Home > Articles > Motivation > It's All In The Attitude
It's All In The Attitude
Alan is currently serving a four-year sentence in a prison in the South of England for theft. Here he tells us about his remarkable change of attitude, and how it's helped him to turn his sentence into something truly positive and constructive - for his fellow prisoners as well as for himself.
The Trial
"I have no choice but to impose a custodial sentence, you will go to Prison for 3 years and 9 months - take him down."
Of course he had a choice, and what did he mean take him down? All the cells at the court house were upstairs not down, perhaps His Honour was talking about my mental state, my emotions.
I did, like many before me, return to my cell. My instant emotion was one of shock - not being able to see my kids, what lay ahead of me, does four years mean four years?
On The Inside
It’s the unknown, it’s getting into a hole and not really seeing any way out, and it’s having your life placed in the hands of others others that you resent for keeping you away from your family.
My attitude was, why conform? I don’t want to be here! These people are my gaolers; I wouldn’t employ these people on the outside let alone give them the time of day. How wrong was I to think like that.
There was a way forward though, stripping my life back to basics, looking at myself with a critical eye. What did I want from my life? What went wrong? I organised my life into a plan, seeking support where I needed it, minute by minute, day by day, the weeks then the months until the first year had gone and I was on my way.
How did I do it? I read, I read a lot of books, some were recommended: The Silent Warrior was one. Fiona Harrold, my Angel - your books were an inspiration. I learnt to be me, I started to carry myself as though I was proud, proud to be alive.
Before prison, I had been responsible for hundreds of employees but I don’t think I ever took responsibility for me. A bit like the housewife whose children finally fly the nest - what is left? Lots! A life awaits however old, whatever the background.
Getting Support
I knew from my parents how important education was, so, as a part of all this looking at me I was to do something I had always wanted to do - I started a degree in psychology.
I started to attend the education department and found the support everything I was looking for, but one person in particular has changed the rest of my life, she was Tricia the administrator in the Education department - she always had the time to talk and listen to me, Tricia had time for all the prisoners.
Tricia would sit and encourage me to make something of myself - to look at myself and be proud of who I am and believe that I had a worth to society. I owed it to myself to fulfil my dreams and Tricia will always play a part in my future.
I wanted to teach, I wanted to coach, I had the ability to talk to people and help them the way I had helped myself. I loved being surrounded by positive people, and those that entered the circle without that attitude soon changed, it rubs off, it becomes infectious, and that’s how I want to be remembered - INFECTIOUS.
I Have An Attitude
I now teach at a local college - and yes, I’m still in name a prisoner, I have to go back there every night without fail. But through coaching I have gained the respect of both the other prisoners and the prison service. I have an attitude. A positive attitude, TO LIFE.
Why don’t all prisoners have this type of attitude? Well, because there aren’t enough of us to motivate on the inside. In the recent months Make Me Honest and Going Straight have been two television programmes about offenders after leaving prison.
Make Me Honest got some big laughs here, the mentors were ill prepared and the prisoners, in all but two instances, ran them ragged. Going Straight was a little bit different; the idea was excellent but, why restrict them to a florist’s shop?
If you'd like to contact Alan, drop us a line to support@fionaharrold.com and we'll pass on your messages.
