Dawn of a New Adventure (Part 11)

I finally made it back down south after almost a month up north. At my parents, I gained about seven pounds in weight thanks to three meals a day of home-cooked food, ranging from Dad’s curries to Mum’s chilli.

Outside of doing family stuff and book signing, I was on my Dad’s computer, writing non-stop, trying to finish the prequel to Hard Time before my talks to schools start. It’s almost done. Just a few minor adjustments needed. We've had movie interest, but the feedback has been that the story is incomplete without the prequel.

In the previous academic year, I almost doubled my talks to schools, and did my first overseas talk to a school in Germany. My calendar is filling up fast, and I’ve got two thousand brochures/flyers and 200 DVD’s going out to schools in September. Below is the new flyer the McLellan Practice is using to advertise my talk.

As well as the drugs and prison talk to schools under the PSHE curriculum, I'm about to launch a second talk to English departments about my journey to becoming a published author, along the lines of my first talk to a book club.  

This Saturday, I’m book signing in Guildford (further info), where we sold 73 copies last time.

Click here for Dawn of a New Adventure (Part 10)

Shaun Attwood
Click on flyers to see full size:

 

Manchester Trafford Centre Waterstone’s Book Signing

It’s no longer just Mum helping at the northern signings, we now have a sales team (pic above). Thanks to the efforts of Mum, Jess and Chris, we sold 65 copies of Hard Time.

Quite a few people came in to say they had read and enjoyed the book, including the man above.

Students who'd seen my talk at their school.

Trafford Centre Waterstone's are featuring Hard Time as their book of the month, so after the signing had ended and we had packed our display up, they asked me to sign 70 additional copies. Almost ten sales occured from people walking in the store seeing me intently signing copy after copy. 

Signing in Guildford this Saturday 27th August, and back in Manchester on 1st October.

Click here for the previous Waterstone's book signing blog. 

Shaun Attwood

Jon’s Jail Journal Supports Mike Stauffer for Maricopa County Sheriff

Let's get Sheriff Joe Arpaio booted out by voting Mike in! With Arpaio up for re-election amid a firestorm of corruption allegations, we may just get rid of him this time around.

Mike's vision for Tent City: I will modernize the facility to include basic climate controls. Modern jail security tactics will also be put in place to prevent the current rate of "walk-away" escapes and protect the surrounding neighborhoods. In addition, I will insure that the facility is fully staffed for public, employee, and inmate safety.

Join Mike's Facebook page

Mike answering questions at the Phoenix New Times

My Mum recently sent the letter below to Mike, and we are coordinating with his team: 

Dear Mr Stauffer,

My son, Shaun Attwood, spent 26 months in Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s jail on drugs charges. He fully acknowledges that he committed a crime and deserved to be punished. So do I, his mother, but I was appalled by the inhumane conditions prevalent in Arpaio’s jails, and the lack of rehabilitation facilities.

Shaun once asked a guard how Sheriff Joe got away with such illegal jail conditions and was told that the world has no idea what goes on in here. Shaun decided he would let the world know. While still incarcerated he started to write a blog jonsjailjournal to highlight the atrocities in Arpaio’s jails. Fear of reprisals meant he had to smuggle his writing out of the jail with his legal papers. He sent it home to us, his parents, in the UK. We posted it anonomously on the Internet and it was only when the BBC and Guardian newspaper wrote  articles about it that the blog attracted international media attention and Shaun went public.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2004/sep/08/g2.onlinesupplement

It documents prisoners in cells with temperatures of up to 138 degrees, with only swamp coolers as air conditioning, sitting in pools of sweat, resulting in skin serious infections.

‘The temperature outside is 114 degrees. The trickle of air into our cells feels like hot air blowing from a hair dryer. We are soaked in sweat all day and night. It is difficult to write on this sweat-moistened paper. The majority now have skin infections and rashes, which persistently itch. My skin is so soggy from perspiration that when I scratch it the skin detaches and I end up with clumps of it under my fingernails. Currently, it is hard to stay conscious because the swamp cooler is barely blowing. Inmates are dropping like flies. Here, filth, squalor and disease are the norm.’

