Hell’s Cells! Devil Worship and Inmate Suicides
Who will your cell mate be?
If you could punish the horrible little oik who burgled your house or stole your car a little bit more while they were languishing behind bars, how would you go about it? Enforced participation in Country and Western karaoke evenings? Compulsory beautician courses? Well, how about leaving them to fend for themselves in a prison that comes with its very own demons? Yes… that’s more like it!
Something at Brinsford Prison, near Wolverhampton, has its inmates quaking in their trainers. They are terrified of entering one of the prison cells because they believe there is something evil lurking there (something additional to the inmates, that is) which is responsible for two inmate suicides.
Brinsford is a Young Offenders Institute with nearly 600 inmates. They’re a nice lot in there; real salt of the earth types, many of whom are awaiting trial for murder, rape and general pillage, that sort of thing.
Two suicides have taken place in one particular cell from hell during the course of 2009, and they allegedly took place on the same day of the week and at the same time of day. Spooky.
It hasn’t taken long for the rumour mill to do its thing and now the prison is awash with stories of devil worshipping and general unmentionables. Chaplains were shipped in to sort the mess out and they went as far as confirming that something wasn’t ‘quite right’ about the cell (giving the impression that there’s usually something ‘right’ about prison cells in the first place). Inmates are now demanding that an exorcism is performed on the cell and they are even trying to insist that the cell in question be closed off completely. One guard told reporters that a lot of inmates are terrified. Kind of makes you feel warm inside, doesn’t it?
Once the police had finished with the cell after the second suicide, it was quickly put to use once more, regardless of its newfound reputation.
The prison chaplain, Phil Seadon, wouldn’t answer any questions, only saying that he could not confirm or deny plans for an exorcism. Oh come on, I bet they can’t wait to get in there and start waving crucifixes around. How long do we think it will be until the first paranormal group is shipped in for an investigation?
It is interesting to note that a vicar who worked for the Church of England’s ‘Ministry of Exorcism’ (I can only imagine what their board meetings must be like) for forty years commented that buildings and rooms can acquire good and bad atmospheres, depending on what’s gone on there in the past. If no one knew about the cell being the location of two suicides, I wonder whether the room would still have acquired its frightening reputation. Would anyone be any the wiser if claims of devil worship and exorcisms hadn’t been bandied about or is it just people, rumours and over active imaginations that create these atmospheres?
It’s food for thought and I’d welcome your comments…
Nicola
©Nicola Kirk and http://www.nicolakirk.wordpress.com 2010
Sources: Sunday Mercury and Phantoms and Monsters
Creating Weirdness On A Daily Basis... 