www.whitechapelsociety.com page 1 www.whitechapelsociety.com December 2016 ON SURVIVING 24 YEARS IN PRISON --- By Norman Parker THE TRIUMPH OF HOPE OVER EXPERIENCE --- By Professor David Taylor JJEREMYEREMY BAMBEBAMBERR --- By Ben Johnson CCC INTERVIEWINTERVIEW---- Ben Johnson in conversation with Trudi Benjamin THE HOWARD LEAGUE FOR PENAL REFORM TTHEHE LITHE LIFELIFE & CRIMES OF DONALD HUME --- By Jonathan Oates ESCAPES FROM EDINBURGH’S CALTON JAIL --- By Malcolm Fife BANGED-UP - Editorial by Frogg Moody n his edition of Casebook: Classic Crime we have taken prison and prisoners as our theme. The timing of this is rather apt as there have been many articles in the national press recently highlighting the difficul- Ities that our prisons are encountering at present. I have always believed that the initial introductory training course undertaken by prison wardens (which at present is only eight weeks) is totally inadequate. I also believe that it would be more beneficial if prison wardens were not only trained for much longer, but as rehabilitators as well as jailers. Casebook: Classic Crime contacted The Ministry of Justice on this point and others but they have so far declined to comment. Is it not a fact that many prisons in the UK are in a deplorable condition and overcrowded? In law, being banged-up is nothing to do with putting you in a terrible establishment to make you suffer. The freedom the prisoner loses is the punishment. If we treat people like animals when they are in prison they are likely to behave like animals. In the UK, our system is focused on punishment rather than rehabilitation and, as the continuing riots prove, it is not working. The criminal justice system has to change and the sooner the better. FACT - Prison suicides are costing the taxpayer up to £300 million a year, according to estimates by a penal reform charity.” (Wigan Today, 13 February 2016) FACT - Between April and June 2016, there were: 9,505 reported incidents of self-harm, of which 665 led to attendances at hospital. There were: 6,086 assaults, including 1,540 assaults on staff. These were the highest figures for a single quarter on record. FACT - Our prisons have been officially overcrowded since 1994. (With thanks to ‘The Howard League for Penal Reform - details of this excellent organisation inside. ) EDITOR/GRAPHICS Frogg Moody: [email protected] EDITORS AT LARGE: Ben Johnson, Samantha Hulass Cover design by Andrew Firth from an original photo by Simon Elsworth Contact:- www.timezonepublishing.com www.whitechapelsociety.com page 2 www.whitechapelsociety.com The Journal of The Whitechapel Society. August 2009 Pay via PayPal at www.timezonepublishing.com Details --- Frogg Moody OFFICIAL [email protected] - 078http://www.casebook-poisoners.com/event.html 2353 0451 www.whitechapelsociety.com page 3 www.whitechapelsociety.com On my previous sentence I had seen men who had THE CENTRAL N‘crackedEWS up’. A ThereGENCY were regular suicides and others had become so eccentric that they had been certified insane and ON sent to one of the special hospitals. The risk of losing one’s mind was every prisoner’s greatest fear. So I looked among my fellow prisoners for human yardsticks to measure against. The majority of men who had served 5 years seemed fully in command of their SURVIVING faculties. Among the much fewer men who had served 10 years a sizeable proportion showed clear signs of eccentricity. Virtually to a man, the handful of prisoners who had served 15 years or more were seriously damaged. 24 YEARS But I was the irresistible force, blessed or cursed with a fanatical self-belief. It was my very strength that had brought me into such violent conflict with the accepted norms of society. Even so, I realised that I would have to IN PRISON make myself immeasurably stronger in order to survive the long years. An immediate problem was the ‘politics’ of the world I lived in. Violence is epidemic in prison. It is truly a warrior society, with strength and viciousness the most necessary qualities for survival. As a notorious killer I would be a target for other violent men wanting to make a name for themselves. Further, the prison authorities are in the business of trying to break the prisoner’s spirit. Intuitively, I felt that the strength of one’s spirit was supremely important. This ruled out trying to lead a low- profile existence. I would have to stand my ground whatever the challenge and if that brought me into conflict, then so be it. It would be extremely stressful, but stress isn’t necessarily the enemy. It is all a question of how one handles it. The strategy I was to adopt would work on two levels, the mental