Having read the article about Mark Collins ("Two years of hell", The Argus, February 14), I had to comment.

I started my sentence in the hospital wing at Lewes, where I stayed for four days, then moved to segregation for approximately six weeks.

Having never been in prison before, I found the conditions disturbing, alarming and nothing like the home comforts I am used to.

I received a short welcoming speech from an officer after my first night in segregation, which was: Do as you are told, do it when you are told and life will be okay.

I admit I was scared of what might happen because of my sexual preference but, during my stay in segregation, it was the inmates themselves who gave me a hard time.

I soon learnt to stand up for myself and still can to this day, 16 months later. I moved from segregation to G Wing, then on to F Wing with no homophobic abuse from inmates and certainly none from visitors.

I am still at Lewes, as a wing cleaner and cleaner of the visit hall and main reception. I also work on the hotplate, dishing out food to other inmates.

I attended two courses of anti-bullying and enhanced thinking skills (ETS) and am awaiting a transfer to another jail to address my offending behaviour - this course and others I want to attend are not on offer at Lewes.

Now let's look at Mr Collins, who openly admits he is gay. Not a problem, unless he has approached the wrong person who has taken offence.

Mr Collins, in my opinion, was a lot stronger mentally than I was and admits having been in and out of prison for most of his adult life. If life was as bad here, why put yourself back in this situation?

I met Mr Collins when I was transferred from segregation to G Wing and, yes, what a transformation. You still have to share a cell but there are private facilities, a very clean shower room, a pool table, table tennis, cribbage, cards most nights and, above all, in-cell television.

As long as you are prepared to clean your own cell, you can do it as often as you like or not at all. All materials are at the inmate's disposal - water buckets, mops, detergent and disinfectant.

Mr Collins complained about exercise, food and being confined to cells in segregation.

What utter rubbish. Most mornings offered half an hour exercise and again in the afternoon. Okay, the food was not always hot.

I often heard Mr Collins complaining but never in the time I was on G Wing did I see him moved to segregation at the times he claims he spent there, with rotting pigeon carcasses lying in three inches of water. I never saw this when I was in segregation.

The only part of Mr Collins' story I would say is true is that segregation is pretty grim but Lewes Prison can do only so much with its funding.

In all honesty, Mr Collins had a very easy life while he was on G Wing.

-Roger, Lewes Prison