View all 17 comments. Oct 06, Laura rated it liked it Shelves: three-star. A lot of prison memoirs originate from the USA so I welcomed reading a home front perspective.
Initially I was a bit taken aback by the language and tone of the author; Manchester based slang and a lot of cursing.
On the latter, I feel curse words rarely add anything to the written word but appreciated that for this author and his account being so honest and upfront it was relevant to the subject. The author demonstrates insight into the achievements and limitations of the UKs prison service and is not too proud to state his own mistakes and weaknesses.
The author also dedicates a lot of time to describing the mental health care or lack thereof of prisoners. There are some very disturbing stories here. Cut aside all the bravado and cursing and this is actually a fairly good read. I would have liked to have had more detail of what happened following the authors departure from the prison service, which he only touches on briefly. However, I still enjoyed reading his story. An important look inside British prisons.
It is well known that the prisons are overcrowded and have too few staff, but that doesn't tell us what really goes on. Neil Samworth holds nothing back as he reveals the details of what working in a prison is like. Far too often, prisoners receive very short sentences, only to end up back in prison. We learn that pretty much any prisoner can get drugs if they want. There are many violent incidents with prisoners, and after hearing so many of them in thi An important look inside British prisons.
There are many violent incidents with prisoners, and after hearing so many of them in this book, they felt routine. The author describes his encounter with political correctness, which is both hilarious and depressing. When at a training session, he was instructed to pass all the minority candidates, regardless of how well they did. Towards the end of his time on the job, he talks about the chaos created by a bureaucratic reorganisation.
I wonder how many bureaucrats or criminologists for that matter have actually stepped foot inside a prison. The narrative ends with the toll the job took on him and why he had to leave.
He then proposes solutions to the problems with the system. The author is candid when he says that the prisons are worse now than when he left the job. Maybe change will come. The prison minister has pledged to resign if he fails his efforts at reform. But I'm doubtful, as the problem is much wider. The justice system is broken, as has been covered by both Peter Hitchens and the Secret Barrister May 19, Nigeyb rated it really liked it. It's another memoir, this time from a prisoner's perspective.
Chris is a documentary film maker who got embroiled in a dodgy film funding scheme. Whilst he didn't personally benefit from the fraud, his company did, and so he got sentenced to five years in pri I picked up Strangeways: A Prison Officer's Story in an Audible sale, or as a Deal of the Day. Whilst he didn't personally benefit from the fraud, his company did, and so he got sentenced to five years in prison. Both books made me extremely glad I've never been to prison and both make me keen to never have to experience it first hand.
Extraodinarily Neil Samworth chose to be a prison officer which is every bit as tough as you might imagine, even for a physically imposing individual like Neil. The book provides an overview of his career, the effect that public sector cuts have had on the service, an array of hair raising tales from his working life, and the mental and physical toll his working life took on him.
The book concludes with Neil Samworth 's thoughts on how to improve prison and prisoner rehabilitation. It's a book everybody should probably read, most especially policy makers and government ministers with power and influence. Apr 13, Tariq Mahmood rated it liked it Shelves: british , biography.
Sam has had an interesting life, an extremely stressful and unrewarding job but if he compares his PTSD experiences with the lives of soldiers than he should not really expect a lot of recognition as well. Prison officers are dealing with hardened criminals so they will be experiencing pretty unpleasant events.
That's probably why the cream talent of the country are not opting for these jobs. I do agree with him that more support should be provided as well as deportation of criminals to their pa Sam has had an interesting life, an extremely stressful and unrewarding job but if he compares his PTSD experiences with the lives of soldiers than he should not really expect a lot of recognition as well. I do agree with him that more support should be provided as well as deportation of criminals to their parent countries, which will relieve some of the stress of the overpopulated and understaffed prison service.
The problem with the book was that there was no real story, just a number of very similar stories loosely hanging together which kept me mildly interested. The only reason I kept reading this book was becuase I knew so little about the lives of convicts, and this is the best way to learn about their lives is to read about someone else's experiences rather than risk meeting these dangerous people myslef. Which means there is value in such books. View 1 comment. A very well written and insightful read As a local who has worked under the shadow of Strangeways for many years, I could not get anything but curious as to what it was like in side.
Strangely this changes would benefit many of the services in the Uk. A good book: stay well Mr S Jun 19, Bod Adegboyega rated it it was amazing. Easily one of my books of the year; this had everything. Feb 27, Nicole rated it really liked it. This was a really interesting book about the reality of being a prison officer. This book was really eye opening. I didn't really know much about what prison officers really do or the realities of their working day.
The stuff prison officers have to deal with on a daily basis is shocking. Reading this book really brings in home how underappericated prison officers are. The violence, trauma and shocking behaviour and illness these prison officers witness is horrendous.
