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Since 1974, Peter Wayne has spent more than 35 years in jail. Two months ago, he was released from a London prison after serving a three-year sentence. During this period, he kept a journal, from which the following extracts are taken
23 March 2020
That’s it then. The PM has announced the whole country has to go into what he calls “lockdown”. How long it’ll last, nobody knows, but I can’t help feeling just a touch of schadenfreude. After spending over half my life on earth in a proper lockdown situation, I shall be interested to see how law-abiding folk deal with their predicament.
Already, we are hearing disturbing rumours about how COVID-19 is affecting prisoners in gaols all over the world. 28 inmates died in an attempted COVID-19-related break-out from a prison in Colombia.
24 March 2020
The BBC has announced that all prison visits have been cancelled forthwith. For the many father’s as sons in here, this will be a painful blow, as visits are the only real let-up from the ennui of imprisonment.
I work in the visits hall, painting murals on the walls, trying to brighten up the otherwise monotonic colour scheme. As I work, I see the kisses and cuddles on arrival, and the tears on departure. Luckily (not sure if that’s quite the word) I have no family and few friends who are not in prison with me, so the visits ban won’t affect me.
28 March 2020
Today I was told my services in the visits hall will no longer be required. Now there are no visits, there are no staff in the visits complex. I’m unemployed – at least for the duration.
Saw the governor about it. Explained how “essential” my work was to the mental health of the men and, by extension, the “good order and discipline” of the prison. She wasn’t having any of it. Apparently she already has “over 30 officers” off work sick or “isolating” at home.
29 March 2020
Local Notice NTS 044/20 reads: “You may have seen the Government’s announcements about reducing the spread of COVID through ‘social distancing’. In support of this, the prison chaplaincy nationally have instructed all prisons to stop public and group worship. Sermons will be delivered on National Prison Radio during this difficult time. PS: This decision has not been taken lightly.”
As I play the piano for all the Christian services, this is another blow to me personally.
1 April 2020
Much talk of early release of prisoners! Can’t see it myself.
Britain seems to have become a nation opposed to any measures that might in any way reduce sentences. More likely the gossip began as a perverse April Fools’ joke. Not a particularly funny one at that.
2 April 2020
I had always been of the opinion that, after so many years inside, I had learnt how to do my bang-up. I read, I write, I paint. In essence, I lead a civilised life in prison. But I’ve only been on “lockdown” for just over a week, and already the boredom of my own company is killing me.
Have been told they can only unlock essential workers, a maximum of 10 men per wing at any one time. Cleaners, storemen, litter-pickers, laundry workers and canteen delivery boys. No artists, writers or musicians included on their list. In none too good a mood about it. Neither are the 200 plus other lads on the wing in similar unemployed positions. Dissatisfaction is shown by thunderous rolls of fists banging collectively on locked cell doors.
We are out of our cells for only 20 minutes each day, which leaves 23 hours and 20 minutes to fill, seven days a week.
3 April 2020
As if to compensate for the lack of any purposeful activity, the Powers That Be seem to have decided that the way to a convict’s heart is through his stomach. They bring the meals round to the cells now instead of letting us out to the servers. What a lot of food there suddenly seems to be! This evening, we were given four boiled eggs (we usually get one), and a whole jar(!) of smooth peanut butter. Wasn’t complaining. Got through the lot in less than an hour.
To celebrate the forthcoming Easter festival, the chaplain delivered more eggs – this time Cadbury’s cream-filled ones, along with a reproduction of Matthias Grünewald’s powerfully tragic painting of Christ’s crucifixion.
4 April 2020
Noticed they are still putting prisoners straight off the street directly onto the wings. Surely new arrivals should be kept apart from those already settled (and presumably COVID-free) prisoners, who’ve been here for a time before the pandemic began to spread.
Staff are apparently being tested and having their temperatures taken before being allowed in to work. But no prisoners have yet been tested. So far, the virus seems to have circumvented the prison.
10 April 2020
To stop myself from going completely round the bend with boredom, I have decided to join the national effort and have begun to paint COVID-19 awareness posters (using the visiting hall paint, now redundant) in the cell.
The first one is based on an AIDS awareness poster from the 80s. ‘COVID: STOP IT HERE’ it announces in a red bordered triangular road sign. The second one, done in a filthy purple-green, is of the Coronavirus itself, with the legend “KILL IT” scrawled across the centre, 8 feet by 3 feet, on the back of my in-cell noticeboard. Unpleasant and shocking though it undoubtedly is, one hopes it might effectively hammer the necessary message home.
They have started a weekly nationwide clap outside to thank the NHS workers for all their sacrifices. Good to hear last Thursday that we prisoners joined in, albeit within these walls.
14 April 2020
News on TV is still solidly COVID, from Piers Morgan in the morning to Emily Maitlis last thing at night. They are asking for 100,000 volunteers to help deliver food parcels to those old folk having to “shield” in their own homes. Why don’t they enrol low-security prisoners? Surprisingly (some might think) nearly everybody in here wants to do something to help.
It’s good to see pictures of 99-year-old Captain Tom appearing on boards around the prison. One tattooist has done his face on his cellmate’s back! Now that really is getting into the spirit of things.
19 April 2020
Word is travelling fast along the prison grapevine that we have a COVID-19 victim in the prison hospital. Worryingly too, there are several members of staff laid low with the virus. We’ve also heard that two screws in another jail have died of the disease.
Hundreds are dying every day outside. Why should it be any different in here?
21 April 2020
Anybody showing signs of COVID-19 is now being tested immediately and put into isolation cells at the other end of the prison. Their cellmates too are being removed from their normal location and being put into solitary for at least 10 days. There are now over 30 prisoners in this predicament. Not looking good.
28 April 2020
Communication under the door from Care UK, the healthcare provider here. It said: “We have reached a stage where the number of Coronavirus cases has increased, and in order to protect you, we can no longer see patients face-to-face. We appreciate your patience and understanding.”
Bang-up continues. It’s difficult to get accurate information on cases (and deaths) in HM prisons. Fed-up with the whole carry on.
Life is for living, even inside. Eventually we will all die. It’s only a matter of time.
29 April 2020
Lots of shouting from the “window warriors”. They rarely shut up – so many wild young offenders being moved here.
Will canteen (our weekly supplies of goodies) be delivered tonight? Nobody has so far seen the DHL lorry which normally gets here mid-afternoon. Woe betide if that doesn’t turn up eventually.
Oh, hang about. Here it is now. Emergency over (for the time being).
30 April 2020
Received an unexpected visit from the wing manager. As the prison library has been shut since the outbreak, he’s “worried” that prisoners don’t have enough reading material in their cells to pass the time. Would I be prepared to put together a temporary book room in an empty cell on the wing and to deliver the free newspapers they’ve arranged to be sent into the prison since the local newsagents had to close? Damned right I would! Just let me at the books,