 |
|||
|
|
Scotland's Alcatraz
by Obohobo
Chapter 1. Ionica School
"Welcome to Scotland's Alcatraz, your home for the next few months." Twelve handcuffed teenagers tried to peer through the helicopter windows on hearing the pilot's announcement. "It's real name is Ionica," the pilot informed them, "And you're the first lot of prisoners to use it."
"Doesn't look to be much there," Janette remarked to Maureen sitting beside her, "Only a few little cottages. Nothing that looks like any prison I've been in."
"Nor me. Shitting little island hundreds of miles from the nearest land. No one is going to escape from there unless they can fly this thing," her companion replied. "There won't be any need for a wall round this place."
The pilot's voice on the intercom interrupted them again. "I'll fly around so you can have a good look. The island is less than a mile long and a bit more than half a mile wide. It's about forty-five miles from the main Hebridean islands so you'd have a long swim and the water is cold and almost always rough. Only two ways to get to it; the chopper, like you are, and by boat to the little bay on the eastern side. Only small coasters can get in but they bring in most of the supplies."
"He still didn't say where we are going to stay. Those three little cottages won't hold us lot and all the screws," Janette commented.
"That's the sightseeing done," the pilot announced, "We're touching down now. Have a nice holiday, I'll come back and pick you up again sometime," he joked.
"Fat chance of that! We don't even know how long we're going to be here." Maureen shouted but the roar of the engine drowned her words.
*****
Headmaster Derek Cousins stepped briskly into the classroom where the prisoners, now referred to as students, were seated. It had only been half an hour since the helicopter landed and already the maze of underground corridors and rooms of their new home bewildered them. All eyes turned towards him as he stopped for a few moments to survey the crowded room. The room was more than adequate for the twelve students seated at regular school desks but now standing wherever there was space, stood four men and two women security staff, a woman teacher, the PE coach, the nurse, a caretaker and a cleaner. Other security staff were on duty around the prison eagerly monitoring the new intake. Derek's eyes now turned to each of the students. Eleven of them looked as he expected. Sour, glaring faces, each trying to look the part of a hardened criminal and saying with body language, "There ain't nothing you can do to me that hasn't been done already. I know my rights." The odd one was a small, thin pasty looking lad who seemed likely to burst into tears at any moment. "That must be Dennis Chamberman, the one with that odd file," he said to himself, "He doesn't look more than thirteen or fourteen and yet his file gives his age at seventeen. Something odd about his case."
"Good afternoon students," he started, " I'm Headmaster Derek Cousins, welcome to Ionica School."
"Prison," muttered Brian Singer loud enough to cause a titter from the other students.
"I'll repeat, this is a school," the headmaster went on, ignoring the interruption. A school with a difference as you will soon find out. With one exception, you are all here because of your violent behaviour, theft, rape and many other crimes largely committed when you should have been attending your regular school. Here there can be no absenteeism, no truancy. You will have to learn because the length of your stay here is dependent upon you achieving a good standard of education as well as your learning to live together as reasonable human beings. At the moment you are the only group here. This is the first trial so you will be under special scrutiny. Eventually there will be up to six units like this on the island." Derek paused to let this little piece of information sink in. The length of their sentence was something all the students had thought about. For all previous offences they had been given a set custodial or care time. Now the sentence was simply, 'Committed to Ionica School'.
"First though I will get you to introduce yourselves. Janette Maddison (Jan), Dennis Chamberman (Denny or Den), Maureen Silcott, Brian Singer, Sally Blanchard, Peter McCloud, Kathryn Smith (Kathy), Michael Vernon (Mick), Michelle (Shelly) Dickens, Gregory Jones (Taffy from Wales), Debra Morrison, Donald Duckford (Quack) all sullenly stood when asked and gave their name and nickname if they had one. There was a little laughter when the last boy gave his nickname. Even Derek smiled and it helped to lighten the atmosphere. Derek introduced the staff and their jobs.
"You already know this school is going to be rather different to those on the mainland. We are not bound by the same rules. My job is to educate you and make you fit to return to your hometowns without being a further menace to other inhabitants. You were all sentenced for violence to others and yet I suspect you have never, or at least only rarely, been on the receiving end of it. In state, church and public schools, corporal punishment is banned. Not so here. Some of you will have already noticed that the security people and most of the other staff have a tawse hanging from their belt. A good old fashioned Scottish leather two-tongued tawse." Derek took one from Dean Franklin, one of the guards, and showed it to them. "All staff are allowed to use them as they feel necessary. They will always be used on bare flesh to get the maximum effect and, yes, they will hurt but the marks quickly fade and there is no permanent damage."
Brian again tried to make a snide comment but Derek silenced him. "If you do not wish to be the first to try out the tawse, I suggest you keep quiet and allow me to finish." A slight thud caused him to look up again. The pasty boy had fainted and hit his head on the desk. Immediately the nurse went to him and spoke quietly until he recovered. Derek was even more puzzled as to why he was included with the other morons.
"As I was saying, all members of staff are able and usually are very willing to use the tawse for minor infringements of our rules but for more serious demeanours I have three canes of different sizes and if they are not sufficient, I have a whip. However, if you obey the rules and work hard there will be no need for you to receive any punishment." There were murmurs and mutterings from the students but none yet dared to openly challenge him.
"Now to the general arrangements. Boys and girls have separate dormitories with their own ablution areas. In a few moments you will go and shower and then change into school uniform. Afterwards the nurse will give you a quick examination and talk to the girls about using the contraception pill. We know that youngsters of your age will want to have sex and we may even encourage it later on as we believe it helps the bonding process but rape will not be tolerated."
Derek wound up his speech and the students were led to their dormitories and to the shower rooms. Each had to put their clothes in a box, which was sealed and signed in front of them and taken away. When they returned from the showers a simple shift and a pair of trainers were waiting. Boys and girls wore the same shift. A smock in a stripped polyester material that came to just above the knee and with a zip fastener all the way up the front and another up the back. Unzipping would completely expose the whole of a person's back or front even if the person was handcuffed. No underwear or bras were supplied.
The boys complained vociferously and Mick yelled, "This is women's wear. I'm no trannie!" Two guards dragged Mick to a stool, bent him over. Two others stood with their tawses ready and kept the remaining boys to one side while one applied four strokes to Mick's bare arse. Although he took it stoically the others could see they were not applied lightly and were hurting Mick.
|
|
|