Dear Readers,
Sorry for the intermittent posting, as the law students among you will know this is a very busy time of year on the BPTC. Revising for BSB exams, non-gateway pupillage applications and trying to fit in all my pro-bono commitments.
As some of you may know since September 2015 I have been volunteering as a Vocalise debate mentor. This involves going into prisons across London and teaching prisoners how to debate and express themselves in a non-violent, non- threatening manner. This has by far been the most rewarding voluntary placement of my life so far and so I thought I would share with you all the top 5 things I have learnt.
1. Debating is vital- as much as I love debating personally I did not realise how important it would be for prisoners. It was not just about debating current affairs or what you would do if you were the last human on Earth, it is about giving the voiceless a voice, giving people who have given up on the outside world and themselves freedom within the confines of the prison walls, to feel like they matter. The whole experience was about prisoners being heard and feeling 'normal' and part of the world again. This for me made this a unique and profound experience.
2. Prisoners are people too- as much as this sounds obvious, I did not expect the emotional reactions in prison to be as varied as they were. I am now acutely aware of the reality of prison life. Prisoners know how people in the outside world feel about them. Prisoners feel outcast, rejected and as if the people who live in society want to take their rights away. This saddened me deeply and has made me decide that I must do more to help the prison community in future.
3. Prison is a community- and no I don't mean just in the 'Orange is the new black' sense. Prisoners are aware that they have been segregated and may never be accepted by society again. This creates an intense bond within the prison community that in some cases overrides gang loyalties. I think there is a lot the outside community can learn from the way prisoners remain loyal to one another, form a great sense of camaraderie and remain aware of their position within the outside world.
4. People outside of prison take way too much for granted- seeing people incarcerated taught me to value the smallest things in life. I can walk outside when I want, I can visit family and friends whenever I like and, within the confines of the law, I have total freedom. This is something that I feel people on the outside do not fully appreciate. Yes, there are problems in the world, no you cannot do WHATEVER YOU WANT but you can, within wide restrictions, move where you want, see whomever you want and say how you feel. In prison this is different, not only are you physically prevented from escape by the prison walls but you are pigeonholed into thinking about your life in a certain way. In prison, you cannot see your family when you want, you cannot say whatever you want because you know there are always people monitoring you. There is very much a Benthamite feeling in prison, you always feel as if you are being watched even though you know it is impossible for prison guards to see where you are 24 hours a day.
5. Law students are blessed- I had no concept of how much prisoners would appreciate the outside contact. I was expecting to be the enemy, especially as an aspiring barristers. The truth is I was not. These people were so humbled that law students had bothered to give up their time to speak to them and more importantly to listen. This truly staggered me. I have never felt more privileged or more of a disappointment. I learnt that I really matter and that despite my concerns about getting pupillage and being good enough to serve my future clients, I can make a difference. The experience taught me never to take my position for granted, never to complain about my workload and never be cynical about this world of almost total freedom that we are blessed to be allowed to live in.