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Time After Time: Repeat Offenders – the Inside Stories
A funny, touching, challenging and campaigning book about our prisons crisis by the Sunday Times bestselling author of A Bit of a Stretch.
British prisoners have to endure the most inhumane and barbaric conditions imaginable, so why do so many of them keep going back?
80% of criminals who receive cautions or convictions are reoffenders
46% of ex-prisoners are re-convicted within a year of leaving prison
Reoffending costs the taxpayer £18 billion per year
The numbers are staggering. But the reasons behind them will shock you.
Former inmate and documentary maker Chris Atkins has spent the last six years tracking the fortunes of a dozen repeat offenders to understand why the state fails to keep them out of trouble. Featuring funny, wild and poignant stories, Time After Time exploits Chris's unprecedented access to the criminal underworld to understand why the system actually makes reoffending all but inevitable for ex-prisoners.
British prisoners have to endure the most inhumane and barbaric conditions imaginable, so why do so many of them keep going back?
80% of criminals who receive cautions or convictions are reoffenders
46% of ex-prisoners are re-convicted within a year of leaving prison
Reoffending costs the taxpayer £18 billion per year
The numbers are staggering. But the reasons behind them will shock you.
Former inmate and documentary maker Chris Atkins has spent the last six years tracking the fortunes of a dozen repeat offenders to understand why the state fails to keep them out of trouble. Featuring funny, wild and poignant stories, Time After Time exploits Chris's unprecedented access to the criminal underworld to understand why the system actually makes reoffending all but inevitable for ex-prisoners.
381 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 7, 2023
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March 28, 2026GR: Time After Time
Source of book: KU
Relevant disclaimers: None
Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author.
And remember: I am not here to judge your drag, I mean your book. Books are art and art is subjective. These are just my personal thoughts. They are not meant to be taken as broader commentary on the general quality of the work. Believe me, I have not enjoyed many an excellent book, and my individual lack of enjoyment has not made any of those books less excellent or (more relevantly) less successful.
***
This was, for me, a much better read than Atkins’ first prison-related book. It’s told in a similar style, deftly accessible and engaging, leavened by wry humour, well-applied, but there’s an anger and a frustration here that, admittedly, might have had a less of a place in a book about his own experiences. Not, I hasten to add, that Atkins had no reason to be angry and frustrated over his time in prison--even as an extremely privileged prisoner, prison is no holiday camp--but there was something the tiniest bit smug, occasionally, in A Bit of a Stretch. Time After Time, by contrast, shows Atkins truly attempting to grapple with some of the worst inanities and equities of our judicial and penal systems, most specifically the question of why so many offenders go on to offend, well, time after time.
The book follows the stories of a range of former prisoners, which allows both a personal and broad spectrum approach to the issue at hand. It puts the experiences of others front and centre, and it also--paradoxically--allows Atkins himself to shine. I didn’t know of him before A Bit of a Stretch (this is on my ignorance, not his lack fame) but the journalistic skills developed over the course of documentary filmmaking are on full display here, particularly in the case of ‘Josh’ (most of the prisoners have some names and details elided in order to protect their privacy), whose genuine (and successful) attempts to rehabilitate himself are constantly stymied by a parole officer with some personal beef against him.
Thankfully, Atkins is able to intervene by writing to Woolverton directly, citing 25 documented allegations of potential misconduct. Woolverton refuses to engage but Josh is mysteriously transferred to a new probation officer very soon after. Atkins is carefully not present himself as the hero of Josh’s story — the work is all Josh’s, including his resilience, and his commitment to building a new life for himself — but Atkins’ experience and reputation is surely helpful in getting a result.
The other thing Time After Time has the scope to explore, which A Bit of Stretch simply didn’t, is the perspective of people connected to the offenders - their families, their victims, those who, out of love or ignorance or greed, enable them, and those who do their best to stand by them through impossible situations. Once again, this broader perspective is illuminating, heart-breaking and necessary.
