Ex-con Aitken falls foul of prison rules as a chaplain

When former jailbird Jonathan Aitken celebrated his ordination this summer by holding a party in the Grand hall of the Old Bailey, he invited friends from the full spectrum of society — from fellow Old etonians and parliamentarians to ‘ blaggers’ (armed robbers) and ‘ blowers’ (safe-crackers).

But the disgraced former Cabinet Minister — who now spends much of his time as an unpaid chaplain visiting jails around London — has been dismayed to learn that clergymen with a role in the prison service are prohibited from making ‘monetary gifts’ to inmates.

‘The rules apparently say that a prison chaplain may not send postal orders or other monetary gifts to any prisoner anywhere,’ says Aitken, who in 1999 served seven months of an 18month sentence for perjury and perverting the course of justice.

‘needless to say, I was unaware of this rule attached to my dog collar. It has no rhyme or reason.

‘The sad effect is that about half a dozen or so of my little flock of prison correspondents will not be getting a postal order from me this Christmas.’

Aitken was known as ‘Jono’ while doing porridge, during which, he recently reflected, he discovered ‘cells can be great places to pray’.

That was not the case on his first night inside, when fellow inmates kept him awake by chanting: ‘What shall we do to Aitken’s private parts tomorrow?’, followed by all manner of inventive suggestions.

The 76-year-old Aitken survived to become responsible for cleaning ‘12 toilets, 12 showers and 18 washbasins’ on ‘A’ Wing in hMP Standford hill, for which he was paid £4.80-a-week — rising to £5.60a-week when he became the wing’s senior toilet cleaner after the previous incumbent absconded.

The Ministry of Justice says that the ban on ‘monetary gifts’ applies to all prison staff, not just clergymen. Perhaps Aitken could seek to have the policy reviewed by having a word with the Prisons Minister — his fellow Old etonian, Rory Stewart.