1st hand experience of over half a dozen prisons, All old Victorian ones except the DC I was sent.
See above.
You have a good memory.
If you are homeless.. Why not go to prison?
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1st hand experience of over half a dozen prisons, All old Victorian ones except the DC I was sent.
See above.
You have a good memory.
If you were motivated enough to do that you likely wouldn't be homeless for too long anyway... there are plenty of easily accessible resources out there to help people who want an need help.
You are being naive, there are plenty of homeless shelters etc.. in the UK and help is available for people if they want it. A lot of people who you see begging aren't necessarily sleeping rough but might well have temporary accommodation, a place in a hostel, half way house etc..
People sleeping rough for an extended period of time are usually doing so because in some weird way they want to above the other choices available to them - shelters/hostels, potential further help or prison.
Soldato
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tbh, given the system of benefits in this country I wonder how you can get homeless folk at all. theres one in my local town but he's a few sticks short of a bundle and I reckon he wants to be homeless rather than go to the dole
If I was homeless id just attempt a bank job. Win win situation!
(or cash in hand work)
One of my friends is currently doing 8 years (dont ask) and from what he says its pretty much what he did at home anyway... Eat, exercise, play some games, have a ham shank, eat, go to bed - He is probably talking a load of rubbish though.
Either way, if thinking that's what it entails gets him through his time, so be it
(or cash in hand work)
One of my friends is currently doing 8 years (dont ask) and from what he says its pretty much what he did at home anyway... Eat, exercise, play some games, have a ham shank, eat, go to bed - He is probably talking a load of rubbish though.
Either way, if thinking that's what it entails gets him through his time, so be it
Hardly.
I've never heard of paying any of your meals for protection. I've never heard of any protection racket in jail, and I've worked in one for the last 9 years. They might get taxed for tobacco/drugs, basically robbed or bullied for it.
The most hardened of criminals are in and out of jail all the time, their friends are there and it's a social thing where they can hammer the gym for 6 months and chill out.
Don't get me wrong, to some people it isn't easy inside jail, but others appear to enjoy themselves without a care in the world.
Yeah, he's telling the truth.
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I wonder that too sometimes looking at people sleeping on the street. I think though that most of them could probably be somewhere else if they really wanted to but probably don't want it for whatever reason maybe they want to be left on their own and drink, take drugs but am sure there are all sorts of reasons.
I was in prison in 2008 and definitely wouldn't want to go back. When I knew I was probably going to prison I was ******** myself about it and going in felt like the end of the world for me back then but you get through it and after the first few weks you do sort of settle in. Like I said I never want to go back but if it happened it wouldn't be nearly as bad as it was first time.
Lucky for me 5 years on and life is back to normal - my own place, job, girlfriend and I've not been in trouble again except for stupidly getting arrested for being drunk and disorderly last year. Didn't walk away when I was told. Being cuffed and put in a police van and hearing the cell door bang brought it back to me. It was a good reminder for me. Lucky I just spent the night there, sobered up and got a police breakfast and got a fine and was on my way
I was in prison in 2008 and definitely wouldn't want to go back. When I knew I was probably going to prison I was ******** myself about it and going in felt like the end of the world for me back then but you get through it and after the first few weks you do sort of settle in. Like I said I never want to go back but if it happened it wouldn't be nearly as bad as it was first time.
Lucky for me 5 years on and life is back to normal - my own place, job, girlfriend and I've not been in trouble again except for stupidly getting arrested for being drunk and disorderly last year. Didn't walk away when I was told. Being cuffed and put in a police van and hearing the cell door bang brought it back to me. It was a good reminder for me. Lucky I just spent the night there, sobered up and got a police breakfast and got a fine and was on my way
Soldato
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I would attempt a bank job (or theft/fraud etc) way before i am homeless.
Still for quite a few years when a homeless person asks me for money i think, you have more money than me..
A told a couple of them that, don't think it sinks in. I mean sure they have £2.. but i had minus £20,000.
Soldato
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People only view homelessness from their own perspective. You live in a home and couldn't imagine why on earth anyone would want to be homeless, especially when their are many systems in place to aid them. There are a fair few homeless people who actually prefer to live this way, I know of a few at least and they prefer to live their lives moving from squat to squat and sleeping rough, it's the lifestyle that they are used too and tare not interested in conforming to what we would see as a normal lifestyle.
Of course you have your runaways etc which usually have some kind of sad story behind them.
Soldato
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I have been homeless 5 years ago because of a failed marriage. I can tell you the last place I would have wanted to end up was prison, think I would rather have died.
