Two ex-cons discuss their past experiences with crime, including armed robbery and drug dealing. They reveal that over a 35-year period, they collectively stole around £2.7 million, with the largest single heist being £160,000. They also talk about the adrenaline rush they got from committing crimes and how they spent their ill-gotten gains quickly, often on luxuries and vices.
The two men share their experiences with prison life, including the poor food and the availability of contraband such as knives, drugs, and even hired killings. They discuss how they coped with prison life, with one man causing trouble and the other finding solace in education.
After being released from prison, both men have turned their lives around. One works with homeless people, teaching them how to make coffee, and also works with kids who have challenging behavior. The other man has become a writer and works as a commissioning editor for a prisoners' newspaper, giving talks and trying to deter young people from a life of crime.
Throughout the conversation, the two men reflect on their past mistakes and express a desire to make amends and help others avoid the same path.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The speaker and someone else stole around £2.7 million over a 35-year period.
2. The most they ever stole in one go was £160,000, which was shared between three people.
3. The speaker was sentenced to prison for cocaine-related charges.
4. The speaker was given a sentence of five years and eight months.
5. The other person was sentenced to life in prison for armed robbery, possession of firearms and ammunition, conspiracy to rob, and possession of explosives.
6. They were released from prison nine months prior to the conversation.
7. The speaker had been out of prison for nine years at the time of the conversation.
8. The speaker's friend was an armed robber and carried a gun, knife, and sometimes a stun gun.
9. The friend was offered grenades for £20 each, but didn't buy them because they were indiscriminate.
10. The speaker carried a knife during their time as a criminal.
11. The speaker used the knife, but not often.
12. Lewisham had the worst stabbing rate in the UK in 2014.
13. The speaker thinks that everyone, including the police, parents, and social media, is to blame for the high stabbing rate.
14. The speaker doesn't see any youth clubs in their area.
15. Budget cuts have affected the availability of youth clubs.
16. In prison, contraband such as knives, dartmouth, and even a woman can be bought.
17. The worst thing that can be bought in top-security prisons is someone's life.
18. A person's life can be bought for a quarter of an ounce of heroin, worth around £200.
19. The speaker's friend used to make hooch, sell weapons and drugs, and cause trouble in prison to keep themselves sane.
20. The speaker discovered education in prison and used it to keep themselves sane.
21. The speaker is now working for a homeless charity that hires homeless people and pays them a living wage.
22. The speaker is planning to teach homeless people how to make coffee.
23. The speaker also works with kids who have challenging behavior.
24. The other person wrote books in prison and is now the commissioning editor of the national prisoner's newspaper, Inside Time.
25. The person gives talks and goes to schools and young offenders' places to speak to them about their experiences.