My Time In Prison by Roy West

A number of people have asked me to write an article about my experience in prison so here is a small insight. More will follow in due course.

Standing in the dock, my solicitor whispered he's called up G4S. It was then that I knew my fate was a prison sentence.

I stood in the dock while my solicitor pleaded for responsible judgement in my case.

A police officer that visits my house at the drop of a hat was sat in court not giving evidence, which prompted my solicitor to ask for conformation as to the cost of having him sat there all day.

The journey to the prison was not a fearful one, nor was I afraid of anything. My sole thought was deep worry for the person/s left behind at home. I told her to be strong in heart and keep the faith of our fathers.

My first night was spent in a single cell with the night sound of others shouting and banging on their cell doors.

Next day was induction including the rules to obey and a run-down of the the punishments for not doing so. Which later I found curious as most of the rules were broken by seasoned insiders. But anyhow, we listened and filled out and signed forms.

I remember the officer giving the induction had a poppy and a flag on his tie.

After the first night we moved of the wing to another, I shared a cell with a seasoned insider a man that broke a policeman's nose.

We were locked 19 hours a day, on weekends it varied by a few hours here and there.

It was a very strange place to be considering I have never been in prison before in my life time, I was in the company of people talking about drugs, stabbing people, hurting people in a brutal ways.

All this time listening to the brutal world of seasoned insiders, I kept my focus on my loved ones on the outside. I kept in contact by phone on the wing, but you had to judge the time because the phones could be taken up by other cons.

We were locked up 19 hours a day, however you had an hour exercise and 45 minutes use of the gym if you wanted it.

I had three cell mates during my seven week incarceration, however there was only one that I felt at ease sharing with.

One thing I can say, that, I was known for being in the BNP, prison officers asked me if I was the Roy West in the papers. Insiders were coming in my cell with the newspaper articles about me.

There's not really much more to say except that my sole thoughts were constantly for Pauline, Mark, Carly and Mandy.

I would say this in my humble opinion, prison does not work only for lifers killers and so on.

It's a life time choice for most of them in there people commit crimes at Christmas just to get in prison and get a bed and food.

I leave it to the people to decided if they think I should have been sent to prison. My stint behind bars was at a cost to the tax payer of over £7,000. Was this money well spent? Was the world a safer place while Roy West was behind bars? Was the jailing of Roy west politically motivated? You decide!