Views of the Screws

Views of the Screws follows on from Tales from the Jails and traces some of the principal characters into other incidents, deeper water, greater responsibility and trouble. Newly fledged prison officers from unsuitable civilian occupations flounder in the very different world behind bars. We find that very few people are either all black, or all white. Some are grey, some are both. The wicked callousness that can be so much of Paul Carter is mirrored in a contradictory manor towards some convicts in which he sees some good, or, something of himself. As the anti-authoritarian attitudes of Teddy [Little Shit] Hardman and Fred [the Rectum (Rector)] Danby ,belie their fierce pride in HMP Wooten and its superiority over other jails. The Screws presenting their views here are aware that they are overseeing the death throes of the old regime whilst hopelessly trying to fend of the new. The old system, while not exactly Newgate, or The Marshelsea, were uncomfortable places to be and not conducive to 'many happy returns' The new approach by kindly managers, [ex Woolworth or ICI, university-bred and fast-track promoted, qualified, no doubt to manage rational people] were mostly out of their depth with professional criminals in a closed environment. At the end of the day most of the Screws survive, sort of, to live a very different life. Some successful, some sad, some disabled, some in love!