Page 93 (1/2)

DAY 202

TUESDAY 5 FEBRUARY 2002

700 am

I putto switch on the Today programme Britain is in the middle of a rail strike There’s no station at North Sea Camp

900 am

Two of the in are up on a ‘nicking’ Once the doctor has pronounced them fit, they will attend an adjudication chaired by Governor Leighton One of them tested positive for cannabis on his latest MDT, and adds ruefully that he expects to be shipped out to a B-cat prison later today Now I knohy he hardly spoke at yesterday’s ht

100 pm

The newspapers are full of stories about David Blunkett’s proposed prison reforms, which seem no more than common sense Anyone with a non-custodial sentence for a non-violent first offence will be placed on i to report to a police station every evening For lesser offences, they would be tagged immediately, with a curfew of 7 pm to 7 am A second offence and they would be sent to prison

As of 1 February, the prison population stood at 67,978 and the prediction is that already overcrowded prisons will be under additional pressure following Lord Chief Justice Woolf’s recent pronounceers

400 pm

Threeif I could critique them Four publishers have turned one down; another says his wife, who is his sternest critic, thinks it’s first class, and the final one seeks my advice on vanity publishers21

420 pm

One of today’s inductees is a Mr T Blair He has been sentenced to six ing, expects to be released after only eight weeks The other Mr T Blair looks set to serve at least eight years

437 pm

I still marvel at what prisoners will have the nerve to ask sister for Today, one inmate has demanded a bottle of aftershave because he has a skin proble, when Linda hands him a bottle and he leaves without another word