I was on my way out and caught the beginning of this

Radio 4 The Friday Play

In Denial: The Story of Paul Blackburn

The true story of a man imprisoned for attempted murder at the age of 15 in 1978. He continued to protest his innocence and in May 2005 the Court of Appeal finally ruled that he was wrongly convicted.

...I don't feel like going out anymore.

I met him and can confirm the appalling facts - just yet another example of the system not working.

Nearly 30 years - for a crime you did not commit !

The real problem is the system - parole cannot be granted until the prisoner shows "remorse" for his crime.

But if you did not commit the crime in the first place you cannot show any remorse, can you?

Are you supposed to "admit" the crime and then "repent" for it? If you did then you would certainly spend less time in prison than this man, and for another example, Stephan Kischko.

I've noticed my quote didn't reveal he was inside for 25 years!

It is a compelling play and only an hour of a life to hear what happened to him.

The strangest thing is his feeling of guilt as it was his "confession" that put him away for most of his life.

I know it doesn't help him much but the circumstances of his interrogation wouldn't be accepted today. In some cases the system does learn, too late for him but it stands as a tribute to those who work towards a just justice.

In my opinion even if he was guilty as charged then he shouldn't have been subjected to the treatment he got when he was inside. Prison should not dehumanise people - staff or inmates.

The BBC once again have delivered a balanced yet blunt message that should be heard.

Humans are the only animal that blushes... and the only animal that has need to blush.

Some corrections - you CAN get parole without admitting guilt (as I did) though it is rare.

This extraordinary desire for REMORSE - especially when you didn't commit the crime - always amazes me. That was the main brick hurled at me - even by quite intelligent observers... "why don't you just express remorse?" they would moan.

Prison - in my experience many bring bad experiences upon themselves. Understandably bitter about being wrongly convicted, people tend to blame the prison system whereas it's the police and legal process that's at fault.

Faced with negative and nasty behaviour by the inmates, the poor prison system sometimes (rarely) reacts badly.

It NEVER happened to me. I was always sensible and polite and not once experienced anything other than decency and courtesy, not only from officers/governors/staff but from fellow inmates.

Bad manners beget bad manners.

Another point I'd like to make - and I have in my song PLEAD GUILTY - in sex offences, especially historic ones where there is no evidence other than a person's word against another - lawyers tell you almost every time to plead guilty.

The jury will vitually certainly find you guilty (they won't catch your eye and sit there mortified by the appalling langiage and inflated claims - the police and CPS have become expert at repainting allegations to offend jurors and to provide matching details before official statements are made).

Given that, say the lawyers, you'll get far less if you plead guilty even though you're innocent.

Two problems.
Often judges decide NOT to stick by their promised shorter sentences when you do plead guilty.
And second - you HAVE to do courses etc. if you pleaded guilty (you really cannot go back to saying you're innocent).
Since the innocent find it very hard to explain why they love raping babies when they never had the slightest desire to do so, their eventual conversions don't ring true, are not believed and parole is refused!

Alice in Wonderland?