Page 83 - Once a copper 10 03 2020

Robbers/burglars

In terms of the seriousness of the crimes, robbers and burglars come third in a
prison social structure. These individuals are not considered as dangerous but
still enjoy a position of fear and respect. They get along both with drug
dealers and those below them in the social order.

Abusers

Child gendered and domestic abusers are at a lower position in the prison
social hierarchy. These individuals are punished for a comparatively shorter
span of time than those above them and do not like to cross killers and
dealers. They possess little power and say in prison politics and usually keep to
their own in between the walls, often segregated for their own safety.

Lowest on the list are sex offenders, abusers and rapists or "nonces" as they
are known collectively. Offences against children are the worst. Those who
commit them are the most reviled. They live in constant fear of attack, of
being scalded with sugared hot water or being slashed with home-made
tools.

These are inmates who are incarcerated for crimes even other inmates find
reprehensible. Crimes where the victims could be another inmate's loved
ones. Inmates will victimise these people to act out rage but ironically, these
inmates can be the easiest for the staff to manage. They are often more
intelligent and well-educated than the average inmate, and they don't want
to make enemies among the staff. They might get prison jobs where their
intellect is useful, like clerking or assisting with educational programs.
Rapist

Both child rapists and adult rapists come near the bottom of the hierarchy in
prison social structure. They are often asked to do tasks involving hard work
by their superiors. They are not as feared as a group but some of them are
notorious and consequently, live at a distance from others. Rapists are
treated with the same contempt as those who attack elderly folk and
sexually or physically attacking children.
Nearer the top of the hierarchy is the armed robber. He is considered the
aristocrat of the community and the sex offenders are the serfs. Between
them is a whole plethora of types of offender; from fraudsters and thieves, to
those who have committed grievous bodily harm (violence rates highly).

The 10 months Frederick West spent on remand in Winson Green prison would
have given him a good idea of what to expect had he been convicted. It’s
likely he thought of spending the rest of his life in such a precarious
environment was pertinent in the way his life ended. Page83