First night

What will you find on this page

What will my first night in prison be like?
Arrival on the wing and reality settling in
Arriving at your cell and realising the enormity of the situation

What will my first night in prison be like?

Being escorted to the wing

Once reception is completed and all new receptions have been processed, you will await an escort to either a first night wing or induction wing. It's an eerie feeling being escorted to your new wing. The majority of new receptions access these wings in the evening, usually after roll call (when everybody is locked up) so it may be quite dark.

Lit up at the side of the long corridors you are walking down are lots of little windows with bars. In each window you will see prisoners behind their cell doors getting on with their evening or shouting out of the window to adjacent cells.

For any first timer it can feel intimidating and add to the already mounting stress, but that's only natural because this is your first taste of walking through an actual prison; what you are witnessing is hundreds of prisoners who have settled into their sentence and are just going about it their own way and doing their own thing.

You may be shouted at and feel pointed out but this can happen to everyone who walks the corridors, day or night, and just remember that cell life can become boring so any interaction or heckling from those windows is probably a cry for attention.

Arrival on the wing and reality settling in

When you arrive at the wing it may be on prisoner association, this is a time when prisoners are allowed out of their cells to shower, make phone calls, play games usually at 7 - 8pm; if so you will see prisoners rushing around, waiting to get on phones, or just relaxing and talking to one another.

Expect prisoners to engage with you from the very moment you enter the wing, for instance to ask you where you're from, or if you have anything to sell (meaning drugs). You will likely be greeted by prison officers, prison insiders and possibly a Listener.

Word of warning: If you have been brave enough to conceal drugs and smuggle them into prison and openly admit upon arrival you have, be prepared: Many people are attacked for drug stashes especially on arrival. The term “Spooning” is when a prisoner, if unsuccessful in scaring another prisoner to handover drugs, will use a spoon to retrieve.

It may be now that the reality is really settling in and any fears and worries you have suppressed throughout this whole experience may start to surface. Induction wings are often loud and have more pressing needs than any other part of the prison due to the high volume of first timers and prisoners at the beginning of their sentence. If it is after roll call you will probably hear loud noises, doors banging, prisoners shouting out of their doors, cell bells ringing and all kinds of music playing from different cells. This is normal.

When asked how you are feeling, use the opportunity to explain any issues you have. The aim of having Insiders and Listeners available for new receptions is to ensure you are feeling safe and secure and any worries can be addressed before you are locked in your cell. Time will be given to offer you reassurance and alleviate any anxiety.

Requesting a shower can help with any distress;( Don`t believe the myths of what happens in prison showers it's not true) it will have been a long and mentally challenging day, so go and freshen up and if nerves still have the better of you afterwards, relay how you feel to prison staff or Insiders / Listeners.

You should also be given a welcome pack, and based on your preferences this will include:

Non-smokers - food, sweets, etc.

Smokers - vape and refills (caps).

In either reception or on arrival at the wing, you will be offered:

toothpaste and toothbrush
soap
shampoo
toilet roll
towel
plastic utensils (bowl, plate, cup and cutlery)
PIN phone number
tea pack (dried milk sachets, sugars, tea bags, coffee sachets)
breakfast pack (prison cereals and milk cartons)

You will also receive some prison issue letters and envelopes, information about the prison or wing you are on, an induction schedule, bedding, and your I.D card with your photo and prison number on it. All prisons do this in a different order so don’t be alarmed if they haven’t given you anything as it may just be that you have to wait until the next day.

Once this is done you will be escorted to your cell.

Arriving at your cell and realising the enormity of the situation

The opening of your cell door and walking through it will feel like nothing compared to when it actually shuts. The metal clunk of the cell door closing, and the sound of the keys locking and bolts being secured, will have an immediate impact.

Again, this may be the point you realise the enormity of what's happening and begin to feel anxiety

Your cells will contain:

a pin board
a cupboard
a television (unless on Basic IEP regime)
a bunk bed or bed with mattress
furniture – table, chair, and
a kettle.

If you have been allocated cell sharing hopefully you have a cell mate who has been informed about this being your first time. If you have been allocated a single cell and you start to feel overwhelmed, or are struggling to cope once you hear your door shut, there is an emergency cell bell on the wall next to the door that you can press.

Pressing this cell bell is for when:

you or your cellmate are genuinely ill and need urgent assistance
you have an injury that needs attention – including self-harm
you want to speak to a Listener or call Samaritans
you feel at risk from your cellmate or need staff to attend in order to prevent conflict and injury.

The bell is used all the time by prisoners asking officers for things such as toilet paper, or to turn your night light off. The bell is for a specific purpose and should not be used in this way.

You can press your cell bell to ask for a Listener, who may be available to speak to you at the door or, in more severe cases of distress, will offer to take you to an independent cell (crisis suite) where you can be supported by members of the Listening team throughout the night. This support is available throughout your time in prison.

Remember: Your first night in prison will probably be your most uncomfortable, and adjusting to the noise and sounds takes some getting used to. You may feel too alert to relax and find yourself awake until the early hours. At different times throughout the night and through to the morning, the Night Officer (night cloggy) will walk the landings and look in the cell; if it's dark they will switch on your night light to illuminate the room (not as bright as the main cell light).

A useful tip is to ask if there are any books once you are on the wing, as reading helps your mind settle and can help you get to sleep. You could also try writing a letter or two, dumping all your immediate fears and concerns on paper can help you come to terms with things and cope with how you feel. Any letters that you do write can be posted the next day in the postbox (make sure it's the right box) or you can slide them under your door for the night cloggy to pick up and send out with the earliest mail.

Remember we are always here to help, do contact us if you have any queries or existing fears of imprisonment.