Advice Needed - May Be Going to Prison

Victor

dublinshane wrote:

Loads of people are mentioning the smoking. Don’t think I am in the right frame of mind to give up now (smoking more lately) – thought most people in prison smoked anyway! Never really tried roll ups before but I suppose they might have to do.

If you are "good" in prison you are allowed about €5/week pocket money to cover personal hygiene items and luxuries. Whats a packet of cigarettes these days? Pushing €7?

dublinshane

Things have gone well for me in the past week or so. Was in court and it turns out that the case is being taken by the District Court. As you may have guessed I pleaded guilty and now will be sentenced next month. So relieved that this means that the chance of a long sentence are gone (now 1 year max) but have to deal with the chance that I could actually be going to prison in 5 weeks. Anyway it all means that whatever happens this will all be behind me sooner than I feared and allows me to think about the future again. Thanks for all the advice - much appreciated.

blahblah06

thats great shane. it would be great to hear about what happens. dont forget if you need to chat to anyone or need a penpal to keep the time going feel free to pm me

LegacyUser

Unreg User wrote:

They should have thrown us out seperate or interviend in the fight as it was 10 feet away. I feel they have a moral obligation.

I agree, maybe they should have had the sense to through one bunch of hooligans out the front and the other out the back. I don't agree with you saying that bouncers have a "moral obligation" to stop drunken brawl. Sorry, but they are employed to watch the door and the people who enter and leave .. not wrestle drunks. Plus .. they served you cocktails .. you are big boys, old enough to get into a club .. old enough and wize enough to regulate your drink .. so as not to let these sort of brawls occur in the first place.

Might seem rough .. sorry.

bungeecork

dublinshane wrote:

(...) I could actually be going to prison in 5 weeks(...)

(posted October 10)

I haven't seen this mentioned yet, and the OP didn't ask about it, but is Internet access available in ROI prisons?

dublinshane

I assumed there wouldn't be given that there are rules about phone calls and everything else but it would be great if it was.

I only have another week to find out what I am going to get so I'm pretty worried at the moment but at least if the worse happens I will know how long it's going to be and can start counting down the weeks or whatever. For a while I wanted the time to come quickly to get it over and done with but now that it is so close I'm dreading each day.

Thanks for the posts and PMs over the last weeks - I have found some of the stuff really helpful and have taken the advice given as best I can. If things go great and I get off I'll post here - if not, it might be a while.

johnnyrotten

Just keep the head down and chin up.
You may not even get sent down
Best of Luck Man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dave

How does that work? Keeping the head down, and the chin up?

Slutmonkey57b

Unreg User wrote:

(Firstly I would like to point out I realise I am 100% in the wrong here, I take full responsability for my actions, Im just trying to show my scenario to help people understand circumstances)

I got into a fight with one of them, and unfortunatly gave him some serious (but not life threatining) injurys. He had a bruised head and jaw, and a black eye.

I have no idea where this came from, as I had never thrown a punch before in my life. However this all began in a club that served us 5 euro cocktails all night, then threw us out onto the street together and washed there hands of hit and made no attempt to stop it. They should have thrown us out seperate or interviend in the fight as it was 10 feet away. I feel they have a moral obligation.


Now I was an absolute fool for what I did, and I deserved my punishment, but to me that is not justice. Sometimes the "victim" isn't so innocent, and the club allowed a volatile situation come to a boiling point, as if we were still in the club, or if only one group was thrown out, or if we were thrown out seperatly, or if the bouncers had interviend, none of this would have ever happend.

If i had a previous conviction I would have gone to jail.

Why exactly should the staff of the club have intervened in the fight? Why should they risk getting injured to protect a buch of arguing drunkards? You're complaining they served you alcohol all night - big deal. I've been out drinking all night and never attacked anyone. The club didn't "allow" anything to happen - they dealt with a potentially dangerous situation as best they could - by removing the troublemakers from their premesis and protecting the innocent members of the public and the staff of the club from being caught up in your fight. The bouncers didn't protect you - they protected the people who needed protecting, which is exactly what they should have done.