I really do take my hats of This was a really interesting book about the reality of being a prison officer. I really do take my hats off to these individuals.
I could never do what they do. If you are at all interested in the prison system, I highly recommend this book. Its incredibly fascinating and very heartbreaking at times to read. The only thing I didn't like about this book was the writing style. Neil writes as he talks so it was difficult to read at times. There wasn't spelling or grammar mistakes but some of the sentence structures didn't make sense so I had to re-read a copy of the sentences to understand what was being said.
Apart from that, it was really interesting and I highly recommend TW: graphic descriptions of murder, rape, violence, self-harm, suicide, sexual assault, dead bodies and PTSD Mar 28, Wendy rated it it was amazing.
Some may say that this book is total fabrication, but believe you me it isn't, it is an honest insight into what prison life is like for a prison officer and a con.
I have experienced working within a prison and a lot of what is in this book, believe you me it isn't a picnic. Prison staff or under supported, and under paid. They work in the worst environment imaginable for little or no thanks. Sam was lucky to have 6 officers on a wing, we had 2, and on my last wing it was 1, and that is why I d Some may say that this book is total fabrication, but believe you me it isn't, it is an honest insight into what prison life is like for a prison officer and a con.
Sam was lucky to have 6 officers on a wing, we had 2, and on my last wing it was 1, and that is why I don't work there anymore. I was a good officer and well respected by staff and cons alike. My family celebrate the fact that I am not 'behind bars' anymore, they have their daughter back, not the one who didn't seem to be bothered that she had spent the day mixing with murders and lowlifes, she survived. You become immune to the horror of what some of them have done and it becomes the norm.
I can sit here now and reflect on it all and I am just thankful I don't do it know, a lot of people i know are still working for HMP - I worry about them still x Aug 02, Beth Chats Books rated it liked it.
It raises some really relevant issues surrounding the faults within our current prison system. This book also contacts some harrowing incidents and I applaud Samworth for his openness and honesty in expressing his psychological demise while working as a prison officer which lead him to leave the profession due to being diagnosed with PTSD.
This book however lacked a wider point of focus and I found the end chapter a rather idealised and oversimplified proposal of an improvement for the prison service issues. This book is clearly not written by an author but it provides a reader with an invaluable and authentic fly on the wall expose of the current prison system and allows the British public to be privy to the way in which the prison service is being let down by the lack of training, poor recruitment drives and not providing P.
Jul 09, Laura rated it liked it. When I was a teenager I wanted to study criminology at uni and maybe work in the prison service I later decided I didn't like humans enough so wanted to work with animals instead, lol so I found this really interesting.
I especially enjoyed the last chapter where Samworth suggests how things could be improved. However, I did find the writing a little disjointed at times and hard to follow. I don't know if the audiobook made this more prominent. I'd still recommend reading if you're interested When I was a teenager I wanted to study criminology at uni and maybe work in the prison service I later decided I didn't like humans enough so wanted to work with animals instead, lol so I found this really interesting.
I'd still recommend reading if you're interested at all in prisons and crime in the UK. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and read it in just 2 days! I loved his narrative style, it was honest and colloquial, as if he was telling you his story over a cup of tea.
I admired how when he introduced something in a story he would reassure you that he would tell you the full story later. I think the structure of the book was good, and it was a very interesting, moving and horrifying tale. Jul 29, Julie Morris rated it really liked it.
When I was in the final year of my law degree, I wrote a dissertation for my Criminology module on the treatment of prisoners with mental health issues by the criminal justice system. He also gave me a tour. I never expected it to look like the When I was in the final year of my law degree, I wrote a dissertation for my Criminology module on the treatment of prisoners with mental health issues by the criminal justice system.
I never expected it to look like the set of Porridge, but it did, except a lot less fun. I now have a couple of other friends and family members who work within the prison service, and hearing stories of their working lives brings back those impressions, and this audiobook did the same thing. Anyone who thinks that prison life is cushy, for either inmates or staff, needs to read or listen to this book, and their illusions will immediately be shattered.
Neil Samworth is a man after my own heart, a no nonsense Yorkshireman the like of whom anyone who spends any time in our beautiful county will have come across, and his writing is presented in the same fashion.
The narrative is blunt and honest and pulls no punches and I found it absolutely fascinating, horrifying and upsetting in equal measure.
It is an old prison, one of those we imagine how prison is, if and when we ever think about it. Lincoln prison was the same, not one of the new, recently purpose built facilities and I think this is important, as it reflects the way they are run and the way the prisoners are managed and behave, and Samworth touches on this in his book. He is extremely honest about the conditions, the prisoners, the officers and management, and the Government management and funding of prisons over the years.
