, 29 Grove Street, Wilmslow, Cheshire (0843 290 8685) from 11am until 4pm.

Chester: Wednesday December 21st, 2011 - Waterstone's, 14 Eastgate Row, Chester, CH1 1LF (01244 345 066) from 11am until 4pm.

Wigan: Thursday December 22nd, 2011 - Waterstone's, 6 The Grand Arcade, Wigan, WN1 1BH (01942 497 095) from 11am until 4pm.

Birkenhead: Friday December 23rd, 2011 - Waterstone's, 188-192 Grange Road, Birkenhead, CH41 6EA (0843 290 8147) from 11am until 4pm.

Manchester Trafford Centre: Saturday December 24th, 2011 - Waterstone's, Trafford Centre, Barton Dock Road, Manchester, M17 8AA (0161 749 8623) from 11am until 4pm.

Shaun Attwood

2011-12-16T04:11:00.000-08:00

North Nottinghamshire College Visit

I only managed to do three out of six talks at NNC before I completely lost my voice, and had to cancel all of my remaining school engagements this week. The staff at NNC in Worksop were some of the friendliest I've ever encountered, and I enjoyed the special atmosphere at the school.

Tom and Anna assisted by reading during all three talks. Tom's American accent was superb.

Shaun Attwood

2011-12-15T02:53:00.000-08:00

Help demand the Resignation of Sheriff Joe Arpaio
How can America champion human rights when the beast called Arpaio is at large in America's back yard?

Click here to sign the petition!

Shaun Attwood

2011-12-12T05:20:00.000-08:00

Xmas Message From T-Bone

Peace to all of the young women and men who have joined the T-Bone Appreciation Society on Facebook, and have posted good wishes to me and asked questions on my wall. All of your messages have been read and appreciated.

We are about to start a new year, so let’s never forget that life is what you make it. It’s a matter of choice, so let’s start by doing things that help others and by thinking in a positive constructive manner. Stop someone if you see them bullying another, speak up, don’t be afraid. We can make the world a better place for all of us. Things like drugs, rape and child molestation need to be stopped.

I feel so good reading your messages, knowing there are so many young, strong, good-hearted and intelligent people out there who want to make a difference. So keep making a difference in your community and schools. Keep saying no to drugs! Peace to you all, God bless you, and Merry Christmas!

Strength and Honor

Steel Embrace

Each One – Teach One

T-Bone

Click here for Letter 15 from T-Bone

Click here to join the T-Bone Appreciation Society

T-Bone's Kindle ebook. UK version. US version. Or download to your PC from Lulu.com. All proceeds going to help T-Bone in prison.

Shaun Attwood

2011-12-09T12:33:00.000-08:00

TV (Part 2)

Just got back from London. The interview lasted for over an hour and could not have gone any better. They are enthusiastic to proceed and want to meet again in January. They also want to meet my sister, Karen, to get the family perspective. The exact nature of the TV show has not been decided, but they want my jail experience and how I’m helping young people now to be a part of it. Looks like 2012 is going to start out well.

Click here for Part 1

Shaun Attwood

2011-12-08T12:58:00.000-08:00

TV

Got an interview tomorrow with a chance of being in a TV series. Will it be my big break? I've learnt not to get my hopes up, but it would be nice getting prisoners stories to much bigger audiences.

Shaun Attwood

2011-12-07T13:22:00.000-08:00

Student Review of My Talk (by Lydia Rainford)

Shaun Attwood came to The Oldham College on the Thursday 3rd of November and Friday 4th of November and presented a talk about his life before he was inside Arizona’s toughest prison, whilst he was inside the prison and what it is like and also about how it has affected his life.

Whilst in the talk we learned about how the prison is in the control of the “gangs” rather than the guards. It was also brought to the attention to audiences what the “gang” members also did to the other inmates. The majority of incidents often lead to many fights and even deaths in the prison. He told us about all different events that he had witnessed and the violence he saw.

Lydia is next to me in the above pic.

Shaun also mentioned about the conditions that was surrounding him and the other inmates in the prison. This involved Cockroaches that “flooded” the room whilst you slept and the spiders that bite the inmates and the treatments that involved squeezing the wound until all the “puss” had left them and then that they placed salt onto the bite to reduce the bacteria as it is the prisons policy not to treat insect bites. During the talk Shaun also mentioned the reality of what happens to young members that enter an adult prison for the first time, and how the media portray that they are going to be going into the prison and be having fun and relaxing. When the reality is that they are more than likely to be robbed, raped, abused and be stabbed by the handmade knifes called “shanks” that the inmates make at night.

Shaun also mentioned other inmates and how he got their stories out of the prison and onto the internet. He also mentioned that because of this that he had a lot of protection around the prison. This was because that he was their only contact to the outside world. One of the prisoners he mentioned was called T-Bone. T-Bone protects the young inmates that look like they are going to be raped because as I have mentioned they are an “easy target”.

In conclusion I think that Shaun’s talk to the college makes you think about the choices you make and what could happen to you if you make the wrong choices in life. I think that students learned; the realities of drugs and prison against their glamorisation, the consequences of choosing drugs and a high-risk lifestyle, the realities of being a prisoner, and the future consequences of the choices they make now. I also think that Shaun’s talk was very eye opening because the realities that we were being told about his time in the prison were unbelievable. The talk was also graphic with the images he was showing and the stories that he was telling were very strong and powerful images. Since Shaun had short intervals with students from the college reading parts of his book had people wanting to read the book “Hard Time” as you wanted to read more about his experience.

2011-12-05T10:20:00.000-08:00

Guildford Book Signing This Tuesday and Wednesday Dec 6th/7th

Waterstone's, 71-73 High Street, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 3DY 11am - 4pm.
Click here for the Xmas week signings in the northwest

Shaun Attwood

2011-12-04T12:32:00.000-08:00

Terminating Sheriff Joe Arpaio

Petition to demand the termination of Joe Arpaio. To demand that U.S. Attorney Dennis Burk bring federal criminal charges against Sheriff Joe Arpaio for $100 million illegally misspent funds, abuse of power and corruption.

Click here if you want to sign the petition.

2011-12-04T12:11:00.000-08:00

Sir Roger Manwood's School (Sandwich, Near Dover) Visit

Shaun Attwood

2011-12-04T12:07:00.000-08:00

Beechwood Sacred Heart School (Tunbridge Wells) Visit

Shaun Attwood

2011-12-04T12:03:00.000-08:00

Winchmore School (Enfield) Visit

Shaun Attwood

2011-12-04T11:59:00.000-08:00

Forest School (Horsham) Visit

Shaun Attwood

2011-11-30T02:27:00.000-08:00

Question Time

Liam: You came to our school recently, Rivington and Blackrod High school, I would like to take this opportunity to say, thank you for coming into my school. I found your story about life in prison interesting, it's hard to believe prison life is so bad, with the parasites and gangs, how did you manage to cope with it?

Early on in the jail before the blog started, I was with lots of people who were arrested with me, including my big friend from my hometown, Wild Man, who the gangs respected for his fighting skills. So he looked out for me. We were classified as independent, so we didn’t have to join the gang, but we had to play along with the gang rules. I was split from my codefendants after the first year, so then I had to rely on my people skills, Englishness, education etc. Then writing blogs about other prisoners enabled me to make some powerful alliances, including with Two Tonys, a Mafia mass murderer, and the mighty T-Bone.

Liam: How is T-Bone? I joined the group for him on Facebook which lead me to your blog.

T-Bone gets out soon. Here is his latest letter.

Liam: I have been reading some of your blog, and find it disturbing that someone could perform murder or rape even when they are in prison, especially gangs such as Aryan Brotherhood, ordered to murder even if they had a small sentence for what? a longer life in prison?

A lot of them are already serving life, so unless they get the death penalty, murdering someone is no big deal to them. They have many ways to not get caught for example giving someone a “hot shot” – shooting someone up with a heroin overdose, so it looks like a junkie OD’d. Video of Aryan Brother murdering an inmate in Arpaio's jail.

Liam: I think it's useful that you have been talking to other schools and find that the talk was helpful and even made me and my friends think about our actions. I used to be the "bad boy" of our year, however I went through punishments and anger classes etc which helped me to think about my actions, kind of like a mental prison, and I am interested in finding out more about your prison life. Your book "Hard Time" is there anywhere to get this book?

Hard Time is available in Waterstone’s bookstores across the UK, or click here for the Amazon link.

Liam: And for you, what was the worst thing about prison, and what was the most horrific thing about it?

The violence and the cockroaches crawling on me at night. One of the first guys I saw get smashed ended up looking dead with yellow fluid leaking from his head. Brain fluid.