Coming back to where I started, it’s probably slightly unfair of me to make such a big deal over how this is a ‘better’ book than A Bit of a Stretch. The first is mostly a personal story, with some broader commentary included. This book builds on his knowledge and understanding of a system he directly experienced to highlight the (many) failings of that system, through the stories of those caught up in it. Which means in a very real sense Time After Time couldn’t and wouldn’t exist without A Bit of Stretch. So I do fully acknowledge that, as well as the fact they were written for different purposes.
Nevertheless, Time After Time remains a far more ambitious project, and I much preferred it.
Also I really need a break from reading books about prisons. Because my soul is leaving my body in sheer despair.
Source of book: KU
Relevant disclaimers: None
Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author.
And remember: I am not here to judge your drag, I mean your book. Books are art and art is subjective. These are just my personal thoughts. They are not meant to be taken as broader commentary on the general quality of the work. Believe me, I have not enjoyed many an excellent book, and my individual lack of enjoyment has not made any of those books less excellent or (more relevantly) less successful.
***
This was, for me, a much better read than Atkins’ first prison-related book. It’s told in a similar style, deftly accessible and engaging, leavened by wry humour, well-applied, but there’s an anger and a frustration here that, admittedly, might have had a less of a place in a book about his own experiences. Not, I hasten to add, that Atkins had no reason to be angry and frustrated over his time in prison--even as an extremely privileged prisoner, prison is no holiday camp--but there was something the tiniest bit smug, occasionally, in A Bit of a Stretch. Time After Time, by contrast, shows Atkins truly attempting to grapple with some of the worst inanities and equities of our judicial and penal systems, most specifically the question of why so many offenders go on to offend, well, time after time.
The book follows the stories of a range of former prisoners, which allows both a personal and broad spectrum approach to the issue at hand. It puts the experiences of others front and centre, and it also--paradoxically--allows Atkins himself to shine. I didn’t know of him before A Bit of a Stretch (this is on my ignorance, not his lack fame) but the journalistic skills developed over the course of documentary filmmaking are on full display here, particularly in the case of ‘Josh’ (most of the prisoners have some names and details elided in order to protect their privacy), whose genuine (and successful) attempts to rehabilitate himself are constantly stymied by a parole officer with some personal beef against him.
Shortly afterwards, [Josh] was moved to HMP Highpoint. The new environment enabled him to make a fresh start, and he started to thrive. He was given 16 positive entries on his file and a special commendation from the governor for saving a set of officer’s keys. He was examined by an independent clinical psychologist, who noted that one of the prime risk factors was his toxic relationship with Andy Woolverton – the very person who was supposed to be supporting him through his sentence. She recommended that Josh should be moved to open prison as a gateway to being released. Josh assumed that this positive report and his exemplary behaviour would enable him to ace his parole hearing. But Woolverton had other ideas. He wrote a report undermining the psychologist’s conclusions, even though he had no clinical qualifications himself.
Thankfully, Atkins is able to intervene by writing to Woolverton directly, citing 25 documented allegations of potential misconduct. Woolverton refuses to engage but Josh is mysteriously transferred to a new probation officer very soon after. Atkins is carefully not present himself as the hero of Josh’s story — the work is all Josh’s, including his resilience, and his commitment to building a new life for himself — but Atkins’ experience and reputation is surely helpful in getting a result.
The other thing Time After Time has the scope to explore, which A Bit of Stretch simply didn’t, is the perspective of people connected to the offenders - their families, their victims, those who, out of love or ignorance or greed, enable them, and those who do their best to stand by them through impossible situations. Once again, this broader perspective is illuminating, heart-breaking and necessary.
Coming back to where I started, it’s probably slightly unfair of me to make such a big deal over how this is a ‘better’ book than A Bit of a Stretch. The first is mostly a personal story, with some broader commentary included. This book builds on his knowledge and understanding of a system he directly experienced to highlight the (many) failings of that system, through the stories of those caught up in it. Which means in a very real sense Time After Time couldn’t and wouldn’t exist without A Bit of Stretch. So I do fully acknowledge that, as well as the fact they were written for different purposes.
