I were in town doing a bit of outreach work, ‘cause I’ve done the outreach work even whilst being homeless. I’d gone and seen somebody I’ve seen on a regular basis, some young lady, and I’d gone and got her a couple of cans on Market Street. Friday evening, I think it was.

Next minute this copper comes over.

He said, ‘What are you doing buying her beer?’ 

I said, ‘She’s older than me, mate. She’s old enough to drink, you know. It’s Friday evening.’ I said, ‘When you go home, do you have a drink?’

‘Well, I’m entitled to’, he said. 

I said, ‘Well I know. So is she, this is her home.’ 

He said, ‘Well you can’t do it here.’ 

I said, ‘What do you think [would have happened] if I hadn’t bought her the beer? How do you think she’d have got it?’ 

‘I don’t know.’

I said, ‘Well she might go shoplift or something like that. She doesn’t need to now ’cause I bought her some. 

So he said, ‘Well I’d just arrest her then, put her in prison like.’ 

So I said, ‘Well, alright, give us a minute then. I’ll go and get everybody else and we’ll all come. We’ll have a roof over our heads then!’

He’s not doing me any wrong there. Is he? 

He’s gonna put me in prison. I’m gonna have three meals a day. I’m gonna get access to the gym, healthcare, a TV, warm fresh bedding, a shower. I can go play football at the weekend with my mates.

My mate who was in one of the shelters, he’s gone to court – I think it was over a criminal damage or something like that – and the judge’s like, ‘Yeah, I’m gonna give you a community order’.

He said, ‘Well I can’t stick to it… because I don’t know when it’s gonna be… I’ve got no phone or anything. I’m on the streets. I’m homeless, you know. Just put me in prison.’ 

‘No, I’m not doing that’. 

He said, ‘Well if you don’t do that, I’m gonna come back and smash all your windows.’ 

He said, ‘Yeah, whatever.’ Didn’t believe him. 

The next day he’d smashed all the windows. He got nicked. Went back to court up against the same judge. 

‘Well,’ he said, ‘One thing I will say is that you do hold your word. I’ve got no other choice but to put you into prison now.’

He said, ‘Well, thank you. That’s what I wanted.’

It’s mad. 

You go there, like I say, you’ve got three meals a day, you’ve access to gym and stuff. So you come out stronger, fitter and more knowledgeable. You have a load of education too.

You get a job while you’re in there as well.

It’s wrong that people think like that… if that’s the solution… getting locked up.