I still had a business but it was failing at that point not giving me a good enough credit rating to rent privately. I got a room for awhile but then I was struggling to pay the rent on that as clients were delaying payments more and more.
I then went on to sofa surfing at friends with the odd night sleeping in my car. The odd night soon turns into more nights as I worried I was intruding more and more on people. I read that sofa surfing is not always classed as homeless with some councils so the official homeless figures are fudged.
Then my health failed which finished off what was left of my work and I ended up in hospital. My lifestyle had caused a stomach ulcer that ruptured which I apparently was lucky to survive from.
However the ulcer then became my stroke of luck in a strange kind of way. They wouldn't discharge me so the council had to step in and house me. After a few months I was back on my feet working and trying to get my life back.
It was the most horrible, soul destroying thing not having a roof over your head. You can feel everything slipping. Your health, your appearance and your mental well being. If you get sick you can't see a doctor as you can't have a GP without an address.
The times I contemplated ending my life during that time I couldn't count. I was probably too coward to do it. The worse thing was the humiliation of it all, going from being a very independent person to someone begging for help.
It certainly has changed me, some for the better and some for the worse. I have far more compassion for people who find themselves out of work or worse. I now spend a few evenings working for food banks and delivery food to people who need help, some of them are homeless as well.
The downside is I use to be a patient, caring passive person. I would have done anything to avoid confrontation but that has changed. I have changed to not take any rubbish of anyone and will not back down, I would have been calm and collective and normally talked people down. This has almost ended up in violence more than once.
Before this I would have never have thought this could have happened to me. I had a wife, we had 2 businesses, a young son and a family. It can happen to more people than you think, the most loyal friends and family can only help for so long leaving you alone.
To get back to the OP. Homeless doesn't only mean sleeping rough, it is a spiral that leads to it. People sleeping rough is only the tip of the real homeless problem. If all the real homeless committed crime the prisons would probably collapse.
I still had a business but it was failing at that point not giving me a good enough credit rating to rent privately. I got a room for awhile but then I was struggling to pay the rent on that as clients were delaying payments more and more.
I then went on to sofa surfing at friends with the odd night sleeping in my car. The odd night soon turns into more nights as I worried I was intruding more and more on people. I read that sofa surfing is not always classed as homeless with some councils so the official homeless figures are fudged.
Then my health failed which finished off what was left of my work and I ended up in hospital. My lifestyle had caused a stomach ulcer that ruptured which I apparently was lucky to survive from.
However the ulcer then became my stroke of luck in a strange kind of way. They wouldn't discharge me so the council had to step in and house me. After a few months I was back on my feet working and trying to get my life back.
It was the most horrible, soul destroying thing not having a roof over your head. You can feel everything slipping. Your health, your appearance and your mental well being. If you get sick you can't see a doctor as you can't have a GP without an address.
The times I contemplated ending my life during that time I couldn't count. I was probably too coward to do it. The worse thing was the humiliation of it all, going from being a very independent person to someone begging for help.
It certainly has changed me, some for the better and some for the worse. I have far more compassion for people who find themselves out of work or worse. I now spend a few evenings working for food banks and delivery food to people who need help, some of them are homeless as well.
The downside is I use to be a patient, caring passive person. I would have done anything to avoid confrontation but that has changed. I have changed to not take any rubbish of anyone and will not back down, I would have been calm and collective and normally talked people down. This has almost ended up in violence more than once.
Before this I would have never have thought this could have happened to me. I had a wife, we had 2 businesses, a young son and a family. It can happen to more people than you think, the most loyal friends and family can only help for so long leaving you alone.
To get back to the OP. Homeless doesn't only mean sleeping rough, it is a spiral that leads to it. People sleeping rough is only the tip of the real homeless problem. If all the real homeless committed crime the prisons would probably collapse.
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Soldato
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in hull the police chopper used to hover over the prison in the early hours (3-4am) and shine lights into the cells. i guess to wake the cons up?
must have annoyed the people living around that area too as they arent very quiet.
not everyone in prison is some evil nasty baddy, but there are plenty in there too.
If they did , they aren't allowed to. There are "no fly zones" over prisons.
Soldato
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the problem is the massive differences in prisons. some have nice beds, duvets, ok wages and TVs. some just have a blanket on a camp bed, no electricity and miniscule wages (10p an hour etc). generally private prisons are much nicer and more relaxed than state run ones.
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Some people would rather be homeless than do something bad to end up in prison. Not everyone is bad that ends up homeless. It could be literally anyone!