Daisy's Retraining Pt. 01

Daisy looked over her shoulder and downwards whilst pulling the skirt of her tunic up and apart with her hands revealing that it split from the waist down at the back of the skirt. First she tried to do the buttons by reaching behind her in a standing position but this only worked for the first couple of buttons. Finally she had to bring her legs together and bend at the waist with her head down and then reach behind her legs with her hands to fasten the last three buttons of the dress. "I am sure you will get quicker over the next eight weeks and I am sure it will remind you every day of the importance of doing up the buttons on your uniform", the Matron reminded her. "Waistcoat child", the dressing continued. Daisy took the grey woollen waistcoat and put it on. It covered over her bottom the grey wool being finished by a yellow woollen trim round the item. An institution badge in yellow with in blue thread the words, "Reform and Punishment Institution" embossed upon it was sewn on the left hand side. Finally the matron passed her the final item of her uniform for the next eight weeks a grey institution cardigan. It had the uniform yellow trim and of course the same institution badge sewn to the left breast and clear for anyone to see. The cardigan was V-necked and reached to about 10-15 cm above Daisy's knees. She did up the six buttons and returned to her position at attention her hands on her head.

"Right girl that's you dressed for the next 8 weeks -- uniform to be worn at all times unchanged. You will I am sure be very conscious of your appearance particularly in public as well as of the discomfort physically", the Matron commented and then continued "So does she now have the night to contemplate her haircut and strapping in front of the institution Mrs. Saqib?"

"Yes but only after she has felt the tawse five times on the palm and back of each of her hands, which were so unable to keep her dress buttoned and her knickers straight, on the dormitory", Mrs. Saqib concluded smiling at Daisy. "Right girl keep your hands on your head and walk", Mrs. Saqib ordered and with this Daisy was then marched down the corridors, stopping only for the locked doors to be open and closed as they moved through the institution. Finally they stood outside the barred door to the dormitory which had become Daisy's home at nights.

The smell of body odour and toilets mixed with the stench of disinfectant, with which Daisy, along with the other offenders, so frequently washed the facility, permeated the air. "Face the wall and stay there until told to move", Mrs. Saqib directed Daisy and she was then left standing to await the next stage of her punishment. Her behind and thighs were so sore and the double pair of knickers she was now enduring ensured that even the slightest movement made her wince with pain. After ten or fifteen minutes the other members of her dormitory arrived and when they were all in the room she was led past them to the end of her bed where she stood in her newly assigned uniform her hands still clamped on her head.

The other inmates stood at attention at the end of their beds each dressed in uniform. Daisy's eyes moved around all seven of them thinking about what she knew about each of their situations and sentences. First, directly opposite her stood Jennifer Fisher -- dressed in the standard uniform of gingham dress and sweatshirt. She was about Daisy's age and serving a three month sentence for some performance issue. She had only been here for about four weeks and to date had managed to avoid any further significant punishment.

At the end of the next bed stood Pauline Bradley-Matthews -- she was about 30, was serving five months again for poor performance and was already here when Daisy had arrived. However her sentence had been extended due to insolence and laziness and she was dressed in a similar manner to Daisy now found herself.

Further down the dormitory stood Helen Taylor, she was striking even dressed in her gingham dress and sweatshirt. She apparently was serving a 9 month sentence relating to ill-discipline in the work place with her manager. She had been here when Daisy arrived and seemed to be remarkably disciplined for someone here for such behavior.

Finally on the opposite side of the dormitory stood Marianne Peters. She was dressed similarly to Daisy except that her outfit was completely woollen. Around her neck hung a board with the words, "I am a lazy, ignorant and stupid little girl. I deserve to be kept in woollen uniform, serve detention and receive regular corporal punishment". Daisy had seen her punishments beginning along with the rest of the institution about a month after her arrival. Peters was punished for laziness, insolence, disrespect, failing to realize her need for punishment and use of foul language.

In front of the institution assembly she had been stripped naked, had a punishment haircut performed, her mouth washed out with soap and water and then 20 strokes of the strap administered to her bare behind. Finally she had been made to dress in front of them all in wool knickers, woollen blouse, a woollen pinafore dress, wool knee socks, waistcoat and two cardigans before finally having the sign placed around her neck. The punishment was to last ten weeks and every week she was brought back in front of the whole institution for a 12 stroke caning along with a myriad of other sanctions. Her original sentence was 6 months but now was at least nine.

Opposite her on Daisy's side of the dormitory stood Pratibha Kaul -- probably about 25 years old and dressed in gingham dress and sweatshirt. She must be due for release shortly and seemed to be "an exemplary inmate".

Next to her stood Melanie Hill -- whenever Daisy saw her she felt nothing but sympathy. She must be in her mid thirties and was serving her second detention in the institution. Whether she had had a choice or realized the consequences for someone serving a second period in the institution Daisy didn't know but when she had arrived about six weeks ago she had been "made an example of" for all to see. Brought in front of the whole institution the Headmaster had spelt out the minimum enhanced conditions for second offenders. Full woollen institution uniform, punishment haircut to be applied regularly, public display every week, gruel, bread and water only, weekly caning to the bare behind before the whole school and weekly strapping to the hand on the dormitory, one toilet visit per day and most menial labour at all times. In addition for any offence punishment to be minimum double normal level and in all cases a minimum of one month to be added to the sentence. Already her four month sentence had grown to seven months.

Finally in the bed next to Daisy's stood Lisa Montford who had arrived the same day as Daisy. She had also made the mistake of being the first to break the rules -- resisting her hair being placed in a ponytail, using bad language... The consequences she was still enduring now ten weeks later. She was dressed in a pinafore and cardigan uniform with her hair cut short around her head. She was sentenced to 6 months but now had 8 in total to serve.