(ELECTRONIC MUSIC SWELL AND TAKE UNDER) |
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YOUNG DRUG USER: | I take drugs for fun. I don’t take drugs to become completely and utterly disassociated from reality. Do you know what I mean? I’m in control of it – definitely. |
INMATE 1: | At times I knew I had a problem, but because it wasn’t affecting me really, I didn’t realise I was a Junkie, like people see a junkie with needles hanging out of their arms and whatever. It was summat I thought I could handle, but I realised it was stopping me progress in life basically. |
(SWELL DREAMY, EXOTIC ELECTRONIC MUSIC AND TAKE UNDER:) |
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STUDENT ACTRESS: | (Reading from Thomas De Quincey’s Confessions of an English Opium-eater) Oh just, subtle and all conquering opium that to the hearts of rich and poor alike bringest an assuaging balm. Eloquent opium! Thou buildest upon the bosom of darkness, out of the fantastic imageries of the brain, cities and temples beyond the splendours of Babylon and from the anarchy of dreaming sleep call’st into sunny light the faces of long buried beauties. Thou hast the keys of paradise. |
(SWELL MUSIC AND FADE) |
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INMATE 2: | Next time I took, it in was in Bombay, in India. I met this French prostitute and her fellow who was selling heroin at two pound a gram. I thought give us a go of that like. |
(EPISODE 1. SCENE 1. INTERIOR ACOUSTIC OF LARGE ROOM. THERE IS BACKGROUND CHATTER OF MALE PRISONERS.) |
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JIM: | You, all right? |
BERT: | Whatever. |
JIM: | How was your journey down here? |
BERT: | Rubbish mate, staying in all the jails and that. Bang out of order mate. |
JIM: | Yeah. |
BERT: | All I want to do is get some kip. I can’t even get my property. They say I’ll have to wait until tomorrow. |
JIM: | I know what you mean. |
BERT: | I’ve got to leave it in reception over night. I’ve done that for the past two days, coming down here. Now I’ve got to leave it over again for three days. I can’t even brush my teeth. I had to use prison issue yesterday. I don’t like that. |
JIM: | That’s the prison system for you. You’ve come to the drugs therapeutic community . To do something for your life, but you’re still in prison. We’ve got to abide by their rules at the end of the day. |
BERT: | Look mate. I just can’t get my head around it. |
JIM: | What I want to talk to you about is the induction. It’s a five or six weeks period. You’re going to be working on issues, you don’t even know you have yet. |
BERT: | Right. |
JIM: | What I’ve got here is a little induction book for yer. |
BERT: | Sweet mate. |
JIM: | If you’ve got any thoughts … feelings write ’em down. |
BERT: | For what? Put my feelings on paper. |
JIM: | Yes, someone brings feelings out and you write em down. If you don’t understand summat, then we’ll read ’em out …. in the group. |
BERT: | You’re ‘aving a laugh, aren’t yer? And everyone hears it? |
JIM: | That’s what you’re here for. If there’s summat you can’t put down, yeah? Because you feel embarrassed to talk about it in a room full of lads … |
BERT: | I don’t like that. |
JIM: | You got a structure and me; first port of call. Come and see me. I’m in Derby 2. |
BERT: | Yeah. Right. |
JIM: | It’s going to be hard to get your head around this place, but I say is, for the life you’ve had out there and all the pain we’ve caused other people, mainly our families… |
(WE HEAR LAUGHTER IN THE BACKGROUND) |
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BERT: | What’s that there? |
JIM: | What them in dresses? |
BERT: | What’s he doing? |
JIM: | It’s not that, innit? You know …. |
BERT: | How’s he get a wig and a dress in prison? What’s that all about, man? |
JIM: | It’s a confidence building thing.. Some people who haven’t got confidence to go out and perform in the morning meeting… |
BERT: | Get on him. He’s dancing in a mini skirt. What’s that? He’s got a crop top on as well. How’s he get high heeled shoes in jail ? |
JIM: | Do you not wear them clothes? |
BERT: | What do you take me for, some kind of tranny? What’s that all about? We’re criminals in jail, man. You don’t bounce around in dresses. |
JIM: | That can prevent you from going there and taking drugs and dying somewhere in a corner. |
BERT: | What? Dancing in a dress will stop me from selling drugs. |
JIM: | Yeah. |
BERT: | Look at him. He loves it. Red dress, high heels and a wig. He’s got summat down his top to make fake … er … think top half things. |
(BACKGROUND CHAT) |
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BERT: | What’s that all about man? |
(MORE BACKGROUND CHAT) |
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BERT: | I can’t take this . I’m leaving. |
JIM: | Go on you don’t want to be a know all, like my old mate, Billy Braggard. |
BERT: | Why who’s Billy Braggard? Is he one of those trannies over there? |
JIM: | Billy only dresses in tattoos. I knew him in Exeter. You don’t want to be a career criminal like him. He’s over on the main now. |
CRAIG: | Good afternoon community my name’s Craig. |
EVERY BODY SHOUTS: | Good afternoon Craig. |
CRAIG: | Please welcome Bert Jackson to the community. |
(LOTS OF CHEERING AND CLAPPING) |
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BERT: | Good afternoon community my name’s Bert. |
ALL SHOUT: | Good afternoon Bert. |
BERT: | Er… Thanks for that, lads, for making me feel welcome. Er … I’m a bit nervous, so bare with me, please, lads. Well, I’ve come here, cos I’ve got a thirteen year old daughter. She’s called Katie, you know. And I love her to bits, you know. Er .. I just want to sort out my life. Be a good Dad, and stop letting her down, and meself down. And just basically be there for her and live a drugs free life. And that’s it, lads. |
(EVERYBODY CHEERS AGAIN. CRAIG INVITES ANOTHER MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY) |
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CRAIG: | Ok, Norman’s spot. Cooper. |
COOPER: | Afternoon community, my name’s Cooper. |
EVERYBODY: | Afternoon. Cooper? |
COOPER: | Yeah a bit. It’s a bit early innit, when you first land here, mate. But if you want to start sorting yourself out, this is the right place to come, mate. You’ve got a lot of support, you’ve seen by the cheer you got off the community. We’re behind you all a hundred percent, mate. You know, if you’re ever stuck this is what it’s about mate.. We all speak together. Good luck, mate. All right? |
(MORE CHEERING AND CLAPPING.) |