The toxicity of two-tier justice

One of the worst things about prison is the rules. Before I was sentenced I’d imagined jail as a rigid, structured, disciplined environment where infractions would be punished without fear or favour. The reality is much, much worse. In our prisons rules are often enforced capriciously or not at all. There’s a two-tier system. A favoured prisoner may be allowed to flout regulations while one who’s seen as difficult or challenging will face consequences and sanctions. Some rules are simply ignored. In my time at Wandsworth the smell of spice or cannabis would often waft from cells on to the landings where prison officers stood. They did nothing. Easier to leave a prisoner in a stupor than deal with the hassle of a cell search. Now, four years later, HM Inspector of Prisons reports exactly the same behaviour.

This lawless culture, where rules matter less than who you are, is utterly toxic. It teaches prisoners that regulations and laws are not objective standards of behaviour, but rather tools for the powerful to harm those they dislike while protecting those they favour.