Liam: Also when you told us the police took away your money, I thought that was pathetic, you was in prison for dealing drugs right?

Yes, but I broke the law, so I accept all of the consequences, including losing my assets.

I hope your doing well in life, and your family.

Many regards,

Liam

Click here for the previous Question Time

Shaun Attwood

2011-11-27T11:31:00.000-08:00

Question Time with T-Bone

· Rhys Tubuscus Richardson

What are thinking about doing when u get out?

· Tom Hart

What do you plan to do when you get out?

T-Bone answered:

I am going to work, continue my education in O.H.S.A. (Occupational Health and Safety Act), continue working out, spreading the good news and have a decent healthy relationship. I will come to Europe one day, and hopefully be able to speak to the same enthusiastic open-minded intelligent young people with Shaun. Further out, I hope with Shaun that we can turn my life story into a movie.

Click here for Letter 15 from T-Bone

Shaun Attwood

2011-11-23T02:46:00.000-08:00

Question Time

Tom asked: I was wondering now that you’re out of prison, what are you going to try and become or do you think that it will lead to something bad again? What are some of your other ambitions you want to do now that you are out of jail?

My response: My ambitions are to keep telling my story to young people in the hope they don’t make the same mistakes I did, and to make people worldwide more aware of what is going on in Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s jail via my blog and book. Mike Stauffer, the man running against Sheriff Joe, has read my book and is disgusted by the conditions. He told me on webcam that if he gets elected, he will make positive changes in the jail. Like I mentioned in the talk at your school, I still hear the wolves howling for me to come out and party, but I channel my energy into positive activity now such as karate, yoga, BodyCombat… so I don’t see my life becoming bad again.

Matthew asked: is what you said in the talk actually what happens in jail and the conditions, are they that bad?

Yes, they are. And that’s all I could fit in the one-hour talk. Click here for a website that tracks the deaths at Arpaio's jail.

Here's a video of an Aryan Brother murdering another inmate at Arpaio's jail: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSOKgLrlAeg&feature=related

Click here for the previous Question Time

Shaun Attwood

2011-11-22T10:25:00.000-08:00

Rivington and Blackrod High School‏ (Bolton) Visit

Today, I did four talks in Bolton, with almost 100 students in each group. The talks came about thanks to Shivani (pictured below) who bought Hard Time at a Manchester Trafford Centre book signing earlier this year. She liked the book so much she urged her teachers to have me tell my story there. Thanks, Shivani!

Shaun Attwood

2011-11-22T10:13:00.000-08:00

Sedbergh School Visit

Last night, I drove to Sedbergh School in Cumbria, 1 1/2 hours north of my parents' house, a boarding school founded in 1525 by Roger Lupton, the Provost of Eaton College, nestled into the Howgill Fells. The rain and mist increased as I squinted my way along ascending winding roads, making the final approach feel as if I were visiting a mountainous Transylvanian castle. Pictured are Brice and Poon, my two great readers.

Shaun Attwood

2011-11-20T08:55:00.000-08:00

Manchester Waterstone's Trafford Centre Book Signing

Thanks to the help of Mum, Emily and "Wild John" we had our second best signing ever yesterday, selling 100 copies of Hard Time. The Christmas shoppers were out en masse. Today, I almost have no voice, and Mum's back is hurting from prolonged standing up. I just hope my voice holds up for the 8 back-to-back signings leading up to Christmas Day, otherwise my public speaking career will have be put on hold.

Emily, the newest addition to the Hard Time team, is a student who emailed to say she loved the book, and lives right around the corner from my parents' house. Even though Mum kept insisting Emily take a break, she didn't take any at all, nor did handing out flyers faze her in the slightest. At the end of the day, she said she wasn't tired and would have been happy staying even longer. Combining human confidence and charm with the stamina of a robot, Emily is a sales machine. She has kindly agreed to help at the Christmas signings.

"Wild John" is a teacher at Oldham College where I spoke two weeks ago. He assisted at the Oldham signing, which sold out (40 copies) much to the amazement of the staff who said it was one of the lowest footfall stores in the UK and originally only wanted to get 20 copies in. He is a natural at sales, talking to everyone. He really stood out in the jumpsuit, and his presence allowed my poor overworked mother who was on the verge of keeling over in the shop entrance to take a break.

Sarah (next to me in the above pic) already owns Hard Time. Spotting me, she rushed into the store to buy a second copy on the grounds that her original copy is unsigned. Bless her!

With Kernel, a Manchester business owner.

A big thank you to everyone who assisted at the signing and bought the book and the Waterstone's staff! Anyone who wants to dress up in jail outfits and accost random Christmas shoppers with us at the Chrismas signings please email me at attwood.shaun@hotmail.co.uk Competition is already brewing between the Liverpool and Manchester Waterstone's, the highest footfall branches in the region. The Events Manager at L1, Adam, has ordered 130 copies of Hard Time, aiming to steal the record set in Manchester over Father's Day Weekend, 122 copies. Upon disclosing this to Matt, the manager at the Trafford Centre, his eyes turned big and he said Liverpool has no chance of beating what we'll sell in Manchester before Christmas. To Matt, I pledged to stay all day in an attempt to sell 200 copies.

Click here for the previous signing blog (Oldham)

Click here for upcoming signings. The next: Guildford on December 6th and 7th.

Shaun Attwood

2011-11-20T07:46:00.000-08:00

Haberdashers' Aske's Knights Academy Visit

My three brilliant helpers.

The talk lasted for almost two hours due to all of the questions from students and teachers.

Shaun Attwood

2011-11-17T06:55:00.000-08:00

From Frankie (Letter 16)

Frankie - A Mexican Mafia hit man and leader of prison "booty bandits." After seeing me rubbing antifungal ointment on the bleeding bedsores on my buttocks at the Madison Street jail, he proposed we have a gay prison marriage.

Englandman,

I received your letter and as always the pleasure is mine being on the opposite side of the fence. Thank you for being a friend and not forgetting about me. I also got both chess books. Once again thank you very much. I’m enjoying them especially being locked-up without a TV. I’m too short [close to release] and broke to buy a T.V.

Not really broke but my old lady is due to have my baby girl this month and I told my family not to send me any money, to use it to buy my baby girl stuff she will need like clothes, diapers, pampers, whatever a new baby will need cuz anything helps.

I’m going to get married and wish you could be here cuz you would be my best man and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

My friend, I am retiring. I’m done with la vida loca [the crazy life] at fifty years old. Becoming a father is a big blessing cuz I’ve never been there for my two daughters and son cuz I served 18 years straight my first time in prison, then I came right back with 6 ½ more and picked up 4 ½ more in prison, which kept me out of my kids’ life. Here’s my chance to become a father to my baby girl. She will be born in the next two to three weeks.

I am also a war veteran, which will help me when I get out. Some lady from the veterans’ memorial came to see me and told me I have benefits coming but can’t collect till I’m out of prison, plus they will help me with a house and a hospital if needed.

One thing that stuck with me about you was that you didn’t like watching T.V. You kept reading books and writing to stay busy. For the next 11 months that’s exactly what I’m doing. Do you remember telling me to read books and stay away from the T.V?

Give my regards to your mom and dad and sister, and tell them I send my love. It won’t be much longer and I’ll be free without parole, and you won’t hear again that Frankie’s back in prison. I’m becoming a father to a beautiful girl. I’m not putting her through what I put my other kids through.

Take care.

Much L&R’s

= Frankie =

Click here for Frankie’s previous letter

Shaun Attwood

2011-11-15T14:44:00.000-08:00

Gordon's Grammar School (Woking) Visit

Had a great reception tonight at my third visit to Gordon's. The Q&A could have gone on all night.

It took ten shots before this student was able to stop laughing and pull a straight face.

Demonstrating gang signs. The orange jump suits just arrived from the US manufacturer this week.

Shaun Attwood

2011-11-15T14:26:00.000-08:00

Oldham College Visit

A big thank you to Martyn for such a well-organised series of talks and for providing old-school rave tunes that were blasted as the students seated themselves in the dark theatre, and Stephen, the supervising technician, for helping make everything run smoothly, and my three readers Lydia, Nick and Jade.

Shaun Attwood

2011-11-13T11:06:00.000-08:00

Medical Issues (Part 5 by Lifer Renee)

Six days went by before Ms. G came to my cell with the medical list for fasting lab line at 8am. I signed the list, lay down on my bunk and stared at the ceiling in the dark. Even though I’ve become good at fighting the loneliness and keeping feelings at bay, this time I broke down. Scared, confused, not wanting to be sick any more, I cried myself to sleep.

I woke, but couldn’t have any coffee because it’s not allowed before fasting lab line. By 7.30am, I was sat on the medical bench thinking, Let’s get this over with, so I can drink some coffee.