The cells are infested with cockroaches. The guards come in and spray the prisoners with chemicals that merely intoxicate the cockroaches.

‘Mark and I have used six tubes of AmerFresh toothpaste and six ounces of Razorless Beard Remover cementing cracks in the walls. The cockroaches still flood our cell every night and I have awoken numerous times this week to observe my hair stood on end and cockroaches crawling on my body.’

His blog tells of food containing parts of dead rats, gang violence, drug taking and death, inflicted on inmates by Arpaio’s guards as well as other prisoners, resulting in millions being paid out in law suits by the tax payers of Phoenix, as you are already aware.

When Shaun started to write home about the conditions I could hardly believe that this was allowed to happen in America. If he had been arrested in a developing country it would have been unacceptable, but expected, not in America. Shaun spent all of his time in prison reading, writing and improving himself. He was self-motivated. Many of the inmates need a helping hand to motivate them to do something better with their lives, and to avoid criminal behaviour.

Appearing to be soft on crime is not popular, but I know that you are dedicated to making Maricopa County a better place for all its citizens, even those who may have broken the law, and I’m sure you will agree that treating inmates like animals, and keeping them in sub human conditions, will not make them better people. It is more likely to breed a hatred of authority and encourage anti-social behaviour, as the crime statistics in Phoenix prove. Tent City is a disgrace, and I agree with your plans to provide work and education for the inmates, rather than lying around where they are more likely to indulge in further criminal behaviour.

Since his release Shaun has written a book Hard Time which exposes human rights abuses by Sheriff Joe Arpaio in the Arizona jail system. The pink boxer shorts, prison stripes and return of chain gangs are well known in the media circus that is Joe Arpaio, and he is proud of his ‘tough on crime’ image, but I feel that most Americans would be shamed by the treatment of the unsentenced inmates in Arpaio’s care.

America was good to Shaun. He went to America a penniless student, having graduated from Liverpool University with a business degree. He worked hard and became a stock market millionaire, but then lost it all through involvement with the Rave scene and Ectasy. He served 6 years in total. He has been home for 3 years and has completely changed his life, and now talks to teenagers in schools and colleges about the dangers of going down that path. His book is a cautionary tale for young people. A teacher at one of the schools where he did his talk said it should be on the national curriculum.

Although I am deeply ashamed of the crimes my son committed, I am proud of the way he has rehabilitated himself. He gets constant emails from the students he talks to telling him how his talk has changed their lives. Since his release he has worked tirelessly writing Hard Time which was published in the USA by Skyhorse Publishing in May 2011 and published in the UK by Mainstream a division of Random House. I am taking the liberty of enclosing a copy of the UK edition of Hard Time as I feel the contents may be of help to you.

We are an ordinary family from the north west of England. I am a retired teacher and my husband has a small insurance business. We were devastated when Shaun was arrested, and I had a nervous breakdown, but with the support of friends and family we got through it. It is a nightmare that could happen to any family. He has rehabilitated and redeemed himself through hard work, and if he can save other young people from getting involved in drugs our suffering will have been worth it.

I am a great admirer of your work, and what you are trying to achieve in Arizona, I hope you will help to stop the wrongs that are being purpetrated by Joe Arpaio and help to end this abuse. I wish you luck with your campaign, and although Shaun cannot return to America, if there is anything Shaun or I can do to help you in the pursuance of your election, please contact us.

Yours sincerely,

Barbara Attwood

Manchester Trafford Centre Waterstone's Book Signing This Saturday

I shall be signing copies of Hard Time on Saturday August 20th, 2011 - Waterstone's, Trafford Centre, Barton Dock Road, Manchester, M17 8AA (0161 749 8623) from 11am until 4pm.

The next signing is Guildford: Saturday August 27th

More info

Click here for the previous book signing blog 

Shaun Attwood

Eight 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.

It’s been 8 years and 9 months since my arrest for burglary. In 8 months, I’ll be paroled on my 11¼ year sentence.

