Graham’s career began in 1977 and he worked in a number of different prisons from Borstals (abolished in 1982) to high security prisons, finishing his career in Shrewsbury Prison in 2013. Graham currently works as a tour guide at Shrewsbury Prison, also known as The Dana.
Graham told us about some of the more colourful well known criminals he encountered at work. He explained life sentences and life licences, disruptive security, the advantages of smaller local prisons and the changes introduced since the Woolf report in 1990. Graham described how the day to day life of a prisoner has changed over the years in terms of sanitation and privileges as well as education and work opportunities.
All in all it was a fascinating lesson in how the prison service is a vital, but little talked-about, part of our society.
