FEATURE
August 2017 | jewelleryfocus.co.uk
‘‘
One piece
alone the
month prior
sold for
$18,000, the
macabre
knowledge
that the piece
was made by a
murderer held
on death row
rocketed the
costs beyond
belief
‘‘
I asked Lee how much his pieces
sold for his response came back:
“How much do you earn if I may
ask sir?” At that time I was earning
£26,000 a year as an officer in the
UK. “You could save!” he replied.
One piece alone the month prior
sold for $18,000, the macabre
knowledge that the piece was made
by a murderer held on death row
rocketed the costs beyond belief.
Lee and I had an understanding at
that point, that life was short and
money was a pointless commodity
in a prison environment as he
was only allowed $10 a week
spends, so Lee sent his money
out, 40% to his family and 50%
to his victims family with 10%
being taken by the prison for the
workshop upkeep.
My time in Texas was soon to
come to an end but what I saw
on that day did, and will never
leave me. I returned to the UK and
took to my books with an air of
confidence. One day I would be
able to make those pieces that I
saw on Lee’s bench. I returned to
work and brought in all the items
the security department at Styal
would let me bring in and set up
a jewellery making workshop for
our women, we competed many
projects during my time. The time
spent making bracelets, earrings
and wire wrap rings allowed a
professional bond to be established
allowing the women to open up
with their feelings and thoughts
and talk openly.
My time at the prison sadly came
to an abrupt end with a serious
assault meaning I was unable
to continue my role. With the
money I received from the injury
payout I booked on to the Higher
National Diploma in Jewellery
and Silversmithing course at the
School of Jewellery, BCU. I got in
at 8am most mornings and left as
close to 8pm as possible five days a
week, and I developed my passion
for jewellery and continued to
help those in need with jewellery-
making sessions where possible in
my role as a Mental Health, Health
Care Assistant every Friday and
Saturday night during my studies in
second year HND and throughout
my time on the BA Design For
Industry (DFI) course. A tolerance
for lack of sleep tolerance was
built up during my time as a prison
officer so the five hours I got at
weekends served me well.
And now here I am today, some
years after graduating from the
DFI and after spending time in
the industry working alongside
running my own freelance CAD
business, as a lecturer, in jewellery,
now teaching the 20+ students
who come through the course each
year how to make highly intricate
pieces similar to the pieces I saw on
Lee’s workbench back in 2006. I’ll
never know of Lee’s fate or that of
the other artists I looked up to on
that day, for changing their lives
around and even knowing their
impending future, not giving up
on their dreams. Are 20+ students
harder to manage than 10 female
prisoners
with
un-medicated
mental health issues. There’s a lot
fewer hangovers in a prison!
JEWELLERY FOCUS
43