Although I’m a little nervous, and have been for a while now, the reality of my nearing release date hasn’t completely set in yet. It still seems so far away.

I’ve noticed that my attention span for things I’ve kept myself busy with in this stagnant prison system has grown short, such as my writing and artwork. My thoughts often bounce all over the place.

I’ve been in the process of buying my first home in Northern Arizona, which should be complete within a month. A place to call home and make good memories.

I’m working on my final project for a college course I paid for. A business law course. I’ve got 5 out of 15 short essays completed.

I recently received disciplinary sanctions for a dirty U.A. [pee test]. No worries though. I didn’t relapse onto heroin or crystal meth. I tested positive for morphine. I was borrowing over-the-counter pills (IBU’s, aspirin, etc) from other inmates for joint pain. Well, one of them, with a dirty U.A. of his own, slipped me a morphine pill and told the guards I was doing drugs in order to get out of his disciplinary ticket.

Unable to do anything about it, I explained my situation and pled guilty. It’s unfortunate. I have appealed to the unit deputy warden to dismiss the case or at least to reduce my disciplinary sanctions.

The other inmate got me good, but I’m going home in 8 months, so I’m not risking my release by retaliating. I’ve given too many years up by not caring. I care now.

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

Click here for Shane’s blog Persevering Prison Pages.

Shaun Attwood

Chester Waterstone's Book Signing

When we arrived at Waterstone’s, the events manager said the recent record by a non-celeb author was 26 copies sold. After guaranteeing to smash that, we only sold five in the first hour. Footfall was highish – an eclectic mix of tourists not exactly out on the hunt for a true-crime book. To smash the record, something had to be done. 

We used the same strategy as last week in Southport. Mum positioned herself outside of the store with someone dressed in the jail outfit – her friend, Chris – pitching passers-by Hard Time. Thanks to the tremendous help of Mum, Chris, the Waterstone's staff and even the town crier of Chester, David Mitchell, who was out pitching the book, we sold 40 copies.    

 Events manager, Jed

 With book seller, Jenn

Upcoming Waterstone's signings this month:

Manchester, Trafford Centre:  Saturday August 20th

Guildford: Saturday August 27th

More info on this month’s signings

Click here for the previous booksigning blog 

Shaun Attwood

Chester Waterstone's Book Signing This Saturday

I shall be signing copies of Hard Time on Saturday August 13th, 2011 - Waterstone's, 14 Eastgate Row, Chester, CH1 1LF (01244 345 066) from 11am until 4pm.

I'm offering a free signed copy of Hard Time to anyone who wants to assist at any of the signings by dressing up in a black and white jail outfit and handing out flyers.  

Upcoming signings this month:

Manchester, Trafford Centre:  Saturday August 20th

Guildford: Saturday August 27th

More info

Click here for the previous book signing blog

Shaun Attwood

Question Time with Claudia

Claudia – one of the main characters in Hard Time – was my girlfriend when the SWAT team smashed our door down.

Zara asked: Are you and Claudia still in touch? Did she overcome her drinking problem and her depression?

Shaun: I never got back with Claudia, but we are still friends, and she is helping me with the next book, the prequel to Hard Time. She has a boyfriend, and seems happy now.

Claudia emailed:

To answer the reader's question, I barely drink anymore :) Only to have fun, not to escape! And it's rare these days that I do. Maybe a glass or two of wine or a few pints of beer at happy hour once a month. I got over that, though it took time. It just kind of disappeared!

And I do suffer from anxiety and depression that comes and goes ever since the arrest. I will be fine for a year or two and then it will hit me. It seems to come around summer time (May-ish and it will last for a few months). Sometimes I get medicine and stay on it for awhile and I will stop when I feel better, sometimes I suffer through it with no medicine. But about every year or two it strikes. It is hard and seems to get worse, but hopefully it will go away over time. I am in the midst of it now and have been for a couple of months. It does seem to be lifting.

