governors wur noo oan the receiving end ae the physical assaults. Oan tap ae that, The Prison Officers’ Association, or the POA, as everywan referred tae them as, wur threatening even further industrial action other than working tae rule since wan ae their members lost an eye in a riot up in the cages ae Quarterfield Prison earlier in the year. The world hid gone mad and he, Angus Diamond, wis sitting oan tap ae a simmering, steaming pile ae shite that wis aboot tae explode underneath that smelly arse ae his. He crossed tae wan ae the ermchairs and sat doon opposite the suits wae an expansive, friendly smile splashed across that coupon ae his. He’d listen attentively tae whit Jack Broon hid come up wae tae resolve the Dumfries situation and keep calm throughoot. The presence ae a department brief disturbed him though. Whit the hell wis that aw aboot, he wondered. The last thing he needed wis Peacock crawling up that arse ae his. He’d enough pain there wae his piles.
“So, ye’re busy, Gus?” Jack Broon asked, breaking the ice, nodding across at the precarious pile ae files balancing in his in-tray.
“Ach, nothing’s changed fae when Ah last reported back the concerns ae the Governors’ Association, Jack. The bureaucracy is getting worse by the day. Christ, when Ah first started as a young AG, Ah wis oan the wings and in the halls ninety per cent ae ma time. Noo, Ah’m lucky tae leave this office until it’s time tae go hame at night. This certainly wisnae whit Ah came intae the service in the first place tae dae, Ah kin tell ye that,” he growled, chuffed that the files hid been noticed.
“So, why did you come into the service, Gus?” The Brief asked.
“Whit? Ah, er, y’know, Ah, er, Ah wanted tae gie something back, efter Ah fulfilled ma military career commitments,” he spluttered.
“Yes, it must have been quite a change for you, leaving the comfort of the military prison in Colchester for a draughty Scottish one, Gus,” Peacock crowed drily.
“Aye, well, as heid ae the prison service, Ah’m fully aware ae the stresses attached tae aw the paperwork youse governors hiv tae put up wae, Gus. Ah keep telling boys like Thomas here that ye aw need a break fae it tae be able tae get oan wae whit ye wur aw employed tae dae in the first place,” Jack Broon interjected hurriedly, batting the conversation away fae anything that could turn the atmosphere sour.
“If the service had been run properly at a local level in the first place, then there wouldn’t be the need for all these checks and balances, Jack. At the end of the day, not that we would admit it publicly, but the man management, or rather the lack of it, concerning the management of long term prisoners in Scotland has led to conflict that was unimaginable five or ten years ago. With the abolition of capital punishment, criminals, and prisoners in general, have little regard for obeying petty rules that were introduced in the early eighteen hundreds. The long-term inmates of today are more likely to spend more years in prison than their counterparts in the forties and fifties. Sentences are getting longer. We have prisoners incarcerated with us now that will never, ever, be freed. The management of these people requires a different approach,” The Brief lectured.
“Withoot wanting tae sound as if Ah’m being defensive here, Thomas, bit those so-called inmates ye refer tae ur nothing bit animals, so they ur. We cannae change a sow intae a pig,” The Manager ae the Prison Service replied, oblivious tae the contradiction and the smile, appearing at the side ae The Brief’s mooth. “They ur whit they ur. Mollycoddling the basturts only makes them worse. Gie them an inch, and they’ll take a mile,” he continued, getting a nod ae agreement fae The Governor.
“Yes, well, the events of the past few years have brought the issue out into the public domain. When that
“So, ye’re busy, Gus?” Jack Broon asked, breaking the ice, nodding across at the precarious pile ae files balancing in his in-tray.
“Ach, nothing’s changed fae when Ah last reported back the concerns ae the Governors’ Association, Jack. The bureaucracy is getting worse by the day. Christ, when Ah first started as a young AG, Ah wis oan the wings and in the halls ninety per cent ae ma time. Noo, Ah’m lucky tae leave this office until it’s time tae go hame at night. This certainly wisnae whit Ah came intae the service in the first place tae dae, Ah kin tell ye that,” he growled, chuffed that the files hid been noticed.
“So, why did you come into the service, Gus?” The Brief asked.
“Whit? Ah, er, y’know, Ah, er, Ah wanted tae gie something back, efter Ah fulfilled ma military career commitments,” he spluttered.
“Yes, it must have been quite a change for you, leaving the comfort of the military prison in Colchester for a draughty Scottish one, Gus,” Peacock crowed drily.
“Aye, well, as heid ae the prison service, Ah’m fully aware ae the stresses attached tae aw the paperwork youse governors hiv tae put up wae, Gus. Ah keep telling boys like Thomas here that ye aw need a break fae it tae be able tae get oan wae whit ye wur aw employed tae dae in the first place,” Jack Broon interjected hurriedly, batting the conversation away fae anything that could turn the atmosphere sour.
“If the service had been run properly at a local level in the first place, then there wouldn’t be the need for all these checks and balances, Jack. At the end of the day, not that we would admit it publicly, but the man management, or rather the lack of it, concerning the management of long term prisoners in Scotland has led to conflict that was unimaginable five or ten years ago. With the abolition of capital punishment, criminals, and prisoners in general, have little regard for obeying petty rules that were introduced in the early eighteen hundreds. The long-term inmates of today are more likely to spend more years in prison than their counterparts in the forties and fifties. Sentences are getting longer. We have prisoners incarcerated with us now that will never, ever, be freed. The management of these people requires a different approach,” The Brief lectured.
“Withoot wanting tae sound as if Ah’m being defensive here, Thomas, bit those so-called inmates ye refer tae ur nothing bit animals, so they ur. We cannae change a sow intae a pig,” The Manager ae the Prison Service replied, oblivious tae the contradiction and the smile, appearing at the side ae The Brief’s mooth. “They ur whit they ur. Mollycoddling the basturts only makes them worse. Gie them an inch, and they’ll take a mile,” he continued, getting a nod ae agreement fae The Governor.
“Yes, well, the events of the past few years have brought the issue out into the public domain. When that
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