Stereotyping Ex-Prisoners

Billy Mitchell

The closure of the notorious �H� Block Control Units at the Maze heralds the end of an era.

For almost three decades the �H� Blocks and the �Cages� at Long Kesh have played host to thousands of loyalists and republicans who, for a variety of reasons, became actively involved in the violent conflict that tore the heart out� of both communities. For some it was a hell hole, for others it was a �university of sorts�, for a great many it was both.

Each individual prisoner will have his own memories of the time spent behind the wire or down the wings. Families too, will have their own individual memories of the trials and tribulations of life without a loved one, of economic hardships endured and of the weekly trip to �the Kesh�.� It would be inappropriate, indeed impossible, for me to give a broad overview of a prison experience that everyone could buy into. More importantly it would be outrageous for me, or for anyone else, to establish a stereotype of the people who filled the �cages� and the �blocks� during the past thirty years.

Such stereotyping is impossible unless, of course, you happen to be a cartoonist or an editor with a certain� morning newspaper. The man with the pen and the prejudiced mind can indulge in stereotyping to his heart�s content so long as there is an editor with an equally prejudiced mind to sanction publication of the jaundiced outcome.

According to the� caricature of� released prisoners, which appeared in the morning newspaper last week, the only activities which ex-prisoners are likely� to engage in are ones of a� selfish and socially harmful nature. Thousands of prisoners have passed through the gates of Long Kesh during the course of the past thirty years. The vast majority of those prisoners have returned to the bosoms of their families and have successfully reintegrated back into the mainstream of community life. Few that I am aware of, and I have worked in ex-prisoner circles for the past twelve years, reflect the stereotypes depicted in cartoonist�s demeaning caricature.

The caricature of prisoners who have found God in prison is particularly loathsome. They are depicted as gruesome ogres� whose demeanour and intentions appear to be more satanic than holy. To keep himself right with the readers of the newspaper� these prisoners are designated �evangelicals�. The foul sectarian nature of the caricature is obvious � evangelical Christians, generally assumed to be Protestants, are depicted as grisly-looking heretics from hell.

The gruesome characters depicted by the cartoonist and published by the newspaper in no way represents the vast majority of evangelical Christians who were former prisoners, and is in no way representative of the wider evangelical community.

Not content with demeaning Christians, the cartoonist and the newspaper go on to demonise community workers. Dozens of former prisoners from both republican and loyalist backgrounds have successfully engaged in the community development process, and have made a positive contribution to the development of their communities. This is a fact that has been recognised by credible leaders and workers within the community and voluntary sector. Both nationalist and loyalist communities have benefited from the sterling and selfless work undertaken by former prisoners, within both a single identity and a cross community context.

All this is lost on the prejudiced cartoonist and the editor who sanctioned publication. Ex-prisoners involved in community work are depicted by them as� �Flash Harry� characters, � the typical confidence trickster who lives off his wits and obtains a living by leeching off the na�ve and vulnerable in society. Such a caricature is a gross misrepresentation of the dozens of ex-prisoners now involved in community work and� casts a shameful slur on the their true nature, character and contribution to society.

The cartoonist does acknowledge that some ex-prisoners do engage in �ordinary decent activities�. He labels these as �protection� and �solvents�. At very best the ex-prisoner will end up a glue-sniffing racketeer.

This particular cartoonist�s contribution to the closure of Long Kesh is simply a cynical exercise in character assassination and vilification against those who had the misfortune to spend time within its confines. All appear to be beyond redemption. Every �gate of opportunity� for released prisoners depicted in the newspaper�s caricature represents an opportunity for either socially harmful activity or some other means by which ex-prisoners can leech off society. No room is left for the belief that any ex-prisoner will� go on to live a decent socially valuable life.

Jesus once said that society could identify people by the fruits of their lives (By their fruits shall ye know them). In my experience the lives, work and contribution of the vast majority of ex-prisoners to society upon their release provides incontestable evidence that this cartoonist and the editorial team of this newspaper are out of touch with reality. It would seem that their own prejudice is blinding them to the truth.

Let me make it clear, I can enjoy a laugh. I can take �Da�, �Cal�, �Uncle Andy� and �Red Hand Luke� in my stride. But there is a big difference between good natured humour and the cynical use of caricature as a public expression of prejudice.