I found his bluntness about every aspect of the service, criticisms of all sides where due, refreshing and believable. If you really want an insight into the Prison Service, here it is. It certainly chimed with everything I had already seen and heard from people I know who worked inside. There are parts of this book that will break your heart, particularly for the people who have to work in this difficult environment, with some truly awful people and in terrible circumstances day after day.
They, on the whole, deserve our attention, care, respect and thanks for what they do. You need to listen to books like this, and then ask yourself if you would be prepared to do this job, to deal with the things they have to deal with day after day and what it would cost to entice you to do it. Then ask if these people are suitably cared for and rewarded.
You may well be surprised at how you feel afterwards. I have to warn you, there is quite a lot of slang and swearing in the book, violence, drug use and some extremely unpleasant episodes. That is the truth of life behind bars for everyone involved, unfortunately. I listened to this as an audiobook and the narrator was absolutely perfect for the text, I would highly recommend the audio version.
Feb 16, Jenny rated it liked it. This is the story of Neil Samworth, prison officer and, primarily, the time he spent working at Strangeways - now known as HMP Manchester. It's a story about his career and the staff and prisoners he worked with, including some quite high profile. Although described in the blurb as humourous, this is not a funny book and the humour is dark It's made me wonder why anyone would want to be a prison officer - not only is it a difficult and thankless task, i This is the story of Neil Samworth, prison officer and, primarily, the time he spent working at Strangeways - now known as HMP Manchester.
It's made me wonder why anyone would want to be a prison officer - not only is it a difficult and thankless task, it's also massively dangerous. I thought many problems in prison were pretty well known but this was an eye opener for me I listened to this book on Audible and the narration ruined it for me.
The actual author narrates the forward but not the main book. Instead that was someone who was narrating in a very strong, stereotypical Yorkshire accent which was so at odds with the authors own voice it just irritated me. It just wasn't very genuine and I think gave the impression of this big strapping yorkshireman that did no favours to the objective of this book - to illustrate the very real emotional impact of working in a very high risk environment with very little protection.
It raises some massive issues about the prison service in the UK. I dont agree with all the observations this author makes about crime and criminals but this is clearly a very experienced officer who was a credit to the Prison Service but not looked after I do love a bit of gritty British crime nonfiction and Strangeways by Mr Samworth ticked all the boxes. Anyone who thinks that prison life is cushy, for either inmates or staff, needs to read or listen to this book, and their illusions will immediately be shattered.
Neil Samworth is a man after my own heart, a no nonsense Yorkshireman the like of whom anyone who spends any time in our beautiful county will have come across, and his writing is presented in the same fashion.
The narrative is blunt and honest and pulls no punches and I found it absolutely fascinating, horrifying and upsetting in equal measure. It is an old prison, one of those we imagine how prison is, if and when we ever think about it. Lincoln prison was the same, not one of the new, recently purpose built facilities and I think this is important, as it reflects the way they are run and the way the prisoners are managed and behave, and Samworth touches on this in his book.
He is extremely honest about the conditions, the prisoners, the officers and management, and the Government management and funding of prisons over the years.
I found his bluntness about every aspect of the service, criticisms of all sides where due, refreshing and believable. If you really want an insight into the Prison Service, here it is. It certainly chimed with everything I had already seen and heard from people I know who worked inside. There are parts of this book that will break your heart, particularly for the people who have to work in this difficult environment, with some truly awful people and in terrible circumstances day after day.
They, on the whole, deserve our attention, care, respect and thanks for what they do. You need to listen to books like this, and then ask yourself if you would be prepared to do this job, to deal with the things they have to deal with day after day and what it would cost to entice you to do it. Then ask if these people are suitably cared for and rewarded. You may well be surprised at how you feel afterwards.
I have to warn you, there is quite a lot of slang and swearing in the book, violence, drug use and some extremely unpleasant episodes. That is the truth of life behind bars for everyone involved, unfortunately. I listened to this as an audiobook and the narrator was absolutely perfect for the text, I would highly recommend the audio version.
Strangeways is out now in all formats and you can buy it here. Neil Samworth worked as a prison officer in Strangeways, now HM Prison Manchester, for eleven years between and , before an unprovoked attack by a prisoner left him physically injured and suffering from PTSD. Twitter: SamworthNeil. Instagram: samworthneil1. Like Liked by 1 person. A brilliant review!
I read this a few months ago and it deserved all 5 stars that I awarded it. What an eye opener, it completely changed my opinions of the British prisons. Shocking really in this day and age! You are commenting using your WordPress. You are commenting using your Google account. You are commenting using your Twitter account. You are commenting using your Facebook account. Notify me of new comments via email. Notify me of new posts via email. Skip to content.
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