Amidst the chaos and gloom of the prison, Hare shows us a small glimmer of humanity in the character of prison officer Raymond Beckett. Although Beckett is presented as a hard headed prison officer who has dealt with thousands of hardened criminals over the years, after hearing Gerard has not been in prison before he shows him some compassion and sympathy. He gives advice on how to survive his first ‘stretch’ in prison. We see evidence of this when Beckett said: ‘you better learn, I’ve seen people go crazy when it’s their first time…the worst is getting bitter.’ This may indicate to the reader that through the character of Beckett, Hare is showing Raymond is not as brutal and unfeeling as the prison service he works for. Despite the lateness of Gerard’s arrival, Beckett inquires about Gerard’s wellbeing; ‘Have you eaten?’ and asked: ‘How are you feeling?’ This shows us that Beckett does care about the health and mental stability of the inmates.
However, from the opening line of the scene, there is lack of dignity shown towards Gerard. This is highlighted when Gerard is physically and metaphorically stripped - both of his clothes and of his identity. When Beckett asked Gerard to ‘strip off’ naked and change into the clothes in a ‘pile on the floor’ he also dehumanises him by saying: ‘A6324, that is what you answer to.’ Again that emphasises the brutality of the environment Gerard’s entering into. In this part of the scene, we have the greatest amount of pathos; as he loses his identity and dignity, we also learn about the sadness in his family circumstances. One of his children has Downs Syndrome and he ‘is not sure how they will keep their heads above water’ without him. That desperation could have been what spared him on to commit the crime in the first place.
The fact Beckett expects criminals to re-offend and return to prison indicates Hare’s view that the prison system does not work and that prisons are unable to re-habilitate offenders from their life of crime and prevent them returning to prison. This pattern of re-offending results in the overcrowding of prisons, as mentioned by Beckett: ‘We’ve not got enough room either.’ The harsh reality of prison overcrowding rears its head again when Beckett tells Gerard he’s on ‘D-wing’ even though ‘we shouldn’t really, it’s for lifers, but it’s that or sleeping in the chapel.’
It is this overcrowding which has blighted the overstretched prison system for many years. Hare would have been acutely aware of the events in Strangeways prison, which happened months before he penned his play. Described as the most serious riot in prison history, the Strangeways prison riots saw hundreds of inmates start fires and stage a roof top protest against the inhumane conditions. Following the riots, the government commissioned the ‘Woolf Report’; this was celebrated as bringing about ‘the restoration of decency and justice into jails.’ However, the damming 2011 report into Wandsworth prison proves that the ambitious goal of the restoration of decency and justice was not achieved. The main recommendation of the ‘Woolf Report’ brought an end to the inhumane and insanitary practise of slopping out, which is similar to the duties that Gerard would have to carry out on a regular basis.
In conclusion, it is in this scene in which Hare introduces us to the themes of inhumanity, brutality and the stripping of dignity which, in his view, characterises the British prison system. We will many more examples of this as the play progresses.
by
danielogriffithstiscalicouk (student)
