Prison

[Valmave]

Do convicted prisoners generally know what crimes their fellow inmates have committed ?

[saxy_jag]

Well they do talk to one another. What someone doesn't mention voluntarily will most likely be talked about by the others. They would not, however, be told anything about one another by the staff. That would be a breach of confidentiality.

[heathfield]

I'm told you should never ask a fellow prisoner what they did - instead you should ask what they were put away for. The two answers might be very different!

[Buenchico]

Officially 'no' but (as a prison officer who worked at HMP Chelmsford once told me) prisoners listen to local radio and read local newspapers, so they often know about the background of new inmates before they arrive. Further, some prisoners are happy to brag about why they're in jail (particularly if it's for a 'high status' crime, such as attacking a copper).

Prisoners who are likely to be assaulted by other prisoners such as ex-coppers, sex offenders and (again, according to that prison officer I once spoke to) handbag snatchers would be likely to ask to be placed on a segregated wing as soon as they arrived.

[bednobs]

is "handbag snatcher" some sort of code chris?

[Buenchico]

Bednobs:
No. I understand that pickpockets and bag snatchers are regarded as 'very low status' among prisoners, akin to sex offenders.

[RATTER15]

Im sure word gets around very quickly.

[MichaelZZ]

Reminds me of the story told by Jeffrey Archer when he was in Belmarsh prison. Apparently he asked an old lag what he was in for and the bloke replied, "Cor blimey, Jeff! It was bleedin sad really. I was making big money! And I do mean big! Problem was it was about 2mm too big!"