I was called in, and told to take a chair.

“Oh, you have good veins. I don’t have to look for them.” The nurse tied my arm off and filled the vials with blood. She pulled the elastic off my arm. “OK, hon, you’re done.”

“Thanks.” I left Medical and returned to work.

It’s now been two weeks since my lab work. I still feel sick every day. Dizzy. Vomiting. Earaches. Headaches. I still get up and go through the motions every day. I submitted a HNR form to get the lab results. Who knows how long it will take. Again, I wait. Again, I tell myself, Just breathe, but it’s getting hard.

Click herefor Medical Issues Part 4

Shaun Attwood

2011-11-09T02:13:00.000-08:00

London Arrest (by Guest Blogger Fergus)

Fergus is a young person recently released from a UK prison.

Saturday April 4^th. I was stood at Platform 9 of Waterloo Station, train side of the ticket barriers, my freedom of movement restricted by the handcuffs securing my wrists behind my back, and by the tight grip of a policeman adorned with a glowing sense of pride plastered over his face, surrounded by ten British transport policemen, a mere spectacle, a typical but no less gaze-worthy feature of the hustle and bustle.

I have always been reckless, no stranger to the sudden re-percussions of my actions. Even high on ketamine and alcohol, it didn’t take me long to acknowledge and accept the consequences of this scenario. Kind of like when you tread in dog dirt – you know it straight away.

They held out a folded lottery ticket with a thumb-nail-sized pile of white rocky powder.

“What’s this?”

“Ketamine,” I replied

“That’s what’s all over your face I take it?”

“Ketamine’s for horses isn’t it? Why’d you wanna do that?”

“Have you got anything else we should know about?”

“In the bag,” I said.

“Anything that might hurt me?”

“Not unless your vulnerable to paper cuts.”

He unzipped my bag and unloaded the contents onto the concrete: laptop, cables, headphones and six rolls of banknotes totalling £6,000, giving the police an idea of the magnitude of the situation.

I was at Waterloo that evening going to buy three kilograms of mephedrone or “meow meow,” not to consume, but to sell. With a street price of £45,000, the potential profit was enticing for a 20 year old with no qualifications or interesting employment opportunities.

That Saturday, I had originally decided to give myself a day off drug dealing. It had become stressful, and I hadn’t taken a break in months. I was planning on going to an illegal rave, and jumping around to loud music. Reluctant as I was to alter my plan to take a day off, as soon as I got drunk, I fell to the allure of quick easy money. I made a call, and grabbed enough money to re-stock. I took alcohol and a few grams of ketamine, the latter of which I normally left behind, but determined to act like it was still a night off, I loosened my rules, and so a small decision dramatically effected my life, earning me a 30-month prison sentence.

Click here for the previous guest blog (by Kenneth Hartman).
.

As this is Fergus's first guest blog, your comments are appreciated.

Shaun Attwood

2011-11-08T08:07:00.001-08:00

Ashford School Visit

Ashford is one of the first schools I ever spoke at - back when I was so nervous I couldn't even eat my breakfast before doing a talk.

Shaun Attwood

2011-11-07T07:47:00.000-08:00

Plumpton College School Visit

Shaun Attwood

2011-11-05T10:56:00.000-07:00

Oldham Book Signing Sells Out

A big thank you to all of the people who showed up for today's signing, especially the students and teachers. I spoke to around 2000 people in Oldham this week, and there was a really positive atmosphere at the signing.

With Mum and Eric Noi of Oldham Boxing, who organised my talk at Oldham Library.

A big thank you to Lydia, one of my three student readers, as well as Nick and Jade, who sacrificed two days to read during my eight 1 1/2 hour talks at Oldham College. These three were my most dedicated readers yet.

Click here for the previous signing blog

Shaun Attwood

2011-11-04T11:42:00.000-07:00

Oldham Book Signing This Saturday Nov 5th 11am - 4pm

If you want to come and meet me and Mum, here's the info: Waterstone's, 46-47 Upper Mall, The Spindles Centre, Oldham, OL1 1HD (0161 620 5543)

2011-11-01T09:34:00.000-07:00

Diego Plays "Gay" - Deleted Scene from Hard Time 1

In the maximum-security Madison Street jail, the new arrival, Diego, reminded me of Busta Beatz. He visited my cell to show me his drawings and giggled about his Rule 11 classification [mental illness].

One morning, when I was engrossed in a book, he burst into my cell. “Hey, I got the post-gas diet!”

I put the book down on my bunk.

“Yeah, I got the post-gas diet!” he said even louder.

“What?” I asked, clueless.

“I went in the doctor’s office, played gay, and he gave me the post-gas diet.” He giggled.

“I’m still not sure what you mean.”

“The post-gas diet. I now get an extra lunch sack and peanut butter every day for three months,” he said proudly.

Impressed he had hoodwinked the medical staff into giving him extra food that he could eat and barter with, I asked, “How did you manage that, Diego?”

“Playing gay!”

“How does that work?” I said, giving him my full attention.

“I told Dr. Jean I needed the colon and prostate tests. He shoved one finger in my butthole, then two fingers in my butthole. I acted like I loved it. I waved my arms around. And he gave it me! He gave it me! The post-gas diet! What a come-up!”

Holding back my laughter, I said, “You sure came up, dawg.”

Later on, Diego’s cellmate, Frank, a tough Mexican Mafia member stopped by.

“Diego’s been telling everyone all day he got the post-gas diet,” Frank said. “He’s going around the pod showing everyone the paperwork.”

“Did he tell you how he got the post-gas diet?” I asked, struggling not to smile.

“Nah, he hasn’t told anyone.”

“Uh-oh. Have I got a story for you.”

“What do you mean?”

“He played gay.”

“Played gay! What do you mean?”

“You’d better sit down first...”
.

But Diego didn’t last long in maximum security. On the phone to Claudia, I heard commotion to my rear, and saw Diego tumble down the stairs, streaked in blood, and flop on the floor.

“Lockdown everyone!” the guard announced, and turned off the phones. The guards removed him on a stretcher and he never returned.
.

Joe explained what had happened. A murderer had put fifty dollars on the books of an old heroin addict called Silver Fox. The money was for a drug purchase. As soon as Silver Fox received a written confirmation that the money was in his account, he moved out of our pod to spend it on drugs for himself. In an act known as “cosigning,” Diego had vouched for Silver Fox. When the murderer found out Silver Fox had stole his money, and that Diego could not cover the debt, he smashed Diego and threw him down the stairs.

Click here for Hard Time

Shaun Attwood

2011-10-30T02:21:00.000-07:00

From Frankie (Letter 15)

Frankie - A Mexican Mafia hit man and leader of prison "booty bandits." After seeing me rubbing antifungal ointment on the bleeding bedsores on my buttocks at the Madison Street jail, he proposed we have a gay prison marriage.

Englandman,

What’s up my friend? I know it’s been a while since you heard from me, but I will be out again soon, and hopefully we can correspond through the computer.

I will be a daddy soon, sometime in November cuz this time that I got out I had sex all day and night. She ended up pregnant. Once my baby is born, I’ll send you a picture.

So whatever happened with your butt sores? Did they ever come back? Me and you both know that it wasn’t cuz of the bunk. I was pounding you too hard, and I should have been easier on you.

Oh! As for Cuban Boy, he ain’t wrote to me in years. He forgot all about me.

Thank you for the book, but the prison won’t give me Hard Time With Sheriff Joe. I’ll send it home, so when I get out I can read it.

I need a good chess book with all the moves and rules cuz a lot of people make up their own rules or stuff they learn in here, and with a book I can show them the real deal.

I don’t have much time left and no parole. I’m doing 115% of my sentence cuz as of December 29^th 2011 I will kill my sentence completely, but now they got some bullshit rule that if you violate parole, you have to serve 115%. It’s more time than what the judge gives you. Another scam the Arizona Department of Corrections is doing to keep prisoners in longer, so they can collect even more taxpayers money. You already know this state sucks when it comes to laws.

Let’s work on getting me a new passport, so that I can fly over to England to see you. What happened to our plans?

Give my regards to your mom, dad and sister!

Much Love & Respect

Frankie

Click here for Frankie’s previous letter

Shaun Attwood

2011-10-29T10:15:00.001-07:00

English Shaun

My sister, Karen, has started a Facebook page for her ebook, English Shaun, which gives the family perspective on my case and some of my early blogs: http://www.facebook.com/pages/English-Shaun/302006496478414

Shaun Attwood

2011-10-28T09:11:00.000-07:00

Question Time

Anonymous wrote:

I find your story intriguing, but I have to ask: what made you change your mind about recreational drug use?

