Hello Everyone
Well here we are again and for me the big difference from the last time I wrote is my change of status from remand prisoner to convicted prisoner. In terms of my vegan diet here at Woodhill it is best described as ‘patchy’. Improvements have been made and mistakes still occur sometimes. There are people here who genuinely try and help and some that don’t.
Being a category A prisoner does mean a greater level of isolation from the rest of the prison. Although this has it drawbacks it can also work for you when trying to deal with problems like your diet. For me the question of the ethical status of a vegan diet is every bit as important as the nutritional content. I feel that’s especially important when you live in a very closed community that is almost exclusively peopled by meat-eaters. To this end you really can begin to appreciate the value of the work the VPSG do. Often dealing with a system that is so rigid it almost works against itself the achievements of the VPSG are even more remarkable. I have every reason to be grateful for the diligence and hard work the VPSG have put in on my behalf.
On a personal level I am absolutely fine and in good spirits. I’m attending a computer class and have made an application to do an Open University course. I do a huge amount of reading and use the C.V. gym most days to keep fit.
Being in a closed environment like this it would be relatively easy to feel a sense of hopelessness. But the opposite is true. Last night I watched a programme about the Orang-u-tan rescue centre in Borneo. The thing I will never forget about the programme is the young, orphaned Orang-u-tan that had witnessed her mother being killed before she was put into a tiny cage to suffer further torment. At the rescue centre where she now awaits the possibility of release back to the wild she displays mental and physical scars of her brush with humans. What was so remarkable about her was her spirit, a spirit that refuses to be crushed. For that little scrap of life hopelessness is not an option, I can’t think of a better life lesson than that.
Thank you to everyone who has written, your letters really do make a difference.
Mel