Reading a passage from my first book A Life Inside at the Komedia in Brighton last Tuesday night was great fun. It was hot, the theatre lights were burning down and the room was packed, which meant lots of body heat. But the response was terrific. The event, a cabaret style set of performances by people interested in and connected to Arts activities in prisons was organised by the Arts Alliance – a group of Arts driven charities who work with prisoners and ex-prisoners, introducing creative activities to people who often have had no previous arts experiences. 

Superlative compere Jason Barnett fielded some great people including the wonderful actress and divine singer Denise Black (pictured) who sang with her band The Loose Screw. Eileen Mascoll, who had been supported by Music in Prisons also sang beautifully. Clive Hopwood of the Writers in Prison network gave a fantastic talk and gave us a very funny example of Oral Story telling. As he said, few prisoners can write very well so he uses the Oral tradition as a way in. The final act was the Great British Treasure and rib-breakingly funny Jo Brand - “my husband hates me snoring, especially when we are having sex…” A very generous lady.  

The impact that taking part in creative activities such as music, drama and writing, can have on troubled lives is hard to quantify. But I saw first hand in prison how people made to feel good about themselves were moved to be more considerate towards others, less angry and frustrated and more likely to seek a better way of living. It seemed to me that most people I met in prison did not feel much that was good about themselves, yet when encouraged to feel that they, we, were valuable and had some real worth, were less inclined to want to cause anyone else any harm or distress. It is one of the reasons I passionately support the arts in prisons.  For victims of crime, especially of serious crime, the idea of people in prison appearing to have “fun” with the Arts may be hard to stomach. That is why Jack Straw announced a clampdown on “fun activities” in prison – which did not pass the “public acceptability test.” To me this was a misguided edict – resulting from Mr Straw’s kneejerk reaction to news that the brilliant Comedy Club was running a stand-up comedy course in Whitemoor prison. A niggerdly prison officer leaked the  news to the tabloid press which caused a scandal. Instead of standing up for what Arts activities can achieve for prisoners, increasing confidence, self-worth and the ability to communicate more effectively in a positive way, Mr Straw succumbed to the headlines and shouted from the roof tops NO MORE FUN IN PRISONS!

 Actually if he had that would have been funny – instead he got the Prison Service to issue a PSI (Prison Service Instruction) with the vague public acceptibility test loosely defined. I don’t think that did anything worthwhile for victims and did a lot to undermine the good work that Arts charities do in prisons - not giving prisoners “treats” but helping them find the better part of themselves so that they are less inclined to cause further harm and distress after they are freed. What Mr Straw should really have been incensed about is the outrageous reoffending figures. Across the board around 70 per cent of all released prisoners reoffend within two years of release. That’s what I find hard to stomach.