and the physical. The latter was designed to By Norman Parker n 1970, at 26 years of age, I was sentenced to life strengthen my will and was really an interaction between the imprisonment. As much as it was a shock to the mental and the physical. Grueling work-outs up to three system it wasn’t entirely unexpected. I was an active hours a day would hone an obsessive determination that criminal, heavily involved in armed robbery, as well would enable me to make the most rational decision, no as being a known ‘face’ on the, for want of a better matter how much pain and grief it caused me in the short Iterm, underworld scene. term. A welcome by-product of the work-outs was that I had served a previous sentence of 6 years for another I would better be able to defend myself in violent serious offence when I was 18. Far from making it easier to confrontations. accept my present sentence, this, in fact, made it harder. I It was also part of my strategy never to accept the life actually had a reference point to quantify time served sentence. I was a resourceful and determined escaper. The against. I knew just how long, in psychological terms, it had ‘spiritual’ benefits of this was that salvation could come at taken to serve the 6 year sentence. any time. Next week, next month, a successful escape could Further, because of this serious previous conviction, I put me on the street and at the end of my life sentence. realised that I would serve very much longer than the I spent a lot of time in solitary confinement in the early average lifer. The Home Office never gave any guidelines, years. In many ways this worked directly against my so it was all a matter of guesswork. However, I estimated survival plan. Sensory deprivation is the most extreme of that I was looking at somewhere between 15 and 20 years. human environments, one where the mind invariably Quite clearly, I was entering uncharted territory. fractures. However, in line with the maxim ‘that which does Equally clearly. I would have to work out some sort of not kill you makes you stronger’, if you can survive it you survival strategy. do emerge the stronger. www.whitechapelsociety.com page 4 www.whitechapelsociety.com though. I researched the illness and through a combination THE CENTRAL NofEWS diet and exerciseAGENCY largely overcame it. I was phenomenally strong in every way now. I continued to do what I had always done and the time passed. On 20 years they sent me to open prison. Four years later I was released. I have since written six books, one of them a best-seller, with all the others still in print after several years. I became a journalist and travelled all over the world for the Sunday Express and men’s life-style magazines. I attended Surrey University and passed a Master’s degree in criminology. I currently run my own security business in Spain. In conclusion, what I am most definitely not saying is that my life is one to be emulated. The message is, that with a finely honed and focused will, one can overcome seemingly insurmountable problems. Often, the rational, logical decision is plain to see. Equally often, the flesh is weak. Will-power is a muscle It can be strengthened if you have the determination. THE THIRTY SECOND INTERVIEW WITH NORMAN PARKER CCC - Why and when did you decide to write Parkhurst ‘Violence is epidemic in prison. Tales? It is truly a warrior society, NP - I decided to write P.T. when I was sent to Open Prison. I had done 20 years and was to be released in four with strength and viciousness more years. It seemed like a good time. the most necessary qualities CCC - How did you manage to get your first book deal? for survival.’ NP - I networked it. I spoke to a friend who spoke to a friend etc..etc... But if I was the irresistible force, then the institution of prison was the immovable object. Unsuccessful escape CCC - How difficult has it been for you, as a convicted attempts, violent incidents and confrontations with the murderer, to establish yourself as a serious writer? authorities saw me constantly thrown into solitary and/or moved around the country. Emotionally, physically and NP - It has been very difficult to try and distance myself spiritually it was tiring. As I approached my tenth year and from my criminal past. To some I would be 'Norman the my first parole review I realised that it was impossible to Writer', but to others I would always be 'Norman the sustain such a life. Murderer'. But with ten years behind me, other possibilities now presented themselves. Lower security prisons offered better CCC - How many books have you written and is there resourced, less violent regimes that were more stimulating.