Profile of a Prisoner

• Stan is under 30
• He has a partner and two children but his five year- sentence is in danger of damaging his relationship
• He wasn't too happy about his legal representation at his trial nor about his sentence
• Stan has a cell on his own - and seems to spend most of the day in it. However, he does have a few hours doing work in prison and he occasionally goes to the gym and library
• Unfortunately, Stan finds he can get drugs fairly easily in prison and he's tempted to go back to the habit
• His partner tells him to enrol in a course to address his offending behaviour but for a number of reasons he hasn't been able to do so
• Stan finds prison life hard and lonely. His partner writes to him from time to time but her last visit with the children was over two months ago because they live nearly 70 miles away and travel is expensive
• He looks forward to his release date in a few months time but there are no 'preparation for release programmes' at his prison and he's anxious about getting a job. He was unemployed when he went in and he doesn't want to be unemployed for long after he leaves
• Stan has to admit that although his imprisonment costs the taxpayer more than £80,000 on this occasion it hasn't prepared him for a lawful and useful life outside. He just hopes he can make it up with his partner and still have a home to go to

(This imaginary profile is based on replies to our 1999 Survey)