Exposing Britain's Toughest Prisons - Old School Prison Officer John Sutton Tells His Story

Added: Nov 3, 2023

Sutton describes his time in school as terrible and detested it. He had a particularly negative experience with one of his teachers, Colin Welland, who was later known for winning an Oscar as a screenwriter. Sutton had a strong dislike for Welland and even wrote to his agent expressing his desire to confront him. However, when he eventually found out where Welland was, he was ill and Sutton decided not to visit him.

After leaving school, Sutton wanted to become a journalist but was discouraged by the career advisor. He ended up working in cotton mills, which he found to be noisy and demanding. Eventually, he joined the prison service and underwent training at HMP Lay Hill. He was then posted to HMP Wormwood Scrubs, one of London's toughest prisons.

Sutton discusses the challenges of working in Wormwood Scrubs, including the lack of accommodation provided for staff and the corruption he witnessed. He recounts an incident where a governor was smuggling letters and whiskey for an inmate with whom he was having a sexual relationship. Sutton reported this to the authorities, but instead of the governor being investigated, the police investigated Sutton.

He also talks about the dangerous inmates he encountered, including murderers, rapists, and terrorists. Sutton shares an incident where he had to search the cell of a notorious inmate, Peter Cook, who was known as the Cambridge rapist. Cook had a leather mask with "rapist" written on it and had raped numerous female students in Cambridge. Sutton also mentions the prevalence of homosexual relationships among inmates, particularly long-term prisoners.

Sutton then discusses his transfer to Strangeways prison after being involved in a physical altercation with a group of youths who were harassing him and his wife. He describes the violent and oppressive atmosphere in Strangeways, where staff members would beat and mistreat inmates for entertainment. He shares an incident where a fellow officer, known as Big John, went from cell to cell, beating all the inmates.

He mentions encountering notorious prisoners such as Donald Neilson, also known as the Black Panther, who had committed armed robberies and kidnapped and killed a young woman. Sutton also recalls encountering George Wilkinson, a large and intimidating inmate who had terrorized a village in Cumbria before being imprisoned.

The former prison officer also discusses the prevalence of suicides and self-harm in the prison system. He recounts finding inmates who had hanged themselves and the emotional toll it took on him. Sutton criticizes the lack of support and psychological help available to inmates, stating that suicide was considered a normal occurrence in prison.

Sutton also reveals instances of abuse and corruption within the prison system. He describes witnessing a fellow officer brutally beating inmates and the lack of consequences for such actions. He also exposes the practice of injecting inmates with psychotropic drugs to subdue them, even if they were not mentally ill. Sutton recounts an incident where he had to forcibly inject a boxer named Paul Sykes with a sedative, leaving him in a zombie-like state.

The former prison officer also discusses the presence of the National Front within the prison system. He reveals that a principal officer named Brian Baldwin, who was also the chairman of the Prison Officers Association, was involved with the National Front. Sutton attended a meeting where David Duke, the Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, was a speaker. He later exposed this connection to the media and faced backlash from both the prison service and the National Front.

Sutton also discusses his efforts to improve conditions for non-supervisory grade staff within the prison system. He formed a trade union to represent these staff members and fought against the compulsory overtime imposed by the Prison Officers Association. He also gave evidence against the government during the trial of inmates involved in the Strangeways riot, highlighting the inhumane conditions they were subjected to.

Sutton recalls a New Year's Eve incident at the Scrubs prison where inmates were banging on the doors and shouting. One inmate, who was serving a lifetime sentence, sarcastically shouted "Happy New Year" from his cell. Sutton reflects on the irony of the situation and the madness of someone spending their entire life in prison.

The conversation then turns to dangerous inmates and Sutton shares an encounter with a man who walked like a robot. This inmate had immense strength and attacked another officer who had insulted him. Sutton emphasizes the need for caution when dealing with mentally unstable prisoners.

The discussion moves on to violence and deaths in prisons. Sutton mentions that there were instances of inmates killing each other, including one incident where a prisoner informed the staff that he had murdered someone in his cell. He also mentions the use of psychological experiments in prisons, similar to the ones depicted in the film "A Clockwork Orange." These experiments involved showing inmates disturbing films and monitoring their reactions.

Sutton reveals that he was assaulted multiple times by prison staff, leading to his decision to leave the prison system. He recounts an incident where a fellow officer attacked him on Christmas Day, causing him to be off work for a week due to injuries. He also mentions another incident where a senior officer tried to physically harm him, resulting in Sutton defending himself and subsequently being suspended.

The conversation then shifts to Sutton's experience working in the prison hospital. He describes encountering individuals with severe mental health issues, including self-harm and catatonic states. He shares a story of a catatonic patient who was unresponsive until Sutton played classical music for him, which snapped him out of his stupor. However, when Sutton reported this incident to his superiors, they dismissed it as nonsense.

Sutton criticizes the prison system for failing in its duty of care towards inmates. He believes that the system should focus on rehabilitation rather than punishment. He suggests releasing inmates serving sentences of less than six months and implementing educational programs during their time in prison. He also criticizes the practice of hiring young women as prison officers, stating that it is not suitable for them to work in such environments.

Towards the end of the podcast, Sutton discusses his life after leaving the prison system. He mentions his involvement in the music industry, particularly working with singer PJ Proby. However, he fell out with Proby after discovering his inappropriate behavior towards young girls. Sutton also talks about his psychic abilities and his work as a poet and writer.