Russell Brand was "petrified" as he spent his first night in one of Britain's worst prisons after a jury found him guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. The comedian was taken to HMP Wandsworth in south-west London and placed in the Care and Separation Unit (CSU), the segregation and solitary confinement area where inmates deemed high-risk sit alone in their cells.
Guards at the prison reportedly felt Brand was too famous to be put in the 'Vulnerable Prisoners' (VPs) wing, where several rapists and sex offenders are held. Brand is facing years in prison after being found guilty of raping a 21-year-old woman he met after a comedy gig at the Hammersmith Apollo in 2009. The 51-year-old was also convicted of sexually assaulting an MTV worker at a Soho bar, a woman at the Choice FM studios and a Channel 4 worker who had been told to give him a massage.
Arrival and Booking-In Process
Following his arrival at the prison, Brand was medically examined and strip-searched. The dad-of-three was then given a prison tracksuit to wear before being taken to the CSU. An inmate can be put in segregation for up to 72 hours at first, before a review board decides whether to extend it or not.
Brand is also believed to have undergone body scans as part of the booking-in process, alongside having his fingerprints and mugshots taken, before his personal cash and belongings were confiscated. Among the few personal possessions he was allowed to keep was his treasured Bible. He underwent physical and mental health checks, which would have included substance misuse assessments and a suicide and self-harm risk screening. Brand would have been forced to remove the crucifix he wore around his neck and the rosary beads he clutched for comfort to prevent using them to harm himself.
First Night Details and 'Dirty Protest'
His arrival is said to have coincided with another inmate staging a 'dirty protest', deliberately smearing or throwing faeces or urine around his cell, according to the Daily Mail. After he arrived, Brand was placed in a holding cell alongside other new inmates while staff prepared his permanent cell in the prison's induction wing.
Brand, who used to be vegan and vegetarian, arrived too late to receive the evening meal, which had already been served. Instead, he was given a basic packed lunch-style dinner to eat in his cell. He was also given a 'first-night pack', designed to provide new prisoners with the essentials needed during their first hours behind bars. The pack included toiletries such as a toothbrush and toothpaste, alongside food and drinks including cereal, tea, milk and sugar. There were also a handful of treats inside, with Polos, juice sticks and digestive biscuits among the items provided.
Cell Conditions and Next Steps
Brand was given a single toilet roll and prison clothing including two pairs of jogging bottoms, T-shirts, sweatshirts and underwear. Despite the restrictions, he was allowed to make a three-minute phone call shortly after his arrival. He likely would've made the call to his wife, Laura Gallacher. This will be the only call he is allowed to make for a week. In prison, all phone numbers must be approved and assigned a PIN.
Brand was monitored around the clock and blocked from mixing with other inmates. He spent the night on a hard bed inside his prison cell. His new surroundings are basic, with his cell consisting of a bed with a mattress on top of a fixed concrete slab, a stainless steel toilet and wash basin, as well as a table and stool. It is a stark contrast to his life outside prison, where he resides in a £6million six-bedroom riverside mansion in Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire.
After spending his first night in prison, Brand would have been served cereal or porridge, along with fruit and a cup of tea this morning. Brand will return to Southwark Crown Court on Monday, where he will learn how long he will be spending in prison for his crimes. According to reports, officials are keen to find him a more suitable prison than Wandsworth. Following his conviction, it was revealed Brand would be sentenced to "significant custodial time". Brand is now being investigated over rape allegations from two more women, including one who was 16 years old at the time of the alleged incident.