Shaun: Claudia, You mention getting a depression every year, whereas around that time, May 16th, I get a yearning to be with you, and I look at your pics - which makes it worse - and read what you are doing on Facebook - and see how happy you seem, and I know after everything I've put you through I don't deserve to disrupt your life, but I still think about you a lot and about what could have been.

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

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

Shaun Attwood

How Drugs Are Smuggled Into Prison (Including The Anal Method)

Tags: keyster keister drugs arpaio jail prison time life inmate prisoner con how to survive phoenix Arizona gangs drug sentence conditions medical human rights "shaun attwood" police cops crime security criminal officer arrested justice personal heroin crystal meth anal smuggling

Southport Waterstone's Book Signing

We sold almost 40 copies at Southport yesterday. The previous author had sold 4, so the manager was happy. The helpful and friendly staff made it a pleasure to be there. 

Upcoming Waterstone's signings this month:

Chester: Saturday August 13th

Manchester, Trafford Centre:  Saturday August 20th

Guildford: Saturday August 27th

More info on this months signings

I'm offering a free signed copy of Hard Time to anyone who wants to assist at any of the signings by dressing up in a black and white jail outfit and handing out flyers. 

Click here for the previous book signing blog 

Shaun Attwood

Southport Waterstone's Book Signing This Saturday

I shall be signing copies of Hard Time on Saturday August 6th, 2011 - Waterstone's, 367 Lord Street, Southport, Merseyside PR8 1NH (0843 290 8599) from 11am until 4pm. Map. 

I'm offering a free signed copy of Hard Time to anyone who wants to assist at any of the signings by dressing up in a black and white jail outfit and handing out flyers.  

Upcoming signings this month:

Chester: Saturday August 13th

Manchester, Trafford Centre:  Saturday August 20th

Guildford: Saturday August 27th

More info

Click here for the previous book signing blog

Shaun Attwood

How Prisoners Are Strip Searched (Including Anal and Foreskin Searches)

This video is my response to this request:

Hi, you mention the intake area in one of your videos. Do they strip search you here? Is it private one on one or a group search? How invasive is it? Is it like in the UK where it is all by verbal instruction? What is the procedure? What happens? What do they make you do? How "thorough" is it?
Do they strip search you at other times? Shakedowns? Post visit etc? Do they strip search you on release too? I have always wondered that? Would be fascinated to know all the details of this for my studies. A video covering this topic would be even better - tell us, so any guys facing this jail will know what to expect.

Cheers

goodyuk

Tags: arpaio jail prison time life inmate prisoner con how to survive phoenix Arizona gangs riot london hackney drugs sentence conditions medical human rights "shaun attwood" police cops crime court attorney security criminal you officer arrested justice personal brutality "foreskin search" foreskin "finger wave" "anus search" "anal cavity" anus "strip search" "anal search" keyster contraband smuggle "maricopa county" "county jail"

Question Time with Chris

Chris is a young person sentenced to a UK prison for death by careless driving. Chris crashed while under the influence of drugs. His passenger/best friend died.

Jose in San Diego asked:

Are there U.S. influences i.e. black, white, Crips, Bloods, etc. in the UK prison system? How is the gang structure/segregation in there? Violence?

Chris responded:

Firstly, all of the foreign nationals in UK jails tend to stick together in their own groups. The fresh meat coming in merges into their own races for survival, so as not to be outcasts.

Secondly, Bloods and Crips are world famous for violence, and recognised and respected by UK gang members. A quarter of London gangs have now formed alliances with Bloods and Crips.

In YOI (Young Offenders Institute) [equivalent to a JDC (Juvenile Detention Center) in America] American rap stars are influential, such as Notorious B.I.G. and 2pac [Tupak Shakur]. The rappers lead us towards Bloods and Crips. Those in the UK YOI who want to be taken seriously and are dedicated to their gang portray similar images that you see in the US. For example, gang members here have a limp in their walk to act like they’ve been shot or are carrying a gun. 

Hell’s Angels is another US based gang popular in Britain due to their dedication to their own rules.

