My anxiety about accidentally falling afoul of the rules echoed the tense feeling on the wing. A number of those I spoke with referred to the prison environment as “not for everyone” (No. 1). Ronald had worked at Midtown for many years. His precise function, like his location, remained unclear to me though I gathered he maintained things and he usually wore overalls. Friendly and warm, we would often talk though I never did track him down for the interview he expressed keenness to engage in. He would reappear like a benign ghost, only to disappear for long stretches – perhaps in some corner I rarely entered. He was interested in what I was doing, and I sought to explain to him. He described having taken new recruits around, only to realize they “were not cut out” for the prison. While I was at Midtown there were several occasions when people visited Midtown only to express discomfort and a desire to leave. A substance use support worker was being shown around the prison by Joanne with a view to joining her for work. Joanne was doing her customary errand running while she was on the wing and left her in my company while she did so. I asked her how she was finding the prison – she answered: “Noisy, very noisy, and claustrophobic. It's not for me, I won't be coming here.” There was a feel to this place, as there is in other prisons. The soundscape rattled and banged with high emotion.

The atmosphere on the wing could change rapidly, its concentrated population and cramped corners combining to create an intense micro-climate. As Tonk explained: “You get loads of different emotions in here as well, like people are happy, people are sad, people are angry, frustrated, stressed, all, everyone's different you know what I’m saying?” Other pressures could also bring to bear on the balance of the fragile social ecology. Disruptive individuals could keep much of the prison from rest or peace. The impact of external developments could be equally profound – the prison walls were perpetually permeated by forces and events rumbling on beyond its perimeters. I draw on observations from a fraught August to reflect on how sound made emotion audible. The soundscape could carry and shape ‘the feel’ of the day, providing an invaluable barometer for wellbeing and stability.