Obviously a stint in prison - and such a grueling stint - is the legal system's way of saying "fuck you, you can't do that" but the law and someone's personal beliefs are independent of each other.

I'm a semi-regular user of certain party drugs (for simplicity let's say legal stimulants like 6-APB) but I don't see any moral dilemma -- I make a free, uncoerced decision to consume a drug by assessing the scientific data published about it.

As a man with far more life experience, your opinion really interests me. I'd love to know the moral and intellectual process you went through to get from dealer to anti-drug use speaker.

Reply:

Thanks for the deep question. I know how drugs start and how they end. Where are the old drug addicts? Either dead, in prison, or mental hospital. It's a lottery, but over time, poisoning your body loses its fun and does you in. I just lost two more friends to drugs in recent months, including Joey Crack from Hard Time. It's reached the point now where I'm wondering which of my friends are going to die next.

Click here for the previous Question Time

Shaun Attwood

2011-10-25T08:10:00.000-07:00

From T-Bone (Letter 15) and My Response

The guy I mentioned in my last letter, who keeps trying to turn out the youngsters who need things, raised his voice at me after he bumped into me. He yelled at me in front of a guard. I thank God for self-control. The cops have been watching for some time now, waiting to see if I would kick his sick ass, but I know their game. This guy is a rat, and yes, the Administration doesn’t like him, but I will not do their dirty work!

This place is the pits. I thank God for letting me experience it one last time, so that I won’t ever go back to the way of thinking that leads to places like this.

I’ve had female sexual offers to do work for people who are in the mix, but I am not prepared to risk my freedom and my life, so I said NO with total conviction. I even pushed one guy across the room, and into a toilet.

I am not into being anyone’s sucker, and I hope and pray that you, Shaun, my friend, are being careful because you are going to be BIG, and don’t be fooled – that day is coming. You will be making movies, including mine, and I am not going to allow anything or anyone to get in the way of me keeping my commitments.

I know the workload has been rough on you, and you have a lot of young people who look up to you. We all need a little time to play, but don’t give in to thoughts of doing something that alters your mind. Be on guard, my friend, and never let go of doing right.

My Response to T-Bone:

I am being careful, T-Bone. Everything is expanding so positively, I imagine it will get BIG. If it gets to the movie level, I’d like to repay my parents for my legal fees. Success doesn’t come easy – it is a long hard hunt through a vicious jungle where dangerous animals are waiting to gobble you up and poisonous plants tear at your skin. But I will make it, no matter how many years of hard work it takes. We will sit down, and get your life story out as a book and a movie.

Regarding playtime, if I’m not working, I’m at the fitness centre. I have three more belts to go to black in karate. Mind mind-altering substances are far from my mind. I barely drink alcohol these days as the hangover is such a waste of time. I am always on guard, and thanks to prison, I can see right through the people who are trying to trip me up.

Click here for Letter 14

Click here to join the T-Bone Appreciation Society

T-Bone's Kindle ebook. UK version. US version. Or download to your PC from Lulu.com. All proceeds going to help T-Bone in prison.

Shaun Attwood

2011-10-23T08:38:00.000-07:00

When Not to Smash Someone - A Lesson From My Karate Friends

In jail, if some calls you a “punk”, a “bitch” or gets in your face and is abusive, the convict code requires you to hit that person or else you will get smashed by the gang members of your own race. Unfortunately, this sets you up with a fist-clenching reaction for the rest of your life towards disrespectful loudmouths.

Last night, I went to London with ten men from my karate club, nearly all black belts, two senseis (our teachers), one a 3^rd Dan (third-degree black belt). Setting off to watch and support a local cage fighter, Nick “HeadHunter” Chapman, I wondered what would happen if muggers or drunks tried to accost my friends.

On the way home, three drunks started talking smack, one in particular in a loud and challenging way, almost obstructing our path over a bridge. The black belts walked around the drunks as if they didn’t exist, the flow of their conversation continuing as if nothing had happened.

I found such a mature response interesting in comparison to the jail experience.

Shaun Attwood

2011-10-20T09:29:00.000-07:00

The Chow Hall in Tough Times (by Kenneth Hartman)

It’s a real honour to introduce this post. Serving life in California, Kenneth Hartman is one of the best prison writers I’ve ever come across. I highly recommend his book, Mother California.

The guards are lined up mere feet apart, ready to pounce on extra cartons of milk or stray, smuggled pieces of fruit. Since the news that the courts have ordered the shrinking of the bloated prison system in California, there’s a harsher, more aggressive posture. These are tough times in the joint for all of us, on both sides of the fence, albeit for different reasons.

A short female guard motions to me as I walk out across their skirmish line. She appears to be particularly unhinged; probably from working too many overtime shifts, trying to make some extra bank before that becomes a lot harder.

The stress level in these encounters is high for the searcher no less than the searched. Occasionally, a prisoner can’t take being muscled around any longer and spins on the offending guard. I’ve never done anything like that, not in my entire 32 years incarcerated, but I can see how it happens.

I’m over six feet tall so she has trouble reaching up high enough to pat me down. Frustrated, the little guard is now barking out barely intelligible orders to spread my legs farther out and straighten my arms, while she’s pushing my waist around in front of her. I realize this isn’t really a search. This is part of a plan.

In California, the guards are all part of a union that de facto runs the prisons. Traditionally, whenever a court steps into their business and orders changes, the guards provoke some violence. It’s always worked to hide the failure of the prisons behind a wall of chaos and strife.

Back in the early ‘80s, when I was at Folsom Prison, a federal judge demanded the practice of locking people up in the hole for alleged gang activities without any actual evidence be ended. In response to this usurpation, two tiers of cells were cleared out and 56 blacks and four Mexicans were put on one of the tiers with the reverse imbalance on the other. Then they cranked open all the cells at the same time with the gun post guards on the other side of the building. Mind you, this was during a hot war between these two groups.

After the entirely predictable results, the poor federal judge reversed his order.

This time around it’s going to be harder because the U.S. Supreme Court doesn’t often back down.

When she realized she couldn’t get a rise out of me, she dismissed me in a huff, babbling some incomprehensible gibberish as I walked on back to the housing units.

All of this revved up angst and irritation on their part can be explained by two very human responses. The first being the old kick-the-dog-syndrome common amongst second graders after mom chastises them and public employees when they’re getting kicked off the great gravy train of taxpayer dollars.

More fundamentally though, at the deeper levels, it’s all about fear. Fear of an uncertain future. Fear of serious and consequential scrutiny. Fear of being exposed. The prisons in this state, and all across this country, have operated with virtual impunity for the past quarter of a century. Reagan’s judges granted the system practical immunity from prosecution. The money poured in to pay for the biggest, most expensive, and least effective prison system in the world. Thanks to the Great Recession the dynamic has changed. This bottomless well of overtime and unfunded liability is, finally, getting capped. Punishment for the sake of inflicting pain is now too expensive to continue.

When I walk out of the chow hall and see them all lined up, primed and pumped up for a fight, I just imagine them standing in line at the unemployment office. Somehow, they don’t seem so menacing that way.

###

Kenneth E. Hartman has served 32 continuous years in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation on a life without the possibility of parole sentence. An award-winning writer and prison reform activist, he is the author of Mother California: A Story of Redemption Behind Bars, (Atlas & Co. 2009), a memoir of life in prison. For more information, see www.kennethehartman.com. He can be contacted indirectly at kennethehartman@gmail.com or kennethehartman@hotmail.com

As this is Kenneth’s first post at JJJ, your comments are really appreciated.

Shaun Attwood

2011-10-19T11:56:00.000-07:00

Students Spring Out of Their Seats at St. Edward’s School Visit

When I showed them the picture of the spider-bite wound, the room erupted into chaos. I could only stand and drink water. Here’s the video:

The Year 9 students at St. Edward’s in Oxfordshire were a great audience. When the Q&A started, half of the hands shot up. I walked slowly from the front of the church to the back, answering every question row-by-row. The students at the back held their hands up for half an hour.

Shaun Attwood

2011-10-16T01:02:00.001-07:00

Medical Issues (Part 4 by Lifer Renee)

Yet again, I walked as fast as a I could to Medical, anxiety killing me. First come, first served. There were six of us.

The officer collected our ID’s. “Take a seat on the bench. You’re on count!” he barked.

Sitting down, I told myself, Just breathe.

At least fifteen minutes went by. The nurse called my name. I jumped off the bench, and walked into Medical.

“Sit down. We need to get your vitals,” she said. No eye contact.

My eyes scanned the Pepto-Bismol-pink walls as the temperature probe went into my mouth and the blood-pressure sleeve was wrapped around my arm. Again, I told myself, Just breathe.

All done, I was ushered outside to wait. I wondered what to say in case they tried to brush my problems under the rug as is so typical in prison.