Vangelis

dublinshane,

Yesterday I read an article on unison.ie that an inmate in Mountjoy Prison was stabbed by another inmate in the prison yard. And I thought about you.
I don't mean to make you worried. Just be careful in there and with whom you socialise.

All the Best!
Vangelis

the_syco

bungeecork wrote:

(posted October 10)

I haven't seen this mentioned yet, and the OP didn't ask about it, but is Internet access available in ROI prisons?

Limited access, me thinks, but only on goverment approved sites, I'd say.

Dave wrote:

How does that work? Keeping the head down, and the chin up?

"Keep the head down" = stay out of trouble
"Keep the chin up" = stay optimistic.

Vangelis wrote:

Yesterday I read an article on unison.ie that an inmate in Mountjoy Prison was stabbed by another inmate in the prison yard. And I thought about you.

Ignore this. The man stabbed owed money to various people, some of whom happened to be already in the 'Joy.

rsynnott

dublinshane wrote:

I'm definitely not the prison type but I'm sure that's what the guys involved with the Brian Murphy attack thought too..

No, I'd say they're the prison type alright; remember what they did. They deserved worse than they got.

But you seem fairly reasonable; good luck with it...

EDIT: Having noticed the crime involved, now, I withdraw the 'reasonable'; no excuse, really.

Vangelis

Well, if you've never been to prison before it might be good to take a few precautions.

Sarah**

There hasnt been any media coverage of your case so therefore i waould assume that you wouldnt get any stick in prison.

my heart really does go out to ya!

Hope things work out!

LegacyUser

Sleepy wrote:

DublinShane, it would do you no harm personally (or in the context of your upcoming case ), to attend some AA meetings.

You dont even know this guy, how can u suggest that? AA is for Alcoholics, for all you know, it could have been his first time ever drinking on the night that it happend. People on here come across so rightous.

dublinshane

Vangelis wrote:

dublinshane,

Yesterday I read an article on unison.ie that an inmate in Mountjoy Prison was stabbed by another inmate in the prison yard. And I thought about you.
I don't mean to make you worried. Just be careful in there and with whom you socialise.

All the Best!
Vangelis

Another thing to worry about. It's pretty amazing that that can go on when there are meant to be so many prison officers. This is the thing I worry most about - getting caught up in something like that. As somebody else posted my plan would be just to keep the head down and get on with things as good as possible.

Between the fear of getting attacked and the bad conditions and the fact that there will probably me some hardmen types I don't know how anybody can say that going to prison even for a short time is a joke. If you were facing it I'm sure you wouldn't.

Sarah,
I'm sure there will be a few lines in the local paper after next week so that will be bad on my family and everybody around me - which is a bit unfair on them. I saw the stuff in the paper during the week of the 2 guys involved in the librarian case - full page in the Independent, big pictures of them handcuffed going to jail. Seemed unfair to me. Must be terrible for their families.

bohsboy

So many prison officers? You must be having a laugh. Mc Dowell has cut the prison workforce to a bare minimum and the irish culture for dealing with prisoners is the softly softly approach which has resulted in the lags running the system. An example last week in the throat slashing of a prisoner only one day into his sentence is the latest in prisoner on prisoner assaults.

I can tell you now, jails are bursting with overcrowding. I'd say you will get a two year suspended sentence.

tbh

dublinshane wrote:

. Seemed unfair to me. Must be terrible for their families.

I can see where you are coming from, but they kicked the crap out of a drunk guy, and didn't even have the liathroidi to admit it until it became clear they were going to lose. Terrible for their families, for sure, but 'unfair' is a different, and difficult judgement to make.

I hope everything goes well for you, as I've repeatidly said before, but I'm saying that on the basis that you seem genuinely sorry for what you've done. But again, thats different to being sorry for being caught - or for bringing shame on your family.

