Prison Van Transportation
Prison Van Transportation, Also known as a sweatbox is the white vans that transport prisoners and people on remand from court to prison. The prison vans or prison transportation have been run by various companies from GEOamey to Serco.
Whats it like to be in a prison van? The prison sweatbox is cramped, plastic, quite dark and purple tinted windows. The driver usually has one speed, stop and go which, when your in your court clothing makes you slip around all over the show due to plastic seats.
How many prisoners in a prison van? Prison Transport or Sweatboxes vary in sixes from carrying 8 to evevn 16 or more prisoners. Once sentenced you are nomally escorted into the bowels of the court and out the backdoor where the prison van awaits. Your normally escorted handcuffed until your in your segment on the prison van, then the cuffs are taken off through the door. You wont see daylight again until you reach the prison where you reach and are processed at the prison reception.
Inside Prison Van
Prison Van Inside - Whats it like?
This is a good representation of what its like inside a prison van or sweatbox. They are called sweatbox because of the cramped conditions and in summer can be extremely uncomfortable with the heat and sometimes you are normally sat on the prison sweatbox for a while whilst they process prisoners, get all the prisoners possessions off the prison van and get you into the prison grounds. It can become uncomfortable when the prison van starts to heat up. There are also no toilets obviously, no windows, no real ventilation and you can just about peer outside through the pinky purple tinted windows.
You can read more about the sweatboxes, Prison vans on Serco’s own website which you can view HERE