Just a grump about a friend of ours who has got himself in PRISON over Christmas. All goes back to a fight over his ex-partner and a couple of missed community service jobs

My missus took his mum and dad to see him at the weekend, he's in Blakenhurst for two weeks. Their first time at a prison and turned away because they had insufficient ID. After return trip they got in; talk about security? sniffer dogs and all that... not much fun.

He's quite comfortable except his cell-mate is a heroine head and they have to do the toilet in the cell 

As they were leaving they realised he's only allowed one visit a week...... he hasn't got his mobile and doesn't know anyone's number.

It's never a happy Christmas for everyone

Nobody would like to swap places with someone in prison - but it is a voluntary exercise of course - unless there's a serious miscarriage of justice of course.

I've just had bad news on Christmas Eve.  A friend of mine/colleague of my late husband, who was diagnosed with cancer just a few months ago, has now been given "one or two days at the most".  That's ruined Christmas for ever for that family.  Plus the family of the friend whose funeral I went to on Friday....

It's always the nicest people.

You can see how much I know about drugs. Heroin I assume 

I don't know much about Jane Austen either, not read any but seen on TV..... not her, adaptations of her writings 

we also passed the George Eliot Hospital. Looks dreadful:




and the statue seems to be a replica of the one in the town!

In just about every case, that's true. My point was that being in prison is punishment enough, whereas some people make out that the inmates are better off where they are. There are, no doubt, some cases where that is also true but, as you say, you can always "volunteer" to go inside if you think you would be better off.

But the worst cases I have come across involve people whose attention lapsed for a few seconds whilst driving, thereby causing a fatal accident. That is hardly voluntary. Of course the death is tragic but it's often overlooked that the person responsible not only has the prison sentence to deal with. He loses his job and has trouble getting another because of the stigma, loses his home because he can't pay the mortgage, and loses his wife and children because she's annoyed at being evicted and losing so much income. None of that is as bad as the death, but it's a position that any of us could find ourselves in if we, for example, pay too much attention to the radio in the car.

I know of someone who was a professional trumpeter, no less. His wife had an affair; so he got drunk one night, went round to the man's house and attacked him. Prison followed. Yes, he was responsible for his actions but passions can cloud reason, as I'm sure we all know. I know there are some wicked people out there and the public needs to be protected from them, but not all prisoners chose or "volunteered" to lead their current life style.

Not at all, Milly, and no offence taken. I know you're not like that. And I for one deplore the trend in society for people to blame their actions on anything or anyone but themselves. But when you know people inside, you do see things from a certain perspective. I'm sorry for getting on my soapbox somewhat but it's been an eventful year with one thing and another.

But I'm going to lighten up now. After all, it's Christmas!