Jack

Jack is a Cross prison guard at Hewmett Prison who becomes Callum’s friend during Callum’s imprisonment. He helps Callum remain connected to events beyond the prison walls and agrees to carry a letter to Sephy; at the scaffold, their parting exchange makes plain that their relationship has become one of mutual care in a setting built around punishment and separation.

Identity and Position

Jack works as a prison guard at Hewmett Prison. His position gives him access to Callum during the final period of Callum’s imprisonment, but their bond reaches beyond the formal guard-prisoner relationship: Callum describes them as good friends, despite suspecting that such a friendship is against the rules.

Friendship with Callum

When Jack tells Callum that he has a visitor, his sombre manner signals that the news may be unwelcome. The moment also shows their familiarity: Jack recognizes that Callum may not want to see whoever has arrived, while Callum is surprised because he has not been allowed visitors since being brought to Hewmett Prison.

Jack is one of Callum’s few links to the outside world. He keeps him informed about public developments after the trial, including Sephy’s public rejection of the guilty verdict and her statement that Callum did not rape her. He also tells him that she has said the authorities would not let her testify on his behalf, and that some national newspapers are beginning to question the death penalty in his case. Callum’s account emphasizes that Jack’s role is not merely custodial: he brings news that allows Callum to understand how the case is being discussed beyond the prison.

Assistance and Loyalty

Callum asks Jack to find a way to deliver a letter to Sephy, identifying her by her full name, Persephone Hadley. Jack’s willingness to consider the request gives Callum a chance to communicate directly with her despite his confinement. When Callum warns that helping may get Jack into trouble, Jack responds with a grin that his dull life could use some excitement. His answer presents the risk lightly, but the act itself is a deliberate kindness.

The Farewell

Jack accompanies Callum up the scaffold stairs. Before they reach the end of that journey, Jack whispers an apology. Callum tells him not to be silly and says he has done nothing wrong; Jack answers that neither has Callum. The exchange brings their friendship into sharp focus: Jack’s apology recognizes the painful part he must play in the execution, while his reply refuses to treat Callum as deserving of the fate imposed on him. Their final words offer neither escape nor reversal, but they affirm a human bond within the machinery of the prison’s sentence.