SupLockedUp

Smartphones are common although illegal. Estimates I've seen on the news say for 69k prisoners there are 33k phones in the prison system.

My French has improved steadily. I'm able to communicate freely in French now. It took about 8 weeks before I could hold a basic conversation with a total non-English speaker and about 4 months before I was happy I could delve into more complex conversations.

I spoke very very little. Effectively none. I couldn't ask my cellmate if he was cool with me turning off the light. I didn't know the words for meals, cutlery or crockery.

The same day that I arrived in the prison another dude was also transferred here. He spoke very little English but was eager to learn. He's my best friend here by far. Over the first 4 months I'd teach him English and he'd teach me French. We'd practice for about 30-60 mins a day in the exercise yard. He has pretty good English now and is planning on moving to England (brexit permitting) once he's free. There are guys here who still speak no French after 6-9 months. I've tried to explain how much easier it makes life.. and they can see it in how easy I find communication now... but they just don't have the will to try sadly.

My good friend said to me early on: prison is only good for 2 things, you can learn something and you can strengthen your body (we also gym train together)

You've already searched my cell recently chef. You missed 2 iPhones and 3 chargers :)

In all seriousness the guards are more easy going on some guys than others. If you're a pain in the ass to them they'll return the favor and rip your cell apart weekly. If you're mellow and hang around with other mellow guys they'll search you once a year (if that).

I'd be bailed in the U.K. If I was a French national I'd have been bailed here too.

1. I am allowed to use the prison phone which is recorded. It took 4 months before they gave me permission for that, so as you can imagine I bought an illegal iPhone when I heard they were available.

2. You can survive on it but you will not enjoy it! Tonight was cheese pancakes (sounds better than they taste) with salty boiled carrots.

If you have money you can "cantine" food (equivalent to canteen or commissary elsewhere) and cook for yourself on a very low powered hotplate you can buy. It takes around 2 hours to cook a good meal but luckily we're not short of time here ;)