The Untold Stories: An Inside Look at Prison Life and the Officers Who Serve

"Oh what a tangled web we weave

When first we practice to deceive....."

ID: THIS PICTURE SHOWS THREE PRISON OFFICERS OUTSIDFE A PRISON IN ENGLAND. COPYRIGHT OWNED BY EXPRESS AND STAR.COM

Although this quote is used by Will Shakespeare, it actually was penned by a famous 19th century Scottish poet Sir Walter Scott (No Sweat Digital, 2004). Its a well known fact that to be a 'good' criminal, one my be proficient at telling pork pies (lies). David Berridge in his second acclaimed book Inside Parkhurst - The Final Stretch takes us on a guided tour of one of the UK's most famous or as the author puts it "infamous" prisons. It goes without saying that these institutions house people from all walks of life - poor, rich, black, white, mad and bad and everything in between. So of you will feel that no matter what a person has done to ed up in prison they deserve to have the keys thrown away and housed in insanitary squaller and others, like myself, believe that they should be places of rehabilitation with humane conditions. The law in England and Wales holds that the removal of a persons liberty or freedom of will is the punishment not what many think is making a criminal suffer.

There are people who cheat and lie or will sooner knife you in the back inside prison but remember there is also more people who would do worse in very senior positions in politics and big business. David's many years of faithful service to HMPPS (His Majesties Prison and Probation Service used to be called HMP or His Majesties prisons) and British society - you and me helped contain some of the most bad individuals from hurting us all. He reveals what it is like to hear the frantic cacophany of constant loud sounds, the constant smell of sweat, fear and urine and the adrenaline pumping through your system on your first induction and night in prison. Some of these people are seasoned ticket holders and some are first timers. No matter who you are, David reminds us the need to learn quickly on your feet and trust the more senior officers who have been around a while - learn who's who and the prison pecking order both staff and prisoners alike.

Some of the book makes you laugh with David's dry sense of humour and some makes you want to cry. The author is very good at allowing the emotions of the situation breath through the pores of the paper to bring alive a very tantalising yet polarising topic. He discuses the topics of mad or just plain bad, suicide, protesting, short staffing, cut backs, sex, squaller and murder yet does not forget the life saving, heroism, going the extra mile (or two), rehabilitation and education. To our, the staff and people who reside in these places detriment - we tend to only focus on the bad, the mistakes that led to the person being there or the officer who brakes the rules or end us having a sexual relationship with a prisoner. Not all prisoners are bad just like not all prison officers are corrupt. Officers do not get praise from the public or government and they have suffered quite badly at the hands of the government since 2009. The MoJ has been one of the most hardest hit government departments by 10 Downing Street at the Treasury. Billions of pounds have been taken away from its budgets, its suffered the biggest staff cut backs and redundancies in the public sector and the staff left have been expected to do there own job and 5 or six other peoples jobs too for horrifically poor money. We think of the police or the other emergency services and (sometimes) praise their courage and agree in them fighting for decent pay but don't give prison officers and staff a second thought. These sentiments are clearly a central theme in David's book and rightly so.

The book contains some bad language so caution may be advised for those who are under 15 or 16 but it is all in context. The last two chapters in David's book Inside Parkhurst - The Final Stretch kind of loose the continuity of the book for me. What David is saying is spot on when he says that he is deeply hurt and feels betrayed by the government. However, the line between authoritarianism and view point become to blurred to make me feel like the book was highjacked by the Prison Officers Association's boss. You most certainly feel the pain. He also starts to lambast all prisoners as not worth rehabilitating although the proof has shown again and again his way of them and us does not work and has never reduced recidivism only increased it. That small point aside, David's book is a fabulous masterpiece. I hope it open many eyes to need of supporting our prison officers and the deplorable way our prisons and prisoners alike are treated. Thank you David for serving your country so well and for so long. Our prison officers and staff should be praised the same as our armed forces and police.

THE VERSION OF THE BOOK WAS A PAPER BACK. DAVID BERRIDGE - INSIDE PARKHURST - THE FINAL STRETCH. MORE STORIES FROM BEHIND THE BARS OF BRITIAN'S MOST VIOLENT PRISON. RELEASED 2023. PUBLISHED BY ORION BOOKS - AVALABLE ON PAPERBACK, AUDIO AND EBOOK. ISBN:978-1-3996-0968-5. RRP UK £8.99, US $19.99 & CAN $ 21.99 PRINTED IN GREAT BRITIAN BY CLAYS LTD.