I have been offered a job. A real, honest to goodness, minimum wage, tax paying, contributing to society bone fide job. By the way, minimum wage represents around an 8,000% pay rise on what I have been earning in prison.
Now there are myriad safety and security checks that must be completed before I can even consider a start date – that could still take months. But I am overwhelmed at how this offer came about.
Way back in the day – 2016 & 2017, I met Miley on an intensive CBT course – The Healthy Relationships Programme. For 6 months we attended group sessions together and picked apart the events that led up to our offences. What Miley and I shared was a deep regret for our crimes and a determination to make sure that we never came close to causing harm again. Halfway through the course and my neighbour on the enhanced unit was going home, I had a chat with the Kangas and told them about Miley, he was a good lad, no nickings, polite etc. As happens sometimes, the favours that I had done in supporting peers etc. were repaid as Miley was told to pack his kit and move. This was partially self-serving though – I knew that Miley was a quiet lad and therefore an excellent neighbour.
When the course finished I had a chat with my gaffer and suggested that Miley would be a great addition to the team that produced the in-house ‘Manor’ magazine, help would be needed with the upcoming ‘Penned UP’ festivals too. So Miley started working on the mag and let’s have it right here – it was a good gig. I had earned a great amount of autonomy and while we worked hard, we weren’t overly managed – we didn’t need to be.
After 6 months Miley came to the end of his sentence and hit the minty highway in early 2017. At that time he became the 2nd person I stayed in touch with after their sentence (today there are three people in total). When I moved to open conditions Miley was itching to come pick me up for my first day release. That it is a two hour drive each way for him was nothing. I tried to express my gratitude and he simply wasn’t having it. He told me that he could never pay me back for my getting him off the jungle wing and onto the enhanced unit, then getting him the job on the magazine. I was flabbergasted! That had cost me nothing really, but made such a difference to him. He said driving to collect me for the day saved him from having to do DIY and a trip to the council tip. What a legend. So just when I thought I really couldn’t be any more indebted to him he took a huge risk.
Miley has been working for a franchise for a number of years. He is in management and well respected. He wanted to recommend me for a position in a branch that was close to my prison but there was a problem. How do you field the question, “But this guy has been in prison for over a decade – how do you know him?”
Well Miley just bit the bullet and sat down with his executives, told them that he had made a mistake and been to prison where he met me. It turns out that my mate Miley has genitalia of steel (I’m guessing that balls of steel ain’t woke no more). The guy took a huge risk by informing his employers about his past in order to help me out.
So just for the record Miley – never mind being quits – I am in your debt now buddy! Chill!
