I believe that addiction is not a weakness of character or lack of willpower or absence of moral fiber, as society likes to portray it. It is not a choice. It is a response to several adverse factors over which we have far less control than is generally believed. Unfortunately, society treats addicts as scum. […]
Author Archives: Toni Roma
Overcoming self-pity in prison
It is impossible to be in prison and not feel sorry for yourself. We have far too much time to overthink and draw incorrect conclusions. Why me you tell yourself, there are far worse folk running around free outside doing much worse things than I could ever dream up. Hard cheese. Life is unfair. The […]
Exercising In A Small Space
All of us will be aware of the importance of doing regular exercise in prison, and the health risks of not doing any at all. Motivation is the key factor, but it can be devilishly difficult to find any if you are depressed, suffering from an ongoing illness, or debilitated in any way which could […]
6 Philosophies Helping Me Cope With Prison Life
When I entered prison, I did not imagine being here 7 years later, or still alive. People talk about how it feels to hit rock bottom but this was a dimension below even that, like Orpheus in the underworld. I owe part of my survival to the amazing support I have received from Prisoners Abroad […]
Understanding Jehovah’s Witnesses
You may wonder what an article about Jehovah’s Witnesses (JW) is doing on a prison website. Fact is, of all the many religious sects around the world, JW are the most active in prisons. What’s more, they will target foreign inmates and not exclusively the local majority. There is certain to be an English speaker […]
Coping with Mental Health Problems in Prison and Beyond
Extreme stress is a major part of the lives of all of us in prison. Unlike outside, we cannot walk away from unpleasant people and situations. Getting ill in prison is miserable enough, but with a mental health issue, life can feel totally pointless. You can easily imagine never being able to get better – […]
6 Alternative Tips for Surviving in Jail
The me in prison is not the same as the me before I entered this country club. I have had to adapt and change to find my own personal comfort zone, a process I think we all go through consciously or otherwise. Being a Billy Big Bollocks may work in one place, whereas being a […]
Ultimate Prison Slang
There are said to be about one million words in the English language, with about 170,000 in regular use. The average person only uses from 20,000 to 35,000. This of course will include a lot of slang. The whole purpose of slang is to be used by a particular group so that they cannot be […]
How to Remember Names
Remembering the name of a person you just met is the kind of recommendation you can expect to find in any How To Influence People And Get Rich In 30 Days jack rag. In prison it won’t help you get rich. But it will gain you one helluva lotta respect. At a superficial level, saying hello to […]
Surviving the Lurgy in Prison
If you are reading this, the chances are that you have already been infected by the dreaded COVID-19 coronavirus and recovered (or you would not be reading this). In the unlikely event that you have not been exposed to the virus yet, this is intended to help you. I will also assume that your access […]