Later, my name was called, so I walked into the provider’s office.

“So what is going on?” he asked, clasping his hands together.

As I explained my symptoms for the last nine months, he just looked at me through his glasses with a blank face. I told him my ear hurt right now, and my throat was sore.

He checked my right ear, and told me that at one time my ear had been punctured. “It has scar tissue.”

“I don’t ever recall my eardrum being punctured,” I said, staring blankly ahead.

“Your ears are fine,” he said.

“It may look fine, but it hurts.”

“Let me check your throat.”

I opened my mouth, my frustration rising.

“Yeah, it’s a little red. Tilt your head back.” He shone a light up my nostrils.

“Oh, you have a sinus infection,” he said.

“For nine months?” I asked.

He gave me a how-dare-you-make-me-do-my-job look. He placed his hand as if grabbing my esophagus, and told me to swallow.

With difficulty, I managed to swallow.

“Hold on. Swallow again.”

Oh shit, I told myself. I managed another swallow.

“Your thyroid gland is swollen. I am going to order some lab work. It is either hypo- or hyper-thyroidism. I think hyper, but we won’t know until the tests come back. I will try to schedule you for the lab work and see you again within the month. If I haven’t seen you in two weeks after lab line send me a HNR.” It sounded as if he were speaking Greek.

I asked him about the X-rays taken of my neck and shoulder.

“Oh yeah, you have degenerative bone disease in your C5 and C7 vertebras. You’re too young to have the surgery to fuse the vertebras together,” he stated matter-of-factly.

My jaw hit the floor. All my mental notes gone. I walked out of Medical with $4 less on my inmate account, and no medicine for my sinus infection. Dumbfounded.

Click here for Medical Issues (Part 3)

Shaun Attwood

2011-10-12T04:49:00.000-07:00

My Next Book: A Raver on Wall Street – Prequel to Hard Time

I’ve just submitted the prequel to my literary agent. It’s tentatively titled A Raver on Wall Street.

It starts with the destabilising event that shaped my life: taking drugs for the first time at a rave in Manchester. Chapter 2 sets up the background and covers history with certain characters including Wild Man and my aunt Sue, using quick-fire anecdotes. The main action begins in Chapter 3 when I arrive in America. The book has some common literary plots: rags to riches, stranger in a foreign land, internal mental struggle. The latter being the overriding theme – my battle with drugs. I've also layered in reoccurring themes that build towards an explosive end. In the prequel are lots of characters from Hard Time.

Here’s its blurb in draft form:

As a penniless student, Shaun Attwood moved to America, and became a stock-market millionaire. But he also led a dangerous double life, throwing raves and distributing Ecstasy, going up against drug kingpin and Mafia mass murderer “Sammy the Bull” Gravano. A Raver on Wall Street is a rags-to-riches story – of a life spiralling out of control. Wild women, gangsters, fast cars, parties galore, enough drugs to kill a herd of elephants. It can only end in one way – disaster.

Any improvements on the title or blurb are welcome in the comments section below.

Wild Man fans will be pleased to know that he is in almost 25 percent of the prequel. Here’s an anecdote from Chapter 2:

Seventeen and I’m up Pex Hill with my two best friends, Hammy – a year younger than me, built more solidly, much sought after by the girls – and Peter, who we now call Wild Man, a nickname given to him – based on misbehaviour – by his Uncle Bob, a whiskey-nosed old-timer. We’re sat on a tree leaning over a sandstone quarry that we call The Thinking Tree.

Marvelling at the drop below, I ask, “What’re you two gonna do when you finish school?”

“I’m going to prison,” Wild Man says.

“Why’s that?” I ask.

“I see these red and white dots.”

“Red and white dots! Why’d you see them?” I ask.

“White dots are fine. They’re normal every-man’s anger. Red dots are slaughter.”

“How often do you see the red ones?” Hammy asks.

“More than enough.”

Hammy’s laugh declares how proud he is of Wild Man’s ability to see dots.

“Are the red dots because of your brother beating you up?” I ask.

“I can’t even have a wank without getting punched in the face by our Sweat,” Wild Man says.

“But look at the size of you!” I say. “I’m surprised you haven’t thrown him through a window.”

“The teachers at Fairfield are so scared of Peter,” Hammy says, “they’ve stuck him outside, raking leaves with the caretaker.” Hammy and Wild Man attend the same Protestant school, whereas I’m at Widnes Sixth Form College doing A levels.

“What about when you finish school, Hammy?” I ask.

“I don’t know. What about you, Atty?”

“I’m going to be a millionaire in America.”

“You probably will with all that stock-market stuff,” Hammy says.

“Will you take us with you?” Wild Man asks.

“Defo. I’m not going to stop until I buy my own island. When I make enough money, I’ll fly you two over.” I have it all figured out: I’m going to repeat the success of the legendary investors I read about.

“If you bring Wild Man over, you’d better build a cage for him first. We’ll give him grub, but won’t let him out. When he misbehaves, we’ll poke him with sticks.”

Wild Man snaps a branch off the tree. His eyes search below. “What’s it like in America, Atty?” He hurls the branch at hikers in the quarry. It misses. They spot us, scowl, shake fists. Wild Man smiles and waves.

“The people talk funny, but they’re dead friendly,” I say. “The birds buzz off our accents. Everything’s massive. Roads. Houses. Cars. And they’ve all got swimming pools in their back yards.”

“In their back yards!” Wild Man says.

“Like on The Beverly Hillbillies?” Hammy asks.

“Yes, exactly,” I say.

“Bloody hell!” Hammy says.

“How come they all have swimming pools in their back yards?” Wild Man asks.

“Because they’re dead rich. When the plane comes in to land, you see all the swimming pools. America’s the richest country in the world. That’s why it’s easy to be a millionaire there. Even you can get a job as a wrestler or something, and you won’t end up in prison.” I’ll see to it that Wild Man has a good life in America. “There’s no hope for you in Widnes.”

“There’s no hope for any of us in Widnes, Atty,” Wild Man says. “That’s why you’re going to America.”

2011-10-10T10:32:00.001-07:00

Medical Issues (Part 3 by Lifer Renee)

Renee – Only a teenager, she received a 60-year sentence. Now 16 years in, Renee is writing from Perryville prison in Goodyear, Arizona, providing a rare and unique insight into a women's prison.

Three weeks later, Ms. G came to my cell door. “You have provider line tomorrow at noon. Can you sign here?”

I jumped up off my bunk, my mouth instantly dry, stomach in knots. I signed. “Thanks, Ms. G.”

I got up the following morning with questions running through my mind. I made a mental list of everything. 4am to noon was painfully long as if I were sleep walking through the day. Having not worked in a week, I spent my day on the yard, vaguely listening to all of the bitching and moaning about how bad prison life sucks.

“Lock down!” an officer yelled, stopping the bitching.

I walked to my cell. Hearing the door click behind me, alone in my cell, I once again stared at the four walls and paced the concrete floor.

When headcount cleared at noon for recreation, I shot out the door and the yard gate. I made a mad dash for Medical, wanting to be first in line. I did not even get to knock on the door because the Medical Porter opened it.

“What yard are you from?” she asked.

“24,” I replied.

“They are seeing 26 yard right now. They’ll call for 24 when they’re done.”

“But my appointment is at noon,” I said, trying to contain my frustration.

“They split the yards because of the custody levels, so the provider has to finish 26 yard.”

Disappointed, I walked back to the yard, and waited. 1pm, 2pm, 2:30pm…

My roommate arrived. “What did Medical say?”

“Haven’t been there yet. Don’t think I’m going to. Who knows? I don’t,” I replied, continuing to stare at the TV.

Frustrated, I went outside. Thank goodness no one wants to talk. Perhaps they can feel the waves of frustration coming off me.

3pm, 3:30pm…

“OK. It is almost headcount. I think it’s safe to say, I’m not going to Medical.”

“Doesn’t look that way,” my roommate replied with a sympathetic expression.

A few seconds later, my door opened, meaning Medical was ready to see me.

Click here for Medical Issues (Part 2)

Shaun Attwood

2011-10-08T09:58:00.000-07:00

Brighton Hill Community College Visit

Did four talks at Brighton Hill Community College, Basingstoke on Friday. Sometimes the students are shy about wearing the jail outfits, but not here. They enthusiastically jumped into the outfits, and read great.

Shaun Attwood

2011-10-05T04:08:00.000-07:00

Seven Months Left (by Shane)

Shane - Denied psychiatric medication by ValueOptions, Shane turned to illegal drugs financed by burglaries. For stealing a few hundred dollars worth of goods, he was sentenced to eleven years. Shane is the author of the blog Persevering Prison Pages.

