Will I Get Beaten Up?

This is the fear nearly everyone walks in with. The honest answer: most men serve their whole sentence without ever being seriously assaulted. Violence is real, but it is rarely random — it follows debt, drugs and disrespect, and those are mostly things you can stay clear of. What can help: owe nobody anything — not a vape, not a tin of tuna. Stay away from drugs and the people who deal them. Be respectful, don't show off, don't run your mouth. Choose who you mix with slowly. If you ever feel threatened, tell staff — there are proper ways to keep you apart from someone, and using them is sensible, not weak. The hard truth: you can't step fully outside the environment, and you may see things you'd rather not. But the picture the television puts in your head is far worse than the day-to-day reality for most men.