I thought I’d do things a little differently this week – I’ll give you a case study about one of the guys in here who I will call John, although that is not his real name.

John is in his 40s and has been inside for a few years. He has a few years left, although he says he isn’t hopeful of parole because of the broken nature of the system. He says he’s “comfortable” in here although he really misses his family and he comes across as calm, open and honest.

This is John’s second prison sentence and he spoke of the difference in his emotional reaction to his experiences. The reason I am giving you this case study is that in his first sentence, he says he was innocent but in this one he admits guilt.

John says that it si so much easier to be in prison now because he is actually guilty of the offences for which he has been convicted. He feels he is in the correct place and does not resent the system which correctly found him guilty. He is just getting on with his time in prison and is looking forward to getting out when the system decides. He told me, however, that his first sentence was a very different experience.

John told me just how difficult he found the first one because of the grave injustice of being found guilty and sent to prison for something he did not do. The level of emotional trauma he suffered was extreme and he feels it changed him significantly.

John described feelings of being torn up inside and he said he felt helpless. He told me how he felt abandoned by the very structures in society that should protect us all and that he lost all trust in police and the whole legal system.

He spoke of a lack of stability although, before he was wrongfully convicted, he had a good job, good relationships with friends and family and was a positive member of society. When he was liberated, he felt like a different person, victimised by the things that should have protected him.

Of course, it cannot be said that his first prison sentence definitely contributed to him subsequently committing crime but when I asked him that direct question he said that he couldn’t imagine committing his crimes if he had had the stability he had before.

Being wrongfully convicted is a truly horrific experience. I hope to god that it will never happen to you but please understand that it happened to me and it could easily happen to you, your husband, sister, son or daughter.

NaN.