With my release date getting closer, I’m growing more anxious. Although I’ve managed to get into trouble recently, I attribute those errors to legitimate pain from my systemic lupus medical condition, and my frustration at ADOC’s Medical for refusing to give me care.

Instead of making more mistakes, I’m concentrating on suing ADOC again for violating my rights. I am also seeking legal remedies for ADOC violating my hep C lawsuit settlement agreement. I’ll be a free man in court.

I have purchased a house, and my friends and small family are all waiting for me in the free world. I have also met an awesome woman who is travelling across the ocean to meet and get to know me. Emphasizing the reality of my release date nearing, my release packet was filled out yesterday. Now I await prison approval of my residence and release.

So far, Shane sounds level-headed about his release. Will he succumb to “gate fever”? The tendency of inmates to lose their minds as freedom approaches due to the mental pressure arising from contemplating the adjustment.

Click here for 8 Months Left by Shane.

Click here for Shane’s previous blog at Jon’s Jail Journal

Click here for Shane’s blog Persevering Prison Pages.

Here are some blogs about my release:

2007 in England shortly after my release
My release December 2007 part 1
My release December 2007 part 2

Shaun Attwood

2011-10-05T04:04:00.000-07:00

Cockroach Handstamping

Last Saturday at Waterstone's Trafford Centre

Shaun Attwood

2011-10-03T02:12:00.000-07:00

Westminster School Visit

With my readers from the first session.

With my readers from the second session.

The school provided not just any old water but their own brand: Westminster Water.

Due to endless questions the talks lasted for an hour and a half. Two City of London policewomen were present who are recommending my talk to schools in their area. Also present was the author, Meg Rosoff, who was on the news last week accused of blasphemy by a Christian independent school that banned her from visiting. The blasphemy allegation stems from her latest book, There Is No Dog, in which God is a horny teenage boy. I'm reading Meg's first book, How I Live Now, which sold over half a million copies in its first year. Meg has a warm humourous voice, and the book has a Catcher in the Rye quality to it. The sentences are simple and clear with literary flourishes made more powerful by their low frequency.

Shaun Attwood

2011-09-28T10:40:00.000-07:00

Shane Moved – For Prison Blogging? (by Shane)

Shane - Denied psychiatric medication by ValueOptions, Shane turned to illegal drugs financed by burglaries. For stealing a few hundred dollars worth of goods, he was sentenced to eleven years. Shane is the author of the blog Persevering Prison Pages.

On 8/18/11, I was transferred to Barchey Unit. A medium security yard at Lewis Complex. The reason behind the move was not given to me, but I'm certain that it was caused by CO IV Goins.

Goins is an African American guy whose pompousness and ignorance outshine his professionalism. Rumored to have sued this way to his current position within ADOC, Goins walks the yard spinning lies, instigating drama and deepening the dislike for him that prisoners and staff have. In addition to petty annoyances that could be attributed to his personality, Mr. Goins also had a few quite serious quirks. Two of which were his outspoken prejudice and brash attitude towards drug addicts. My own shortness with people like Goins contributed to my demise as a minimum security inmate on Eagle Point Unit.

Despite the fact that the Deputy Warden, two COIII's, COIV and Central Office authorizing me to stay a minimum security inmate on Eagle Point Unit, it's apparent that Goins has used the "Morphine Incident" to harass me, make accusations against me of illegal activities, and get me moved off of the unit.

Some may ask why he would single me out. There are multiple reasons, but to be honest I don't know his true reasons.

Since his arrival on Eagle Point, Goins had complained to me numerous times about my blog writing and "warned" me more than once about the contents of what I write. I've also spent time and money starting and keeping alive a program he has been trying to put an end to. The arts and crafts program. There are many reasons I could guess why he targeted me, but I won't. I don't care what his reasons are. I go home in mere months to live my life, be happy and leave all of this behind me.

I'm doing well here and continue to ready myself for my new life.

Oh yeah, upon packing my things for the move, the CO's found my cellmate's two round tail ground squirrels. I'll miss them.

Click here for 8 Months Left by Shane.

Click here for Shane’s previous blog at Jon’s Jail Journal

Click here for Shane’s blog Persevering Prison Pages.

Shaun Attwood

2011-09-28T10:36:00.000-07:00

St Albans School Visit

My two excellent readers yesterday at St Albans.

Shaun Attwood

2011-09-26T09:53:00.000-07:00

Question Time with Claudia (Part 2)

Charlie wrote:

Hi Claudia. Shaun can you ask Claudia what she thinks of Hard Time? Has forgiveness played a part in her journey? Was helping write the next book cathartic for her? Finally Claudia you have a very warm smile and I wish you all the best.

Claudia responded:

I really love Hard Time. It’s brilliantly written. It’s completely true. I couldn’t put the book down at all. I’m excited for the next book.

If there has to be forgiveness, I say yes, but I don’t blame Shaun. I wish the raid had never happened, and then we wouldn’t have had to move on. We would have stayed together. It sucks that Shaun can’t be in America.

Contributing to Shaun’s next book has both helped me and hurt me. When I get into descriptions and remember things, I get so into the moment, I cry sometimes. I remember things, and think, That was so nice. But wait a minute: it’s over. So it is hard, but it is nice because I get to relive the good times that were all taken away the day the police knocked down that door.

I asked Claudia if she had a response to the comment about not drinking alcohol.

Claudia responded:

I’ve never been a full-blown alcoholic. I used to bar hop too much with my friends when I was younger. It stopped. I realised it was dumb. I was never shaking from not drinking.

Please post any further questions for Claudia in the comments section below.

Click here for Part 1.

Click here for the last blog I wrote about Claudia while in prison.

Shaun Attwood

2011-09-23T06:45:00.000-07:00

The T-Bone Appreciation Society

T-Bone's Facebook page now has over 600 followers. A big thank you to all of the students for such positive wall posts!

2011-09-23T06:07:00.000-07:00

Abingdon and Harefield Academy School Visits

Been a busy week at schools. Went to Dover for a second time, followed by 750-year-old Abingdon School in Oxfordshire - a visit that came about because one of their professors saw my first media story back in 2002, kindly wrote to me in prison, and mailed me books.

Over lunch, he revealed what a fan of prison shows and books he is. Our conversation in the chow hall- surrounded by staff and students - turned some heads:
"The worst gang rape scene has got to be in Fish: A Boy in a Man's prison," I said.
"Read it. It made me sick. There was quite a lot of shanking in..."
"What about the cockroach babies growing out of the side of the prisoner's neck in the Damage Done?"
"And they shanked his neck open to get them out."

I emailed him afterwards with a recommendation to watch this Aryan Brotherhood documentary on YouTube.

Great to meet you finally too. I left your school on a high, reflecting on how we used to correspond and now here I am at your school. Really appreciate the invite.

He emailed back with a recommendation to watch this Banged-Up Abroad video.

I know its quite amazing when you think I sent you a couple of books
in prison never expecting to meet you and then you end up talking
about your experiences at my school - what are the chances of that? It's
also amazing to think you survived that terrible experience. I remember
reading the Guardian article and thinking how awful it must be. Watch banged up
abroad on Youtube - this is the link to the Venezuala episode - you should
approach them and ask them to do your story

Next week, I'm speaking at Westminster School and St Alban's. The City of London police are attending the Westminster talk.

Shaun Attwood

2011-09-22T07:53:00.000-07:00

Wearing a Snitch Jacket (by Guest Blogger Big Jason)

Big Jason was incarcerated as a youth in Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s Durango jail and the Arizona Department of Corrections Adobe Mountain juvenile facility for assault, attempted burglary, and violation of probation.

“Lights out,” the on duty officer announced with a bellowing call. The command snaked its way down the long hallways of cold polished concrete and tan brick walls. Darkness followed the sound of the guards footsteps as he turned off each individual cell light with a special key. It was time to stop whatever we were doing, and get on our bunks or risk a write-up.

By now most of the inmates had settled in for the night. A few scattered faces remained gazing out from behind the scarred safety glass of their cell doors. Our night-shift guard was a grizzled little man with a silver beard and wire-rimmed glasses. His balding head and liver spots suggested he was nearing retirement. This seemed to have no effect on his ability to take head counts, and bust our balls. He would often crack jokes at an inmates expense, and use the fact that we were on graveyard lock-down to harangue us. None of us ever had any contact with this man or were even out of our cells while he was on shift, but this would soon change.

Locked down for the night, my cellmate and I heard the familiar sounds of our silver-bearded comedian's keys jangling as he walked our row of cells, turning off the lights. Sure enough, I turned my head, and there he was with a sinister smile. Normally, I would be teasing this guy about his last name, which vaguely sounded like the title of a classic 1980's video game “Joust” and he would return the favor with funny jokes about our appearance and ethnicity, and we'd all have a laugh. I looked over to the window, and in good sport said “Hey, Joust, lets play a game,” but something was different about him this time. My joke fell on deaf ears.