In the US, poverty figures are much steeper than in the UK, so people in the US are more inclined to join gangs. Initiations are more popular in the US because they’re more dedicated to gang culture than we are.

Gun law is stricter here, so it’s easier for young people in America to get guns. In the UK, they tend to use knives, so contact with the victim is a risk.

It seems that the way young people are raised in the UK influences their motives for joining gangs.

Click here for Chris’s previous blog

Interview With A Crip    

Interview With A Blood

Shaun Attwood

4: Shaun Attwood and Mum Q&A at Aik Saath

3: Shaun Attwood and Mum Q&A at Aik Saath

2: Shaun Attwood and Mum Q&A at Aik Saath

1: Shaun Attwood and Mum Q&A at Aik Saath

2: Shaun Attwood's Mum Speaks to Young People at Aik Saath

1: Shaun Attwood's Mum Speaks to Young People at Aik Saath

T-Bone v Anonymous

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.

Anonymous wrote: 

Enough with the god nonsense. If a god existed that was even remotely merciful or loving, T-Bone wouldn't be in the situation he or those people are in. God has plans for T-Bone by ruining his life and making him caretaker over sexually abused criminals? I think T-Bone exaggerates his stories and relies on the god bit to garner support or sympathy for being a thug who still gets into trouble and can't keep his hands off people. This is what you get when you deal with irrational thinkers and people who believe in silliness like bronze age bible myths. Playing the god bit to justify violence and being in jail is sickening. If this is what is considered a hero to some readers, they need to get out more.

T-Bone responded:

Why be so negative because I trust in God? I’ve made a lot of stupid mistakes, and I can look myself in the mirror and say I’ve changed. I don’t use people or pretend to be someone I’m not. God has gifted me with abilities, and I allow him to work through me.

Because of your attitude, I believe that you have either been pushed around or you have been pushing people around.

I make no excuses for my behavior, and I’ve made a conscious decision to never come back to being a prisoner. I am into working, finding a decent woman, and living life to its fullest.

Another thing: the guards and administration don’t do anything about rape. I am no hero. Jesus is. He gives me the ability to do right. If Christ wasn’t in my heart, I would just sit back and do nothing like the rest of the naysayers. God is love, and love is action. I believe people should stand up when God calls them to do so. He will protect you and guide you if you trust in him completely.

So whoever you are who doesn’t believe because you “get out a lot,” I’d like to meet you one day, and show you the scars on my body from standing up and being worldly. I hope that will show you that you can’t push the truth aside

Peace to you, Anonymous. I will pray for you.

T-Bone 

Click here to join the T-Bone on Facebook

Click here for T-Bone previous fight story T-Bone v Fierce

Click here for T-Bone rearrested.

Links to the Kindle ebook: T-Bone:
Click here for the UK version. 
Click here for the US version. 
Or download to your PC or any other device from Lulu.com.
All proceeds going to help T-Bone in prison.

Shaun Attwood  

Attacked by Alan Kurtz

Last month my book, Hard Time, was reviewed at Blogcritics by Greg Barbrick. This week I received an invitation from Blogcritics to submit reviews, which I accepted.

With 1 in 100 adults in prison in America, interest is high in prison memoirs. Having read that genre extensively, I figured it would be in the public interest to write my first review about the prison memoir I enjoyed the most, which happens to be Mother California by Kenneth Hartman. I submitted my review last night, and went to bed.

I woke up this morning to an article written by Alan Kurtz who is banned from Blogcritics. He is accused of creating “a personal site solely to embarrass and diminish the reputation of our writers.” Which is exactly what he has tried to do to me.

By focussing on my crimes and the crimes of the author of Mother California, Alan hasn’t balanced his article out by stating how myself and Kenneth Hartman have and are still presently taking measures to redeem ourselves. Kenneth, who is never getting out of prison and takes full responsibility for his life sentence, is constantly campaigning for human rights. I’m getting emails all week long from students who have heard my talk to schools such as this one a few days ago:

You came into my school this week to talk about your life so far. Firstly your talk was amazing (and so was your life it would appear) it was the highlight of almost everyone’s day. Secondly I have also recently started taking some of the less hardcore drugs as a follow on from smoking. I didn't really see how a few highs here and there could cause a problem, but your story really spoke to me. Thanks for taking the time to come in to my school

Click here for more testimonials.

