On Saturday afternoon, I drove up to HMP Whitemoor, to visit Billy Little - you might remember his name from the acknowledgements of A Prisoner of Birth. Having served 11 years of his sentence without incident, in a Category A prison, he is now eligible to be moved to a B cat. Billy is half way through his Master of Arts course, and was full of praise for the education department at Whitemoor, and he admits that it will be difficult to find its equal anywhere else. Once he's completed his MA, he then plans to study for a PhD, hoping to leave prison as Dr Billy Little. One would not pretend this was a regular occurance, but it's not as uncommon as you might imagine. I've known three lifers who have left prison with PhDs.
2 Comments:
Ah yes a subject you have a personal interest in. He has done well. I could not aford to do what he has done as all our adult education has to be paid for.
I think there is more oppotunity and help for the criminal than the poor hardworking in our country. I do not feel we should be offerering things to offenders that we do not give to ordinary people. Wrongdoing appears to be rewarded. Hard work is not.
Wrong doing can be rewarded with free education. I live on a narrowboat so am not allowed to vote, sign on, join a library, get a dentist or register with a doctor.
Most of all I want to get a qualification to get a different job. I am so tired of being a cleaner, and I know I could learn to do something else.
Brenda Price
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