Still, all the best
Caimin

Vangelis

dublinshane wrote:

Another thing to worry about. It's pretty amazing that that can go on when there are meant to be so many prison officers. This is the thing I worry most about - getting caught up in something like that. As somebody else posted my plan would be just to keep the head down and get on with things as good as possible.

Between the fear of getting attacked and the bad conditions and the fact that there will probably me some hardmen types I don't know how anybody can say that going to prison even for a short time is a joke. If you were facing it I'm sure you wouldn't.

Oh, dublinshane. Try to look for the possibilities. You know that things like this may happen, but it does not happen very often. Knowing the risk, you can be prepared and aware of the other inmates.

Maybe you can ask a warden which of the inmates one should keep away from, they could give you a clue. The presence of wardens should also add to your feeling of protection. They are there to protect inmates from other potentially dangerous inmates.

It might be a good idea too to keep a low profile and not attract too much attention. But dublinshane, do you know for sure that Mountjoy is where you're going?

Mountjoy does not house the worst criminals in the country. Hope that can be of at least a crumb of comfort.



Vangi

Cindy Love

To Original Poster-

Are you actually sorry for the crime you committed or do you just regret getting caught?...big difference im my opinion.

In terms of advice about doing time. If you feel you run the risk of being attacked some prisoners use magazines cellotaped around the torso (an inch or two thick).Below the nipples so not to impede movement but stuffed into underwear to protect the softer

Chances are in the first day or two you'll be approached by someone wholl want to be your buddy. They may be genuine but they could be the kind of person who has no other prison buddys(for a reason) and if you befriend them you could become guilthy by associtation. Personally id give it a good week or two -to suss everyone out. Im sure you'll soon see who to stay away from, who to associate with and more importantly who to avoid.

Vangelis

Cindy Love wrote:

To Original Poster-

Are you actually sorry for the crime you committed or do you just regret getting caught?...big difference im my opinion.

In terms of advice about doing time. If you feel you run the risk of being attacked some prisoners use magazines cellotaped around the torso (an inch or two thick).Below the nipples so not to impede movement but stuffed into underwear to protect the softer

Chances are in the first day or two you'll be approached by someone wholl want to be your buddy. They may be genuine but they could be the kind of person who has no other prison buddys(for a reason) and if you befriend them you could become guilthy by associtation. Personally id give it a good week or two -to suss everyone out. Im sure you'll soon see who to stay away from, who to associate with and more importantly who to avoid.

He has been asked if he regrets what he has done before.

bungeecork

I'm paraphrasing a doctor who spoke on the Radio 1 during the week;

- beat up someone who falls down, hurts themselves, gets a clot in the brain, spends weeks on life support and luckily pulls through - then you might get a warning and a fine and be let off
but
- beat up someone who falls down, hurts themselves, gets a clot in the brain, spends weeks on life support and unluckily dies - then you're up for manslaughter at the very least.

My point here is that pure luck plays a huge part in our lives. Good luck to all concerned in your case OP. May both sides be happy with the outcome.

dublinshane

Cindy Love wrote:

To Original Poster-

Are you actually sorry for the crime you committed or do you just regret getting caught?...big difference im my opinion.

Of course I'm sorry for the crime involved. Under normal circumstances I wouln't want to hurt anybody or cause any trouble for anybody - that's not the way I am but in my situation things happened that caused me to act badly and I am very sorry for that.

I pleaded guilty and have done what I can to show I am sorry but that may not be enough. The thing that I feel bitter about is the fact that you hear all the time about people getting into loads of bother and robbing/attacking loads of time and they seem to get away with it or are treated softly. In my case I was caught on the spot and that was that.