Alan also seems surprised that my prison blog features stories about criminals. Well, duh! By focussing on BHF’s story as told by BHF, Alan implies that I somehow condone BHF’s acts of violence and torture, which is simply untrue. Alan even extends this implication to the reader comments following BHF’s story.

Alan this may be news to you but Jon’s Jail Journal is a platform for prisoners to share their stories, and for readers to make their own minds up and post their opinions.

Alan, you might stand a chance of getting reinstated as a Blogcritics writer if you stop diminishing the reputation of writers by painting biased pictures of people to suit your own purposes.

Shaun Attwood

Medical Issues (Part 1 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.

For the past nine months, I’ve had either an earache, headache, sore throat, light-headedness, or nausea. I’ve lost at least 20lbs. If it ends in ache, I’ve felt it. I thought I had a bug and it would pass, but it hasn’t.

I woke up one morning three weeks ago with an earache and a sore throat. Tired of not feeling well, I decided to report it to Medical. I got a Health Needs Request form (HNR), and sat down at the metal desk in my cell. It was silent and I was alone. I stared at the blank page, unsure what to say, where to start, how to describe what is wrong with me.

The pen hit the paper and my long list of symptoms poured onto the page. I asked to be tested for diabetes, thyroid, anemia, infections and cancer. When I read what I’d wrote, I felt a little like a hypochondriac.

Panic set in. My palms began to sweat. I rubbed my hands on my pants and walked the HNR to the drop box, telling myself, It is better to know you are a hypochondriac than really being sick. I dropped the HNR. My day ended with more questions and concerns than I’ve had in a long time.

Click here for Renee’s previous blog

Shaun Attwood

True Stories Told Live

These pics just came in from a story-telling event I did earlier this month in London called True Stories Told Live. I was one of six speakers. I only had ten minutes to talk, not easy to do as I'm used to speaking for one-hour. The event sold out. The audience was about 240 people.

 Impression of T-Bone

Impression of my former cellmate, BHF, a serial home invader torturer who would break into houses and take a hammer to people's kneecaps.

 Impression of Xena about to cut his man parts off.

Video of me high on the buzz of telling my story at TSTL. It was an amazing experience and any raconteurs who would like to give it a go should contact David Hepworth or Kerry Shale at TSTL. 

Shaun Attwood

Woking Waterstone's Book Signing

Even with the much appreciated help of my assistant Charlotte, we only sold three copies of Hard Time in the first hour.

“It’s going to be a long day,” Charlotte said.

“I’m praying for heavy rain, so they’ll come to the mall,” I said. “A lot of students from SJB have been sending me messages on Facebook saying they are going to show up, but students are so fickle, you never know.”

Earlier in the week, I spoke at Saint John the Baptist School (SJB) in Woking. Hundreds of students packed into a room with no seats. They ended up being one of the most responsive audiences yet, laughing riotously when I told them about Frankie sticking a love letter under my cell door, proposing we have a gay prison marriage. I departed with a big smile on my face.

Around lunch time, SJB students started to arrive. Followed by more students. Then even more students. Students with parents. SJB students with students from other schools. Students in gangs of four and five. And none of them left. They filled up half of the store. More and more students. So many that the customers had a hard time getting to the tills. Customers watched fascinated as Charlotte shot photos and videos. Some onlookers, infected by the buzz, bought the book. I was signing books solidly for an hour.


Video: talking to students.

Two students, including Kassia (centre) and Anna, dressed up in jail outfits and handed flyers out in the mall.

At least five different parents showed up to thank me for the influence the talk had had on their children.

“My son has being going on about your talk all week,” said a parent. “He never speaks to me right after school. I ask him how his day has been and he just grunts alright. The day of your talk, we couldn’t shut him up. He went on and on and on, and he’s still talking about it.”

