Looking into the bag Margo saw it was full of bags of sweets, chips, chocolate biscuits and assorted other confectionaries. Jess chuckled, “That’s from Gail; she told me to tell you not to eat them all at once.”
Margo’s heart lifted, and her mouth split in a happy smile, “Aw, you guys didn’t have to do that.”
Jess nodded, “Margo, you helped her out, gave her comfort when she needed it, and you didn’t embarrass her when you could have. Some folks in your position might have had fun at her expense, gotten themselves a little payback maybe, but you guys didn’t. That means something. I’m not saying I’ll name my first-born after you, but it’s not nothing.”
The blonde woman shrugged, “I wouldn’t have done that to her, she was nice, and nobody deserves to be made to feel small just for liking someone.”
The Warden sobered, “Look Margo, maybe you got a shitty deal, maybe not, I’m honestly not sure, but prison won’t be that bad, especially as you’re on day-release and only have to sleep there,” she grinned, “just think of it as a crap Bed and Breakfast.”
“I suppose.”
Jess looked down and seemed embarrassed, “Um, look, we know you don’t have anyone over here, so if… Well, if you like, then me and Gail won’t take it wrong if you fancy a coffee and need someone to talk to, um, if you feel like it, that is…”
Margo had to sniff back a tear, “Really?”
“Aye,” she grinned, “besides, we owe you for making you drink the shite coffee in this place if nothing else. I mean, that’s gotta be against your Human Rights, surely.”
“Thanks, Jes- I mean Warden Taylor. That really means a lot to me.”
“Okay, enough of this, before we both end up greetin’ like bairns. Let’s get this shit-show over with.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
…
The transfer to the women’s prison went smoothly enough, and soon enough, Margo was standing before yet another processing desk being eyed by a hard-looking woman in the uniform of a senior Warden.
Jess had swiped the custody record and transfer authorisation to the prison computer, and after a moment, the Warden nodded in satisfaction. She looked to Jess, “Any issues?”
“No, Warden.”
“Very good,” pointing at the handcuffs on Margo’s wrists, she sniffed, “then I think we can dispense with those.”
The restraints hadn’t been too tight, but it was still a relief to be free of them. The Warden eyed her as she perused the electronic record before finally speaking to Jess again, “Right, this all looks in order. If you append your thumbprint here acknowledging transfer, I’ll do the same to confirm receipt, and that’ll be us done and dusted.”
And that was that. Margo now belonged to this woman until her sentence was completed.
Jess nodded in acknowledgement before turning to her charge, “That’s me off then Margo, you look after yourself okay? Mind what I said now, and maybe we’ll see you again.”
“Thanks, Jes- um, Warden Taylor. If it’s not cheeky, could you maybe tell Gail that I said hello?”
“Jess is fine, Margo, and I’ll tell her.”
Margo watched as the woman walked off.
“Looks like you made a friend there, inmate.”
Reverie broken Margo looked and saw the Warden was watching her carefully,
The American sighed and answered in a forlorn voice, “Yeah, she was nice.”
“Well, let’s complete the booking-in procedure and get you settled. You’ll be glad to know that because you’ve come directly from another facility and been under constant supervision during that time we can dispense with the usual strip and cavity search.”
“Oh, thank fu- er, I mean, thank you, Warden.”
“Indeed. So, my name is Warden Ferguson and I’m in charge of the unit where you’ll be staying. I can see from the record that you have been remanded to us because you were deemed a flight risk, and yet despite that you are on a day-release program so that you can complete your Community Service?”
“Yes, Warden.”
The woman gave a long-suffering sigh and shook her head, “Well, far be it from me to second-guess the mental process that came up with that genius idea. We’re just the ones that have to make it work I suppose.”
“I’m sorry Ward-”
“Oh, it’s no your fault. I just sometimes wonder how they can say you’re a flight risk in one breath and tell us to let you wander about free as a bird in the next. Seems a bit daft, but such is life.”
Looking at Margo she shook her head in resignation, “Okay, walk with me, and I’ll go over a few of the rules on the way to the unit.”
The corridors had that smell of fear and antiseptic that Margo was becoming familiar with. They passed through several barred doors as they walked, and she jumped each time one of those heavy gates clanged shut behind her.
“Okay, it’s simple enough, Margo, you can leave the prison between the hours of 6 am and 10 pm for the purposes of carrying out your Community Service, but you have to be back here outwith that. I would ask that as a courtesy to my staff, you get back a half hour early as lights-out is at ten and it would make their job easier.”
“I don’t want to cause any problems, Warden.”
The woman grinned at the obvious apprehension in Margo’s voice, “Relax, inmate, this isn’t “The Shawshank Redemption”, you’re just here so we can keep an eye on you is all. If you apply yourself, this will all be done and dusted in three months, which, oddly enough, is about the sentence a first-time offender could normally expect to get for a petty Assault.”