His eyes stared back at me cold and angry. “You think you're tough behind that door? “ he asked in a serious tone.
”I handle my own,” I said.
“How would you like everyone in here to know you're a snitch.” He finished his remark with an annoying smirk.
I felt my ears turn red. What the hell did I do to piss him off so bad he would do this? I was never a snitch, and never had problems with anyone. This label can create havoc on an inmate. I could easily be jumped or stabbed. He had said it loud enough for the rest on the wing to hear. Faces had popped up in the doors to see what was going on.

I told the old man, “If you want to push me and start some shit, it is on.”
He said OK with a smile and continued to walk the unit.
My cellmate looked at me with a little suspicion.
I was in shock, and really mad, plotting on how to pay him back. What would I do? Do I shank the guy and pick up aggravated assault charges? How can I get this guy? became my mantra for the next couple of days.

A few inmates who had heard him accuse me of being a snitch asked me about it during recreation time. I told them I was never a snitch, and my reputation was known as a good solid guy, which could be verified through-out the institution. It was agreed upon that he was a being a real dick and we were all pretty tired of his bullshit. None of the guys thought about doing anything to him for it, they just sat and steamed alongside me, offering support. Since this was my beef, I couldn't realistically expect any of them to help me.

After a few days of him walking by smiling and smirking, I lost it. I decided it was time to act. I rigged my door lock, so that I could open it with a comb after lock-down. What I would do when I got out was a different story. I did want to hurt this guy, but I didn't want the time and punishment that would follow. At the same time, I had to save face. I decided to send him a message to let him know that we the inmates can still get to him no matter what and I wasn't the one to be messed with.

I jimmied the lock to my door while my cellmate and a few other guys on the wing kept one-time. The term “one-time” is yelled out to alert other inmates when a staff or guard is coming. Our cell door opened with ease as I pried at the lock with my comb. An intense rush came over me as I tasted a type of freedom. The adrenaline rush was coming on hard as I creeped down the hall to see where the guard was. I spotted him in the next hall over and ducked down to avoid being seen. My heart pounded with anticipation.

Inmates were watching me not knowing what I was going to do but were anxious to see some type of bloodshed or mayhem. It had crossed my mind to smash this guy over the head, take his keys and radio, and try to escape, but I found myself in a quagmire. Only 4 months left, my inner voice said with an unexpected urgency. My reasoning got the best of me, and forced me back to my cell. The journey back along the corridor was a long one with a gallery of faces looking at me in disappointment.

I removed the rigging from the door lock, and shut the cell door quietly. My heart eventually slowed down. It wasn't long before word got back to the guard. Our unit snitch was always busy drumming up some type of shit, and this was probably a holy grail moment for him. I was expecting to be thrown into solitary, and have charges brought against me, but nothing transpired. Maybe he realized he had stepped over the line? Not a word was ever mentioned again and not a dirty look was given from him. No more jokes or anything. I wasn't exactly sure what to think or do.

About 3 months later, my ticket was up. I had served 6 months, and was due for release. The anticipation welled up inside me. I could taste mom’s cooking and smell the fresh-cut grass. I remembered what girls smelled like and how the air used to blow beads of sweat off my face when I was skateboarding. I was going to see all my old friends, and go eat a hamburger and fries. I would be free from Adobe Mountain.

My release date came and went without a word from my case-manager or anyone. When I asked, I was given the cold shoulder, and told I had not yet met the requirements to be released, and that when committed to the state department of corrections, it is always until your 18th birthday. The release dates were optional depending on your behavior while incarcerated. My case-manager said he went to bat for me, but was shut down by two other unnamed individuals. Infuriated and enraged, I suspect the guard ahd prevented my release. I had to bottle up my anger, and not give them any reason to mess with me even more.

Surviving these places in hard enough, but to do it for extended periods of time without catching another charge is even harder.

Click here for Big Jason’s previous guest blog Far From Home

Shaun Attwood

2011-09-19T12:48:00.000-07:00

How to Survive Prison

To read, click on the image to enlarge:

Via: Criminal Justice Degree Site

Click here for my Prison Fish Survival Guide

Two Tonys on Coming to Prison

Tips: How to Survive Sheriff Joe Arpaio's Jail

2011-09-18T03:36:00.000-07:00

Another Sellout at Woking Waterstone's Thanks to SJB Students

My second Woking signing sold out once again - 40 copies - due to an influx of students from Saint John the Baptist High School. Students arrived throughout the afternoon, mostly in groups, asking numerous questions about the drugs and prison presentation I did there last week. Asked to comment on my visit, they said:
"The talk taught me to never take life for granted or go over the top at raves."
"It was the most inspirational talk we've ever had at our school."
"The talk inspired me to never get arrested."

The security guard on the right in this pic bought Hard Time at the previous signing. She rushed back into the store to tell me that she had read the book in two days, and could not put it down. She also asked if I was still with Claudia. Click here for an update on Claudia.

Several SJB students unable to attend the signing have emailed asking where they can buy the book. Here is the link (click on the UK version at the top right hand side). I'm back at SJB on July 13 at 10am for Year 10. SJB students, please keep me posted on what you think of Hard Time, and if you like it, please leave customer reviews at Amazon.

Click here for what happened at the previous Woking signing, including a video of an SJB student commenting on my talk.

The next two Waterstone's signings are:
October 1st Manchester Trafford Centre
November 5th Oldham Upper Mall
Further info on all signings

Shaun Attwood

2011-09-18T02:23:00.000-07:00

Reform how Women are treated in the Criminal Justice System

Ex prisoner, Farah Damji, who wrote the well-commented on guest blog for Jon's Jail Journal, Inside the Snow Globe, has started a petition - already signed by Bianca Jagger and Polly Samson - to improve the treatment of female prisoners in the UK.

If you would like to sign the petition, click here.

Shaun Attwood

2011-09-18T02:06:00.000-07:00

Dover College School Visit

With one of my student readers, Harrison, at Dover College last Friday. The headmaster thanked me at the end, and said he's going to refer my talk to local schools. This Wednesday I'm speaking at the Dover Grammar School for Girls. Shaun Attwood

2011-09-15T12:23:00.000-07:00

BBC Interview/Woking Book Signing This Saturday

BBC Radio Surrey has requested to interview me about my free DVD's to schools program. Click here to listen live on Saturday at 8.25am.

This month, I've donated a copy of my DVD - presentation to schools on drugs and prison - to nearly every secondary school in Surrey, 78 in total. Budget cuts are reducing schools abilities to get outside speakers, so I've donated the DVD's because I feel it's important that young people still get the opportunity to learn about the consequences of drugs from my true story. I'm trying to extend the DVD donation program across the UK, and any teachers who would like the DVD can email me for a free copy.

I’m signing copies of Hard Time this Saturday September 17^th at Waterstone's, Unit 44, The Peacocks Centre, Woking, Surrey, GU21 6GD (01483 767 564) from 12.30pm until 4pm. Map.

I’m offering free signed copies of Hard Time to the first two students willing to dress in jail outfits and hand flyers out.

Click here to read what happened at the previous book signing in Woking that was overrun by SJB students, including pics and a video.

Shaun Attwood

2011-09-14T02:08:00.000-07:00

From T-Bone (Letter 14)

There is a weirdo on this yard, and, man, he is sick. He walks around trying to pay youngsters for sex, and he even grabs their balls and such! Sickening! This place is a breeding ground for sick-os. The prison administration doesn’t care. They just want to make money warehousing people, and not help them in any way, shape or form because it costs them money.

Nothing will ever bring me back to prison. When my prison number is over, I am completely free. No parole officers, nothing but a ticket to merry old England, and to work. I would love to speak to schools and church groups, and talk with Shaun at schools too. I am supposed to go home on December 30^th, but I know how the system works. It could be anytime before then because of the overcrowding.

L&R to all members of the T-Bone Appreciation Society

Steel Embrace

T-Bone

Click here for Letter 13

This Saturday 17^th September, I’m doing a book signing at Waterstone's Woking Peacock’s Centre from 12.30pm until 4pm. Further info. I’m offering free signed copies of Hard Time to the first two students willing to dress in jail outfits and hand flyers out.

Shaun Attwood

2011-09-13T08:55:00.000-07:00

Brooklyn Gangsters (with Guest Blogger Ed)

Blog reader Ed sent me endless books when I was in prison. If you are an aficionado of Mafia stories, like Ed, you may want to check out the new book that Ed has contributed to: Brooklyn Gangsters.