Video: Feedback from eloquent SJB student on my talk.

With Daniel from my BodyCombat class.

After the incident with the mechanical cockroach and the security guards at the Watford mall, I was concerned that Kassia and Anna would get told off for handing flyers out by the security guards in the Woking mall. When these two security guards burst into Waterstone's wielding walkie-talkies that were crackling like crazy, I braced to be reprimanded. I was surprised and delighted that they had arrived on the scene to buy the Hard Time.
 

With Hannah (of the palindromic name).

A big thank you to the SJB parents and students who showed up at the signing, especially the students handing flyers out. The store had sold out of books by 2.30pm, almost 50 copies, and we got to leave early.

Click here for the previous signing blog.

The next four book signings are in August: Southport, Chester, Manchester and Guildford. Click here for full details.

Shaun Attwood   

Woking Waterstone's Book Signing This Saturday

I shall be signing copies of Hard Time on Saturday July 16th, 2011 - Waterstone's, Unit 44, The Peacocks Centre, Woking, Surrey, GU21 6GD (01483 767 564) from 11am until 4pm. Map.

Click here for the previous book signing blog

Shaun Attwood

From Polish Avenger (Letter 4)

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.

Hello there, Old Bean!

Yes, believe it or not, you are indeed reading that most scarce of commodities, that superbly rare item, that additionally overdramatic superlative description – a letter from yours truly! Yes, contrary to rumours and myth, they do still exist. And I do apologize for the exceptional doldrums in my writing.

A number of things all collided and put my mind quite out of the literary mode for a while, no great crises or tragedies, more of a gradual slide into the tamasic realm of sloth, indolence and distraction. But I’m sloughing all that off now, and reinvigorating. It just may be time to re-emerge from out ’neath the proverbial rock I’ve been living under.

The fellows here carry on as they do. T-Bone dropped by to visit us for a short while. Jack’s chemo is coming along quite well. Stubborn old Marine. Foot wheels him out to the field where they park the wheelchair, then Jack proceeds to wear him out with various callisthenics, and walking laps with a cane. We joke that that’s the way they do chemo in the Corps! His spirits are pretty high, too, and we’ve even got him back to painting a little. Leukemia’s a real bastard to beat, but if anyone’s got a fighting chance, it’s our boy Jack.

Click here for Shit Slingers V.
Click here for Letter 3 from Polish Avenger.

Our friends inside appreciate your comments.

Shaun Attwood  

Review of Hard Time by Greg Barbrick at Blogcritics

"English Shaun" Attwood was a British expatriate living the high life as a stockbroker by day, and an Ecstasy-dealing raver by night. The combination of big money and lots of drugs is always a bad one, but it became a nearly fatal one for him. You see, Attwood's crimes took place in Phoenix, Arizona - home of the notorious Sheriff Joe Arpaio. The abuses, graft, violent conflicts of interest, and other crimes committed in Arpaio's jails have been documented before. But never by someone who spent two years inside.

Attwood's new book, Hard Time: Life with Sheriff Joe Arpaio in America's Toughest Jail describes the conditions of the (then) young man's stint in these "temporary" holding facilities. The author was being housed in these jails before being actually sentenced to prison. The reason he was unable to bail out was that his was set at $1.5 million, a figure much higher than Arizona's finest murderers routinely receive. The result of his ordeal is this sickening account of absolute sadism under the guise of law and order.

The jail environment is not supposed to be a pleasant one. But how bad should it be allowed to get? It seems Sheriff Arpaio's mission is to find out just how far he can push things. The inmate death toll under his watch is the highest in the nation. In these jails, an integral part of the food supply is baloney sandwiches, made from moldy bread and a green baloney that is delivered in boxes stamped "Not Fit for Human Consumption."

There is no system of air-conditioning at all (remember, this is Arizona - where temperatures often top 100 degrees), and the medical care is non-existent. Evidently the cockroaches feed off the pus generated by the MRSA-infected sores of spider bites.