“Really? I thought I was… I dunno.”
“Nah, I think the Sheriff just wanted to scare the shit out of you to be honest.”
Margo laughed, “Well, he did a spectacular job.”
“I imagine so. Anyway, we’ll get you settled in for tonight, and tomorrow your lawyer will be here to escort you to your work placement for your introduction. After that, you’ll be issued your prison ID, a bus pass and a map so you can find the place, as well as a spending card and a phone.”
“A phone?”
“Don’t get too excited. There’s only one number on it, and all calls are monitored and recorded. It’s so you can contact the prison in the event of an emergency of some kind.”
“Oh, okay.”
“Margo, that phone can be your lifeline if you get delayed in getting back before your curfew. The penalties for breaching the terms of your Community Service can be severe, and I’m not just talking about the absolute thrashing you would get. In your case you could end up with a four-year stretch in here, so just keep that in mind.”
Margo swallowed under the woman’s steely gaze, “Yes, ma’am.”
After a moment, the Warden relented and continued her explanation, “So, the spending card is simple enough as well. You receive a small daily allowance for use in the prison commissary, but most of the larger local shops also accept it. It’s not much but should be enough to buy yourself a sandwich if you need it.”
“Okay.”
“So, you are expected to do attend your Community Service at least three times a week and complete a minimum of twelve hours of work over that same period.”
“I’ll be doing a lot more than that.”
“I figured that; I’m just telling you what’s expected. Now stop interrupting.”
“Sorry.”
“Right now, I’m taking you to the tech department where, as per the orders of the court, you will be fitted with a judicial collar. Now it’s a simp-”
“Um, Warden?”
The woman sighed, “Yes, Margo?”
“Does the collar give you shocks?”
“What?”
Margo blushed, “The, uh, slave collars we use, well, some of them can administer shocks… For discipline.”
“Seriously?”
Shameface Margo nodded.
“Did you use one of those things on the slave you kept? Um, Sally, wasn’t it?”
“God, no! I mean, she had one on when she came from the camps, but I got rid of it almost immediately.”
“Almost?”
“Well, they’re locked, and just taking it off sets off an alarm, so I needed a code, and I…”
“I get the picture, and no. You’re a custody, not a slave, and the only thing these collars do is they have a GPS that monitors your movements and location. Though, I suppose, it does send a signal to the Police if it is removed without authorisation, so there is that I guess. Seriously, electric shocks?”
Margo nodded.
The Warden shook her head incredulously, “You guys are weird,” she grinned, “mind you, I’ve sometimes wished I had a cattle prod for some of the more, let’s say, uncooperative, of my charges, but we’ll just keep that between you and me.”
The collar was surprisingly light and flexible, and it fitted together around her neck with an audible “click” that made her shiver. The tech guy ran a couple of tests and sat back, satisfied, “Yup, that’s working fine. I’ve set the standard ten-kilometer perimeter. Is that okay?”
“Yea, that’s fine,” the Warden turned to Margo, “so, as he says, there’s a perimeter setting. If you stray more than ten kilometers from the control point an alarm is set off, and the collar starts broadcasting to all local Police units. I think you can guess what happens thereafter, yes?”
“I understand.”
“Good, now you can just rip the collar off, or cut it, if need be, it’s sturdy, so it won’t break by accident, but it’s designed that way in case of some medical emergency that necessitates removal. But of course, that would again trigger an alarm.”
“Um, is it waterproof?”
The Warden laughed, “Yes, Margo, you can wear it in the shower, or even in the swimming pool if you fancy it. So, now that’s sorted, let’s get you to your room, shall we?”
“Yes, Warden.”
As they walked Margo considered her situation, “Warden?”
“Aye?”
“I was told that if I went to my Community Service then after my shift was over, I didn’t have to come back to the prison until it was curfew time. Is that still the case?”
“Yes, that’s fine. The stipulation is that you are obliged to be here between ten and six. Beyond that? Well, as long as you show the required due diligence in carrying out your Community Service then it’s not a problem if you want to stay out during the day. Just remember the regulations prohibiting you from entering licensed premises, or purchasing alcohol, and of course, remember to call if some issue arises. It’s for your own protection.”
“Um, Warden?”
“Aye?”
“What’s to stop me from walking into the American Embassy when I’m out for the day?”
The woman snorted, “Not a damned thing; well, I suppose that’s not exactly true. I looked it up for you, and the nearest embassy is in Edinburgh, though there is a consulate building in Glasgow. If you want to go to the embassy let me know, and I’ll arrange an appointment and set you up with a travel warrant and authorisation.”
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