Written by a friend: Ben Gunn is a widely recognised face on the prison landings, having wandered through the prison system for 30 years. Pleading guilty to the murder of a friend at the age of 14, he has consistently fought for the recognition of the inherent dignity of all human beings. As a result, he has served decades longer than expected. Ben chose the route of education to alter his life and empower himself. He specialises in conflict resolution and jailhouse law on the landings. At present he is engaged in research towards a PhD, focused upon the role of Human Needs Theory in prison conflicts. Ben writes regularly for the prisoner’s national newspaper Inside Time and is well known for his challenging views.He is also a proponent of non-violent political activism, having spent a lifetime resisting the worst excesses of State abuses of prisoners. He recently became General Secretary of the Association of Prisoners, arguing that change in the penal system rests in the hands of prisoners themselves. “A little rebellion now and then is a good thing” – Thomas Jefferson.
Submitted blogposts
- Savage children
- Victims, again.
- Unbelievable
- Ken Faces the Lions
- My body isn’t mine
- A Grand Day Out
- The Idiot Box
- Riot and Reform
- Shiny Toilet Paper
- Post-Riot Woolf to Learmont