While reading Hard Time, I often cringed at some of the situations Attwood described. Some of these instances seem to come straight out of the old HBO series OZ. While the author admits his guilt right up front, and expects to do prison time, we need to remember where all of these deaths and other atrocities are occurring. Sherriff Arpaio's jails are holding people accused of crimes. Nobody there has been convicted or sentenced yet. Have we reached the point where the mere filing of a charge is enough to send someone to this type of hell hole?

Shaun Attwood was eventually sentenced to nine years in prison for his drug activities. He has since been released, and now speaks to teens as an anti-drug crusader. He also says that the two years he spent waiting to be sentenced in Arpaio's jails were far worse than the nine he spent in prison.

What makes Hard Time so readable is Attwood's obvious talent as a first time writer. There is no "woe is me" tone present, or prevarication about his being non-violent crimes. He takes his lumps, but he also shows just how ridiculous the whole situation there is. For example, he claims that he had never seen as much crystal meth on the outside as he did on the inside. Meth is a particularly nasty drug to have floating around in an already extremely dangerous environment. He is very lucky to have survived for two years.

There are also a number of humanizing moments, that he and his various cell mates share over time. These little glimpses of humanity in the midst of such squalor open up this tale to the rest of us. I certainly could not help wondering what I would do if faced with such a situation. Yes, of course, jail is intended as a deterrent, but this is like being thrown into the lion's den.

Hard Time is a fascinating first-time book, and an eye-opening look at what is going on in the Phoenix jail system. This trampling of basic human rights needs to be addressed. Unfortunately, it seems Arpaio has so much power as to be immune. Just ask the former publisher of Arizona's New Times newspaper, who was arrested in 2007 while investigating the abuses of the jail system. The investigation ended immediately.

Hopefully Shaun Attwood's new book will cast more light on this intolerable situation. It is a harrowing, and at times oddly humorous account of life in hell. I only wish it was a fictional tale, because things like this should not be going on in America today. Hard Time is eye-opening, to say the least.

Link to the previous review

Link to the previous review by a prisoner

From Warrior (Letter 11)

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 apologize for the absence in writing. Geez, where should I begin? Well, after a few hospital emergency-room visits, a civil federal lawsuit, and a new prison yard later, here I am still fighting for my life, fighting the system in court.

They still have yet to figure out what is wrong with me i.e.) they still have yet to put forth serious effort to investigate what’s wrong.

There is something wrong with my stomach. I’m in pain daily and have dropped weight. When a lot of old faces saw me, they tripped out because I used to have some size on me. They thought I was strung out on dope. Hopefully, it is just ulcers and not tumours in the stomach. I’m pushing for a referral to a GI specialist.

After 11 months, they tested me for H. pylori, but when they finally decided to treat me, I was under-treated. Now my concern is that the H. pylori ran undiagnosed to such a degree that it has caused something more severe. I’m having stomach pains, nausea and vomiting.

In my head. I find it ironic that I have endured so much, that I am so close to going home, yet I may have developed something as serious as cancer.

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

The Sheriff Joe Arpaio Jail Experience (by Will) 

I recently received this by email: 

I spent about two weeks in the Maricopa county jail back in 1985 long before Joe Arpaio was sheriff. I was in for drunk in public and they put me in the same holding cell downtown Shaun was in. This was before there were up to 60 men, there were "only" about 30 max in my time (but still too crowded).

There is a memory I'd like to forget, but I can't shake it, and I still wonder if it was real and this is the first I've ever told it. It was packed in there with nowhere to sit. I just stood as close to the door as I could, but there was this black guy sitting on the toilet with his pants down around his ankles, jerking off and singing "please release me let me go, I can't take in this jailhouse no-mo'" to the tune of Englebert Humperdinck's Release Me. When he came all over a bunch of guys sitting on the floor around him, they pummelled him good. As they beat him, he didn't put up any resistance, he just laughed and smiled and thanked them all like he had just put on the greatest show of his life. It still shocks me, thinking about it.