The Loose Screw (34 page)

Life hasn't always been easy, not least because I believe I was institutionalized at an early stage in the Army. It has taken me a long time to realize that you don't get anything for nothing in this life and the only way to get where or what you want is to work for it or at it. Natasha and I are very happy, and I have two great girls and a new baby boy who are all growing up fast. At the time of writing this, it has been 21 years to the day since I first joined the Army, even though it seems like only yesterday. I am looking forward to the next 20 years, as I feel confident that life will continue to get better. I am now living for the long-term future and am fully aware of my responsibilities as a father. This is something I had struggled with over the years when trying to overcome my own insecurities, problems with alcohol, depression and feelings of low self-esteem. I hope you have enjoyed the read and are now a little wiser as to what can, and indeed does, go on behind the closed doors of our prisons. I also hope that there is someone reading this who is in a position to make the difference I felt I could not during my time in the Prison Service. So, with that in mind, I will leave you with this thought and urge you to remember to enjoy life to the full and be nice to each other, as only you can make a difference in your life. To quote a great saying from my pal Dave Courtney :

"IT'S NICE TO BE IMPORTANT, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE NICE"

"I'm not known for admiring prison officers but Jim is very different. It takes a hell of a lot of courage to turn your back on a mob when you are on your own but that¹s exactly what Jim did. He earned the respect of prisoners by treating them with respect. Some of them make life hard for themselves by treating the chaps like shit. If you show my mate Charlie Bronson respect he will show you it back, treat him like shit and he will destroy you! I admire Jim for taking a stand for what¹s right no matter what the others say. Lets hope we see Charlie out here soon ... I know Jim will be invited to the coming home party!"

-Roy Shaw

"The courage it took to write this book should not be underestimated. The will to turn your back on the sheep of corruption and join the lions to hunt only for the truth and what's right is inspiring. This book slashes through the anti Bronson propaganda to bring you the real man... Not the media made myth. Many of you I'm sure will have swallowed the bait and the hook and decided that Charles Bronson is a violent lunatic who kills people for fun (He has NEVER killed!), Jim will tell you Charlie is none of those things... And he's right. You see, Jim has one big advantage over those who believe all the hype... He actually KNOWS the man! Here's the true story from the inside out... NOT the outside in."

-Tel Currie

"As a former high risk double category A prisoner who served a decade in the British Prisons during the tumultuous mid-1980s to 1990s, and also a recent spell on remand in the High Security Unit at Belmarsh prison. There is very little anyone can tell me about our disgraceful prison system. Like the author, I have witnessed the persecution, brutalization, alienation and even suicide of fellow prisoners. I have met remarkably humanitarian and truly evil screws. Nonetheless, I have never met a screw like Jim Dawkins who was prepared to "unlock" and let us stroll down the landings of his mind and experience the daily moral conflict of being a good man in an uncomfortable blue tunic. One can only admire and respect the strength and courage it took to write this book. It was so easy for Jim to have gone with the grain and become another tea-room cynic and pocketed his pay slip at the end of the month; it was so easy for Jim to have got blood on his boots while no one was looking. This is more than a book about a disgruntled prison officer; this is a book that should become essential reading for everyone who has an interest in crime and the criminal justice system. This book that will be read in a thousand years time."

-Terry Smith

"I enjoyed reading the book as it brought back a lot of memories and incidents that I was involved in."

-Nosher Powell

"Generally I would never read a book written by a screw or an ex-screw, but Jim Dawkins is a very down to earth and truthful man. He believes in Charlie Bronson like a brother, and is doing his very best to help his appeal. This book is very good and unveils a lot of prison secrets, told by a man who saw the wrong doings. I spent a long time myself on the Category A unit in HMP Belmarsh so I know it is the truth. If you want to know the truth behind our prisons then you must read this book!"

Joe Pyle

A GEM OF A SCREW AND A DIAMOND GEEZER! "On a personal level and having been privileged to have met Jim Dawkins on many occasions over the years, it must be said that he has most certainly earned respect in and amongst some of Britain's most hardened inner circles for having been prepared to rightfully slag off and blow the lid on an always politically protected Home Office Prison establishment hierarchy and secret society. All Jim has done with his book and his revelations is to expose the shocking truth of what regularly happens on a daily basis behind closed doors. He has always and rightfully so, stood firm and can still be relied upon 200% as a fearless key witness in support of the release of disgracefully treated and shamefully incarcerated great man himself – Charlie Bronson. I was there at the Old Bailey High Court hearing in London at Charlie's appeal. Jim Dawkins was there ready to stand in the dock and give evidence in support of Charlie's case against the 'seemingly always unblemished prison establishment'. Sadly the court would not allow him to give evidence against the Home Office – I wonder why? I wish him well with the book!"

-Andy Jones, Owner and Creator of 'The Crime Through Time Museum'

"I can remember the last time I read a book as powerful as Loose Screw. It was in 1992. It will probably be over a decade before I read another."

-Mike Hallowell, The Sheilds Gazette

"When I saw Razor Smith's write-up in 'Inside Time' on 'The Loose Screw' I thought this is a first! Ordered it straight away and posted a message on my website to let other prisoners wives and families know that at last a screw has spoken out and is telling the truth! As the wife of a man serving life, my knowledge of the REAL system is very limited, there has only been rumours of prison officers brutality, lies and corruption, until now. The powers that be have always done a thorough job of papering over the cracks, brushing under the carpet and concealing any incriminating evidence against themselves. Jim Dawkins book is like a breath of fresh air, he has opened my eyes to many injustices that are everyday occurances in our prison system. I commend him for his honesty and

bravery in being the screw to unlock this box of secrets. Well done Jim."

-www.prisonchatuk.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

JIM DAWKINS

Harlow-born Jim Dawkins left home in Eltham at the age of sixteen to pursue a career in the army and served with the Royal Green Jackets from 1985 to 1991, including tours of Canada and Northern Ireland. Upon leaving the army, he joined the Prison Service and spent the next seven years training and working in Wandsworth, Wormwood Scrubs and Belmarsh prisons. In 1999, Jim left the Prison Service, ill with stress and disillusioned by the abuse levelled out to inmates by many of the staff. Jim eventually settled down with his childhood sweetheart, Natasha, and has two daughters, Lauren and Morgan and a son, Thomas. One of Jim's goals in life is to fight for the rights of long-term high-security inmate, Charlie Bronson, with whom he has struck up a remarkable friendship. He wants the prison service to pull itself out of the Victorian mentality and give Charlie the chance he deserves to work towards his release and lead the normal life he yearns for.

Also Available from Andrews UK and Apex Publishing