Schools Tour

Mutaz and Helena at

Liverpool Film Academy

De Vere Academy of Hospitality

Bradfield School, Reading

Back to Bishops's Stortford College where I did my first ever talk.

Highworth Grammar School, Ashford, Kent

Truro School, Cornwall, which took 6 hours to get to on a train.

 Shaun Attwood

Balls and Crampons

This is a picture of my buddy Bill ice climbing. He took a trip to Ouray,Colorado a few weeks ago to strap on various pointy pieces of gear and grab an ice ax and scramble up a sheer ice face. If the difficulty of the climb is not enough for an adrneline junkie....there is also the long cold Winter hike just to get to these ice falls. Clearly, this is not a gig for the disorganized or the trepidatious. If you screw up on one of these climbs...you are toast and you get to experience first-hand what 9.8 Meters-per-second squared feels like....
I like Winter and all...and enjoy ice skating and skiing...but hugging my Rum & Tonic is as close as I need to get to ice this close to my chest. But I tip my hat to Bill and his crew.

She is Here

The new dog, Genna, joined our Clan last evening. I missed most of the Second Half of the Super Bowl because we were in the yard helping her acclimate, meet my dog Archie, burn off some energy and throwing duck dummies for her.
I despise the Giants so missing all but the last 5 minutes was unfortunate.....to see Brady fail to score on the last drive. But I love the new pup so all is well here.

Hard Time Reviews by Prisoners No. 6: Shane

Shane - Denied psychiatric medication by ValueOptions, Shane turned to illegal drugs financed by burglaries. For stealing a few hundred dollars worth of goods, he was sentenced to eleven years. Shane is the author of the blog Persevering Prison Pages.

Despite Hard Time being banned by the Arizona Department of Corrections for being a threat to the security of the institution, Shane managed to get his hands on a copy and risk writing this review.

The vivid reality of Hard Time made this book impossible to put down. From the time Tempe Police SWAT in black fatigues and body armour assaulted Shaun’s Scottsdale apartment until his sentence of imprisonment, I was enthralled with this book.

I’ve read dozens of books about being incarcerated. They’re a dime a dozen these days with millions of people locked up worldwide from all walks of life. Hard Time was different for me though.

Hard Time did an amazing job at showing the significant changes a person goes through physically, emotionally and mentally upon incarceration. Compounded by the draconian and inhumane conditions of confinement imposed on all who enter Joe Arpaio’s jails. Shaun’s roller-coaster ride of emotions were perfectly expressed throughout. As a writer myself, adequately expressing emotions has been difficult, but Shaun mastered it in Hard Time.

Taking responsibility for his crimes, Shaun’s regret and sorrow come across well without glamorizing drugs and crime as many books of this sort do.

Hard Time also showed how unbalanced the Arizona criminal justice system is. Despite all defendants being innocent until proven guilty, Shaun did a great job of showing how the cards are stacked against a defendant, and just how the prosecution and detectives will go to any length to “get their man.”

It’s scary to think how an innocent person could easily be arrested, charged and convicted of a crime they didn’t commit. Another reason the death penalty should be abolished.

Hard Time is a good read, however Shaun’s vivid description of his stay in Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office’s Towers jail and the maximum-security Madison Street jail brought back memories of my own stays there, which I’d managed to stow away deep in my brain.

Guilty of my crimes, I signed a plea-agreement for 10 years, waiving my rights as a defendant’s under the constitution, so I’d be moved out of Arpaio’s jail system within a week. I’d been in MCSO custody for little more than 3 months, waiting for my first trial. I felt I couldn’t withstand waiting any longer, a far cry from the 26 months Shaun endures in Hard Time.

Click here for the previous review in this series.

Click here for more info about Hard Time.

Hard Time on Facebook.

Shane’s blog Persevering Prison Pages.

Shaun Attwood          

The Cornerman

Boxing Hall of Famer and Trainer of Champs, Angelo Dundee has passed away. The cornerman for Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard and George Foreman, was credited with persuading Ali to get back in the fight and continue during the late rounds of "The Thrilla in Manila" and some say without Dundee's chiding, Ali may have thrown the towel.
I had a chance to meet Dundee and speak with him in the Summer of 1987. I was a lowly Summer Law Clerk at a big firm in Philly. My boss was involved in litigation stemming from the death of an up-and-coming boxer. The kid had basically run his motorcycle under a truck and Dundee's expertise was used to evaluate the kid's potential and future earnings in the ring. Dundee was gracious, polite, knowledgeable and self deprecating.
Dundee's training and counsel from the Corner was legendary and he will be missed by many.

Medical Issues (Part 7 by Lifer Renee)

Renee – Only a teenager, she received a 60-year sentence. Sixteen years later, Renee is writing from Perryville prison in Goodyear, Arizona, providing a rare and unique insight into a women's prison.

Just as I hit the stairs a guard called mail call. My room mate brought me a copy of the recent HNR [Health Needs Request Form] I submitted. I hurried to open it. It said I was scheduled for the provider, but it did not say when. So once again, I was waiting. I needed some fresh air, so I threw on my headphones and hit the track.

Everyday for the last two weeks I’ve waited for Ms. G to say, “Oh, Renee, I was looking for you.” Tonight I wasn’t paying attention when I heard a light tap on the door. I opened it, and saw Ms G, about 4 foot 8, maybe 95 pounds, huge blue blocker sunglass covering three quarters of her face, baseball cap on. She looked like she should be baking her grandkids cookies not serving time in prison.

“Oh, Renee, I’m looking for you,” she said, smiling.

“You have providers line tomorrow at 1 pm. Can you sign for me?”

“You got it, tomorrow at 1.” I signed the medical paper and wrote the appointment time on my hand. I was instantly starting to panic. My stomach was flipping.

3.38 am. Sleep was futile. I tossed and turned, not because of the lumps in my mattress, or because of my hips grinding into the metal bunk, but because I am overwhelmed. I knew today was going to be a long day. I once read that with every breaking dawn there is a new chance at happiness.

I started my day off just the same as any other, feeling sick, having ear aches. Every morning with aches I go to work just the same. At work, I went through the motions in a haze. I could not help watching the clock, hoping for my medical appointment.

Click here for Medical Issues Part 6

Shaun Attwood

More Fans Behaving Badly

Here in Philadelphia we have had some recent bad press when Flyers fans beat up a Rangers fan outside Geno's Steaks after the Winter Classic. There was also the drunken animal who intentionally vomited on a young girl at a Phillies Game...and of course the now famous throwing of snowballs at Santa during an Eagle's game a while back. Philly fans have a pretty nasty rep.Hell, Eagle's games used to need a game time Court and on-site jail for the white trash hooligans who drank and fought and acted like animals at every home game.
Well, the new award for horrible fan behavior can be presented to the Egyptian maniacs who started a riot at a soccer game today...killing around 70 people and injuring thousands. Seems groups of rival fans felt it necessaryto storm the field, fight, throw rocks and fireworks and bottles at each other and at Players, start fires and generally foment a deadly melee.
When you see this stuff...it makes staying at home watching the events on excellent big screen HD...with the excellent coverage.... even more attractive. Here in the States, we blame this stuff on the beer...I thought those Muslim fans did not drink alcohol??