“Crumbling, Overcrowded, Contaminated”
What Boris Becker can expect in Wandsworth prison – and what he can hope for
Boris Becker was convicted of delaying bankruptcy.
© imago images/UPI Photo
Boris Becker has had his first weekend behind bars. The convicted ex-tennis star has been in London’s Wandsworth prison since Friday – and that’s not exactly known as homely.
Just five kilometers separate the place where Boris Becker celebrated his greatest successes from the place where he suffered his greatest defeat. The Victorian Wandsworth Prison, where the convicted ex-tennis pro was taken by security transport on Friday after being sentenced to two and a half years in prison, is in south London – as is Wimbledon’s Center Court. There are two fateful places in Becker’s life that could hardly be more different.
At Wimbledon, Eton Mess – a hint of strawberries with a fine crème double – is usually served. Simpler fare is the order of the day in Wandsworth. When it comes to “Wanno”, as the high-security category B prison is called by its inmates, the words drugs, violence and rats quickly come up.
Becker has been temporarily accommodated there for a few days, as his lawyer Giles Bark-Jones confirmed to the German Press Agency. Upon request, the prison itself referred to the Ministry of Justice, which said nothing about Becker and the circumstances of his arrest.
Oscar Wilde was in Wandsworth Prison
Charles Taylor, the chief inspector for British prisons, wrote of a “crumbling, overcrowded, vermin-infested prison” in a report published in January after a detailed inventory of conditions. It’s teeming with mice and rats. Leftovers are carelessly thrown out of the cells, violence is the order of the day – and the trend is increasing.
More than half of the inmates surveyed said they felt unsafe during their incarceration. Because the prison is so overcrowded, inmates have to choose between exercising, showering, or ordering from the kiosk, Taylor said. They often spend 22 hours a day in their cell, sometimes for weeks without access to fresh air and daylight.
With 1,364 inmates, Wandsworth, which once housed writer Oscar Wilde, who was jailed for his homosexuality, was rated as one of England’s busiest prisons last September. Three quarters of the inmates are said to live in pairs in cells that are actually only intended for one person.
Boris Becker will probably be relocated soon
In his book, excerpts from which the Mail on Sunday published, journalist and ex-con Chris Atkins, who spent several years in the dreaded prison, recalls the background noise that was burned into his memory. “Shouting, banging, yelling, grunting, barking, threatening, swearing, laughing, whining, arguing, fighting, howling, crying,” Atkins lists. “It sounds like someone downloaded every single sound effect and is playing them all at once.”
The only consolation for Becker: “I do not expect that he will stay in Wandsworth long,” said lawyer Bark-Jones of the DPA. After a few weeks, he is expected to be transferred to a prison with a lower security level. Overall, the tennis icon should have served at least half of his two and a half years in prison. In theory, the 54-year-old can still appeal the verdict. However, the chances of success are considered to be rather low.
In Wandsworth, Bark-Jones said it was difficult even for him as a lawyer to get access to his client. “It can take several days.” For relatives, the options are likely to be even more limited. Telephoning from the cell is possible. But: “Wardens can join the calls at any time – to prevent crime and protect people”, as it is written on the official website of Her Majesty’s Prison Wandsworth.