‘I’m glad you feel that way, Bailey, but I have to be sure that you’re not at-risk. The fact that you conducted a near-lethal suicide attempt means that something’s not quite right and I’m determined to find out what it is.’

She rolled her eyes.

He continued with a firm no-nonsense tone in his voice. ‘I’m going to place you on the ACCT sheet. That stands for Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork and it means I’ll be monitoring your mental health very closely. I’m particularly concerned for you because you’re a relatively new inmate. Suicide rates are highest amongst those who’ve been incarcerated for less than thirty days, and you’ve been in here for just under three weeks.’

‘You’re wasting your time.’

This inmate’s attitude was starting to stretch his patience.

‘I’m here to help you, Bailey. But if you want me to help you, you have to want to help yourself. Remember, it’s me who advises the parole board on your suitability for release. If you’re not willing to improve, then you may be spending longer in here than you want to.’

A small smile flickered across her face.

‘I’ll leave here when I’m ready to leave,’ she said.

‘I’m glad you’re so confident, but I have to make sure that you’re fully rehabilitated and in a suitable mental state to be able to fit back into normal society. That’s what I do with all the inmates here and you’re no exception.’

He began to write down some further notes in her file, outlining the type of treatment programme he planned to follow with her.

‘Rehabilitation’s a waste of time,’ she said suddenly.

‘Really?’ he peered at her over the tops of his glasses. There was no denying that there was something intriguing about her. On one hand, she seemed so closed, yet here she was suddenly willing to engage with him. ‘Why do you think that?’ he asked.

‘Some people are bad people and they’ll always be that way. Full stop. And there’s nothing you or anyone else can do to change it.’

‘That’s a rather fatalistic view. So what do you suggest we do with these people?’

‘Lock them up and throw away the key.’

He frowned. ‘That’s an odd attitude for an inmate to have. Most inmates in here believe that they’ve been unjustly imprisoned. Do you not feel that way about yourself?’

She chewed her lip and looked into the distance.

‘I’m in here for a very good reason,’ she said.

‘I see. Well, at least you’re being honest. That’s a start. Being sent to prison is a big thing to happen to someone, Bailey. It often changes a person’s whole approach to their own personal psychology. You can choose to learn from your mistakes. You can look at the path which brought you here. You have the ability to analyse the chain of decisions which resulted in your imprisonment. This is an important thing to do if you want to make progress.’

‘Like I said, I’ll leave when I’m ready.’