Info about the book:

Brooklyn, New York, for better or worse, became the birthplace to many American mobsters and an area where mobsters abroad would eventually call their home.

Yet one must understand that the criminal element was not solely Sicilian but made up of many ethnicities (Irish, Jewish, Greek, Polish, Russian etc.). The theory that the “mafia” is only Italian is obviously a falsehood.

In reality the first criminal element that rose in the earlier years of American history were predominantly Irish and Jewish. The Irish in particular in Brooklyn did not welcome the Italians as they came to settle in their tight-knit neighborhoods. They not only dominated law enforcement but also the criminal element at the time. Hence, they did everything they could to make the strangers feel unwelcome.

In the early 1900s various immigrants entered the already bustling borough of Brooklyn. Each one experienced some form of discrimination. Whether it was the Italians, Jews, Greeks or even the Irish, they all suffered. An example of this was depicted in the blockbuster film “Gangs Of New York” directed by Martin Scorcese that highlighted the birth of street gangs (Irish against Native Americans—and not the Indians).

Various clans sprouted across the borough. One way for these immigrants to escape ill-treatment was to create homegrown crews that would protect their own. This also introduced a certain lack of respect for authority, especially for the Italians, as the majority of the police were Irish. Soon the Sicilians and Calabrians, unlike other ethnic gangs, began painting their outfit with more alluring colors.

Brooklyn Gangsters will explore one of the key locations where the “mafia” element flourished. Brooklyn, N.Y., has, and always will have, an image of toughness and grittiness unmatched anywhere else in the five boroughs. In this book we will offer documented information on how that image came to light.

The borough of Brooklyn has given birth to many characters that have molded the model of the Mafia. Names like Al Capone, Frankie Yale and Anthony Casso are just a few who will be introduced in this publication. Brooklyn, with its brownstones and old-fashioned family enclaves, served as a perfect fit for these criminals.

We have been exposed to films that invoke the dark yet flashy life of these individuals. Films like The Lords of Flatbush, Goodfellas, Donnie Brasco, We Own The Night and others, all based in Brooklyn, have opened a window for us into that world.

This publication will highlight a score of mobsters that either shaped the organization or lent a hand in its longevity. In this book we will also offer personal information on each of these individuals, information that has never been published before; we also scrape the veneer off historical events that have been buried embellishment. So come with us from Mob Candy Magazine on this bloody road to mobdom in Brooklyn, New York.

Amazon link to Brooklyn Gangsters.

Link to Ed’s widely read Mafia website, Cosa Nostra News.

Shaun Attwood

2011-09-12T06:01:00.000-07:00

Bishopshalt School Visit

Picture of my two brilliant readers at Bishopshalt School, Uxbridge today.

For Bishopshalt students: Link to some of the best stories at my blog, including more T-Bone.

Facebook Hard Time page
.

I'm book signing at Waterstone's in Woking this Saturday. Further info.

Shaun Attwood

2011-09-08T03:50:00.000-07:00

SJB Visit in Woking

After the tremendous reception I had from Year 10 last July, it was great to start out doing my drug and prison talks this academic year at St John the Baptist School. The talk was supposed to be for Year 12, 140 students, but the contact teacher advised me that word of my visit had leaked, and other year groups may try to sneak in.

Walking to the room, I was mobbed by students who’d heard the previous talk there. The room ended up packed with about 300 students, wall to wall, sat on the floor. My student readers were loud and dramatic, but the first reading I doled out was accidentally the version I use for my adult talks of the SWAT team raid, containing the F word in it multiple times. Some of the teachers eyes widened. I immediately explained my error and apologized to much laughter. Thank goodness it wasn’t Year 8! The students asked questions for almost half an hour after the one hour was up, and even after the teachers cleared them out, a group stayed asking further questions.

After the last SJB talk I did a book signing at Woking,Waterstone’s that sold out thanks to SJB students taking over the store. Hoping to repeat the success, I’ve scheduled another Woking, Waterstone’s book signing for Saturday September 17^th, 2011 from 12.30pm until 4pm at The Peacock's Centre. Students are welcome to dress in prison stripes and help flyer the mall

For SJB students: Link to some of the best stories at my blog, including more T-Bone.

Facebook Hard Time page

Click here for all upcoming book signings

Click here for Dawn of a New Adventure Part 11

Video with SJB student from previous talk

Shaun Attwood

2011-09-07T10:53:00.000-07:00

Pics From Today's Anti Sheriff Joe Arpaio Rally

Kindly provided by Gail who said Arpaio accosted the protestors with the remark, "You're all gonna be disappointed when I get reelected!"

Shaun Attwood

2011-09-06T03:40:00.000-07:00

Sheriff Joe Apaio Investigating Obama's "Phony" Birth Certificate

Full article here.

Anti-Arpaio protest today, Tuesday Sep 6th.

Help Mike Stauffer boot Arpaio out of office

Shaun Attwood

2011-09-05T09:27:00.000-07:00

Mass Anti-Arpaio Protest This Tuesday in Phoenix (by Guest Blogger Gail)

Good morning from Phoenix, Shaun,

My name is Gail Shoultes. I am a mother of three and grandmother of six.

I was oblivious to the evil that is Sheriff Arpaio until about 10 years ago when my own bipolar son ended up in Arpaio's jail. It was so hard to believe the conditions in those jails under Arpaio's direction, so substandard, disgusting and dangerous. The jails are nothing short of a torture chamber that is allowed to exist in the USA! This isn't nazi Germany, but what goes on with the jail system, certainly seems like it.

I hope anyone who has not yet read "Hard Time", does so. They will not believe the conditions, and we cannot let this go on any longer. People die at Arpaio's hand, and he must be ousted.

We are protesting Arpaio again on Tuesday, Sept. 6 at the Wells Fargo Bank Building. We are relentless in protesting the egomaniac that is Joe Arpaio.

As an interesting side note, Wells Fargo must have had enough of the protests against a controversial sheriff because he has to vacate after the lease expires in 2013. They have advised MCSO they need the space for themselves, but there are those among us who know banks don't like loud, divisive people outside their buildings, bringing them all kinds of negative attention.

Wish us luck and say a prayer as we march forward in ridding our beautiful state of the evil.

Thanks for helping us promote this Shaun!

Gail

I've asked Gail to provide pics/vids of the protest for Jon's Jail Journal

Help Mike Stauffer boot Arpaio out of office

Shaun Attwood

2011-09-04T03:31:00.000-07:00

What do you think of Sheriff Joe Arpaio?

Next August, Arpaio is up for re-election and we have a chance to get him booted out.

On Friday, I had a really productive Skype with the man running against Arpaio, Lt. Mike Stauffer, and his campaign manager, West Kenyon. With Arpaio's margin of election victory way down since his early landslides and him creating so many enemies, including the Hispanic community, I think Mike has a great chance of winning.

Mike’s horrified by the jail conditions described in my book, Hard Time, and he intends to change them and to make the jail a safer environment for staff and inmates.

I want to help Mike defeat Arpaio. Apparently, Arpaio has spread the word in America that his support overseas is overwhelmingly positive, including from the UK public. I don’t believe that is the case. I urge anyone with an opinion on Arpaio to LIKE Mike’s Facebook page and post your opinion as a comment (underneath Mike’s latest wall post - you have to LIKE the page to be able to leave comments), stating your first name and where in the world you are located. Here’s the link:
.

http://www.facebook.com/Mike4Sheriff?sk=wall

If you are not on Facebook then please post your comment to this blog entry. Your comments may be used to counter Arpaio’s claim that he is worshipped globally.

Thanks for taking the time to help get Arpaio removed from office!

My tips on surviving Arpaio's jail

Shaun Attwood

2011-08-31T03:28:00.000-07:00

Medical Issues (Part 2 by Lifer Renee)

Renee – Only a teenager, she received a 60-year sentence. Now 15 years in, Renee is writing from Perryville prison in Goodyear, Arizona, providing a rare and unique insight into a women's prison.

A few days after submitting the Health Needs Request form (HNR), I was scheduled to see the nurse. I explained to her how I’ve been feeling – earaches, headaches, dizziness, sore throat, diarrhoea, weight loss, constant hunger…

“Does anyone in your family have thyroid problems or diabetes?” she asked.

“I don’t know.”

She stared dumbfounded.

How could I explain I never knew my parents, and haven’t been in contact with any “family” members since I was 15?

She looked at me as if she wanted me to elaborate. After a moment of awkward silence, she said, “Well, I’ll have to schedule you for the provider, so he can order the lab work, but it will take about three weeks for him to see you as he is so backed up.”

I left the nurses office still confused, a panic setting in as to whether I’ll ever get treated.

Click here for Medical Issues (Part 1)

Shaun Attwood