Former HMP Wandsworth inmates share Russell Brand’s ‘hell on earth’ reality behind bars

After a four-week trial and heartbreaking impact statements from numerous victims, Russell Brand was sentenced to 10 years and six months and taken to HMP Wandsworth. 

Russell Brand will serve at least two-thirds of his sentence before being eligible for release, but could be behind bars longer depending on the further instances of assault the police are still investigating. 

In light of the actor’s conviction, he’s being held at London’s HMP Wandsworth, a Victorian-era prison with quite the history of executions and escapes. A former prisoner, Chris Atkins, has now described the facility as “hell on earth.”

He told the BBC: “The first month is hands-down the worst. The mental shock is absolutely colossal. It was colossal for me and it’s going to be 10 times worse for him because of the nature of his offences and the height from which he’s fallen.

“He has to come to terms with it and the pure physical shock of suddenly being trapped in a dungeon for weeks on end with nobody to talk to most of the time is ghastly.”

Credit: ANDY RAIN/EPA/Shutterstock

Another former inmate spoke about HMP Wandsworth on Reddit

In a Reddit thread dedicated to former inmates sharing experiences, someone detailed the truth about HMP Wandsworth after spending nine months behind its walls. 

Describing his first few days in that prison, the inmate said: “You’ll go into reception where you’ll have everything you own, that isn’t normally allowed in a prison, put into a dusky cardboard box. You’ll see a nurse and GP who will ask you questions around addictions and mental health. You’ll also be offered a vape pack or a food pack. You can have one or the other, not both. Either way the funds to pay for them come out of your first account top up.

“You’ll also get your ID and first phone call for free and get a decent sized meal whilst in reception. You then start in E-Wing for your first two weeks. This is the induction wing, you literally walk directly into it from reception.

Credit: Snapchat

“E wing is pretty good, the cells are disgusting, mostly because this is the wing most prisoners take their immediate anger of being in prison out in. Stone toilets (chipped as well from people trying to smash them up) and a water dispenser hand wash that allows three presses every thirty minutes.”

After a week, prisoners are typically moved into the main wing of the prison, which Russell Brand has already done. There was reportedly “much excitement” about his arrival, the prison told the BBC, but a lot of prisoners are angry about “what he’s done.” A convicted murderer already posted on his Snapchat about “seeing” him soon. 

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“The bottom floor however does come with it’s negatives, cockroaches, rats and pigeons are rampant so you’ll learn to put a wet towel under the gap under your door to try and stop them getting in,” the former inmate said on Reddit. 

U.K. ex cons, what is Russel Brands prison sentence going to be like?
byu/SuperDope420 inAskReddit

It’s not all bad, he said 

In the lengthy Reddit post, the former inmate did note some of the more positive aspects of the prison. Inmates typically get salad or curry for dinner, and they even get roast dinners on Sunday. 

But those small lights do nothing to combat the general sulleness of the prison, he explained: “Once in the main wings, you’ll get a hour a day out of your cell if lucky. Often you’ll not be allowed out at all. In this time you can use the kiosk to place your order, get a shower or get cleaning supplies for your cell or get new toilet paper.

“If you get a job or take an education course you’ll get more time out your cell, generally around six hours total a day. Yard time is once a week, if not raining. They’ll let you into the concrete yard and you’ll essentially just walk in circles for a hour straight. Gym is rare, library visits rarer although there is book trolleys on each wing where you can pick up some books when ever you get chance.”

The Ministry of Justice is aware of the prison’s less than stellar reputation, and they told LADBible: “We inherited prisons on the brink of collapse, but we’re pulling every lever to restore order. While there have been signs of progress at HMP Wandsworth, we know there is more to do.”

It’s unclear whether Russell Brand will serve his entire sentence at HMP Wandsworth because prisoners are typically housed elsewhere after sentencing. 

More to follow. 

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Featured image credit: Dax Tamargo/Shutterstock and ANDY RAIN/EPA/Shutterstock