Allegro - Learners

STEVE, who is aged 30 and serving a three-year sentence for burglary, has attended an Italian taster course while in prison. This is Steve’s story.

The past
I did German at school, but kids never appreciate what they get and I thought it had nothing to do with my future plans. I was always in trouble with the law – it runs in my family, ‘cos my Dad’s been in and out of prison all his life. First I was in youth custody and then adult prisons, I’ve been in as much as out really.

The present
I’m in for three years this time and I’ll serve two, even with remission. I decided I’d get a bit of education, because it’s so boring in here. So I put my name down for IT.

ALLEGRO
Italian! I wanted IT! That’s the trouble with this prison, nobody listens to you. Anyway, the teacher was pretty and I didn’t care what I did really. Actually it was good and I’ve come back each week. Cecelia – that’s the teacher- was strict, mind, no cheek allowed, and she know her stuff. We did numbers and ordering drinks, all useful if you go there, and we talked, in English, of course, about what they eat and drink and even politics. I’m interested in that sort of thing. Apparently it’s that lot in Europe that paid for this. Makes a change them doing something useful. I say we should have more courses like this.

The future
I’ve promised the wife I’ll go straight when I come out, because of the kids. We might think about going abroad. Not Italy, though, Spain is more my cup of tea. I think I could learn Spanish – I seemed to get on with the Italian OK and Cecilia said they are quite the similar. A bar in Murcia is my dream, lots of sun and sangria!

Cecilia’s comments
Steve is wasted in here. He’s an intelligent man and he’s always got something valuable to say in discussions. He’s picked up the Italian very quickly too. It’s a real shame we can’t continue, because they have been an excellent group, not at all what I expected.