Whatever happens, happens but I think it would be better for everybody if I was still working and paying taxes rather than costing money being kept in prison. I know that I won't end up in this situation again. I would have no problem doing community service and paying compensation instead and that would be much better for the state. for me and the other person involved.

rsynnott

dublinshane wrote:

I pleaded guilty and have done what I can to show I am sorry but that may not be enough. The thing that I feel bitter about is the fact that you hear all the time about people getting into loads of bother and robbing/attacking loads of time and they seem to get away with it or are treated softly. In my case I was caught on the spot and that was that.

I don't think any amount of burglary is morally equivalent to attacking someone.

dublinshane wrote:

Whatever happens, happens but I think it would be better for everybody if I was still working and paying taxes rather than costing money being kept in prison. I know that I won't end up in this situation again. I would have no problem doing community service and paying compensation instead and that would be much better for the state. for me and the other person involved.

Would it be better for society, though, to allow violent crime to go effectively unpunished?

eyedrenalin

Jeez rsynnott... Give the poor bastard a break! Yeah, he's a criminal and he's prob gonna do time. It's already well documented that he's sorry etc. [If you doubt the validity of his remorse, then why bother asking questions... if you see my logic] so why try and make him feel more guilty. Established facts here... He commited a crime. He got nicked. He's upset and afraid of the prospects of life incarcerated. He originally asked for advice and insight into life inside. He's going to be judged in the proper legal manner anyway so why not get down off your that nag of yours and stay OT. Yeah you have the right to debate the issue on here _ but you could just choose not to do so... It would seem the decent thing to do...

Vangelis

Shut up, rsynnott!
He doesn't need your moralising or incrimination.

Sarah**

Here look this situation isnt about the bouncers....Everyone back off with your high and mighty attitudes...

Have abit of empathy for the guy, he is obviously scared and frightened about this. He realises he is in the wrong and is trying to deal with the situation as best he can. I think it tales alot of courage to come and look for advice even though he knows he is obviously in the wrong....

I think what Shane was thinking is that he wished the bouncers had interveind.....had they of then the fight wouldnt have escalated...wishfull thinking i think its called!

And everyone knows when people are in these situations where they know they are in the wrong there is always wishfull thinking done by the guilty part.

HelterSkelter

Vangelis wrote:

Maybe you can ask a warden which of the inmates one should keep away from, they could give you a clue.

Ha, are you fecking crazy!! Keep away from the wardens, you'll be seen as a rat/grass/whatever otherwise. Just keep your head down.

LegacyUser

Sarah** wrote:

I think what Shane was thinking is that he wished the bouncers had interveind.....had they of then the fight wouldnt have escalated...wishfull thinking i think its called!

You're right. Wishful thinking!! I don't think it is right to blame the bouncers for what happened. They are there to guard the door .. not stop drunken brawls.

It has been said on this thread that there are plenty of repeat offenders out there who get away with jail time and time again. To me it looks like Shane is sorry for what he did, but unfortunately, he got caught up in the moment. If it was a first offence, then lets hope that it will be a mild sentence (if one at all).

I do feel sorry for you in a way Shane, but in another, if you did injure someone, I feel for them too. There are plenty of times in my life that I have done utterly stupid things!! Afterwards I am sorry, and I learn a lesson (I hope!). I read as much of the thread as I can, didn't see whether or not is was self defence or what the story was .. if it was .. poor you, stuck in a crap situation .. difficult to protect yourself. If it wasn't self defence then I don't know .. learn from it I guess.

Other people on the thread that are passing pretty crude comments .. stop .. give Shane whatever support he needs at the moment.

dublinshane

Just to clarify it was another poster who talked about the situation they were in with regard to bouncers. I did say there were similarities with my situation but I didn't give any specific details about my case, for obvious reasons.

The point I was making with regard to prison was that there might be better ways to 'punish' people - rather than sending somebody to prison - if they are not likely to do something like this again. I know not everybody will agree and I know that by posting on the thread people will repond with their own views - I have my own outlook on things but know that other people will disagree.

bubby,
Just to clarify this is my first serious offence but as I mentioned earlier I did get convicted of a minor offence last year.