Kazeem Kolawole, 23, who is serving a life sentence for shooting a 5-year-old girl has complained he is being bullied by jail bosses who won’t let him visit his friends. He was convicted for grievous bodily harm and the attempted murder of Thusha Kamaleswaran as she played in a shop in Stockwell, south London, in 2012.
He has now written a self-pitying rant from his cell at maximum security HMP Long Lartin, Worcs, claiming he has been unfairly branded a trouble maker. Writing in prison magazine Inside Time, Kolawole said not being able to visit jailbird pals in their cells was causing both him and them stress.
He said: ‘Over the past 5 years during which I have been incarcerated I have noticed a recurring theme that is causing me great concern. When inmates are on Basic IEP, staff enforce a draconian, pedantic and unhealthy rule which stipulates that no (other) inmates can approach such an inmate’s cell.
This is extremely unhealthy and detrimental to a person’s mental health. Basic, as we all know, can have an adverse effect on an inmate’s mental health. Seeing how we inmates live amongst each other, we automatically establish relationships.
Naturally, we are obliged to check on each other’s welfare and I feel that this should be endorsed by staff instead of them threatening us with IEPs and adjudication solely for checking on the welfare of friends.
This policy is only designed to alienate and ostracise the Basic prisoner from his peers. As someone who cares about his fellow prisoners, I am always concerned about others’ welfare.
I therefore feel that checking in with those prisoners being held on Basic should be encouraged and even rewarded. If we approach Basic prisoners we should not be threatened, bullied or labelled as trouble-makers. Let’s say no to victimization.”
The basic level also restricts prisoners privileges, including their television, Playstation and less tuck shop money.