Nevertheless, Time After Time remains a far more ambitious project, and I much preferred it.
Also I really need a break from reading books about prisons. Because my soul is leaving my body in sheer despair.
November 7, 2023
This is even better than his first book (A Bit Of A Stretch) in terms of insights about our broken criminal justice system in the UK and the shockingly high reoffending rates. Real life stories (empathetically told), quality journalistic research, clear explanations …..this book should be compulsory reading for anyone working with prisoners or ex-prisoners. Fascinating and worrying. And, on a human level, very sad.
March 21, 2024
Another very needed book by Chris Atkins, showing the reality of the justice system and how unfit for purpose it is. This book made me feel angry that more isn’t done, that things aren’t different, that money is thrown at things which don’t work rather than targeting the things we know do. Thank you to the contributors for allowing their stories to be shared.
June 4, 2024
The best book I've read this year (so far), wish I could give it more stars. Tough reading but so incredibly important.
January 15, 2025
This is a thoroughly engaging and entertaining book that can be really (for me at least) quite triggering.
It is a candid telling of a number of stories of offenders reoffending, what some of the contributory factors are and the impact it has both on individuals, society and the taxpayer.
The triggering aspect for me was the pretty much systemic injustices that occur. Now I will say that the author does a decent, but not perfect, job of providing some balance albeit the result is still very much from the perspective of the offender. But he never tries to justify their crimes, this book is purely about the potential causes of reoffending, what drives people to repeat their behaviour rather than properly rehabilitate.
The author does also touch on some potential remedies, which sound difficult but like they would make a real difference and be very cost effective in the long term. However, politics being the way it is and the UK electoral cycle makes commitment to them seem an unfortunately remote possibility.
It is a candid telling of a number of stories of offenders reoffending, what some of the contributory factors are and the impact it has both on individuals, society and the taxpayer.
The triggering aspect for me was the pretty much systemic injustices that occur. Now I will say that the author does a decent, but not perfect, job of providing some balance albeit the result is still very much from the perspective of the offender. But he never tries to justify their crimes, this book is purely about the potential causes of reoffending, what drives people to repeat their behaviour rather than properly rehabilitate.
The author does also touch on some potential remedies, which sound difficult but like they would make a real difference and be very cost effective in the long term. However, politics being the way it is and the UK electoral cycle makes commitment to them seem an unfortunately remote possibility.
September 4, 2023
Having read A Bit of a Stretch, I was delighted to be offered a sample of the follow-up. Now a free man Chris Atkins is, as any of us would be, deeply affected by his jail sentence and what came next for himself and the friends he made inside. In this short extract, the author reintroduces us to a friend of his and his life on licence. The statistics quoted at the beginning are truly shocking but this book adds a personal insight into the failings of both the prison and probation services which only adds to the evidence that the system is failing not only the inmates but their families as well.
I thoroughly enjoyed, if that's the right word, this extract. Chris Atkins has a relaxed writing style, which is easy to read but also pulls no punches. With his background, he provides a deep understanding of what is happening and how, if possible, our prison and rehabilitation services could start to be rebuilt before they are damaged beyond repair.
I was able to read this sample thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Atlantic Books, but the opinions expressed are my own. This is an entertaining preview of what promises to be another important book by this excellent author.
I thoroughly enjoyed, if that's the right word, this extract. Chris Atkins has a relaxed writing style, which is easy to read but also pulls no punches. With his background, he provides a deep understanding of what is happening and how, if possible, our prison and rehabilitation services could start to be rebuilt before they are damaged beyond repair.
I was able to read this sample thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Atlantic Books, but the opinions expressed are my own. This is an entertaining preview of what promises to be another important book by this excellent author.
October 7, 2023
Fresh off the success of 'A Bit of a Stretch', Atkins uses this volume to examine the causes of repeat offending. Why would anyone who has been behind bars ever want to go back?
Sadly, the cases shown in 'Time After Time' explain how offenders are often set up to fail and there is a sad realisation that the services meant to assist in the rehabilitation of offenders are overloaded and incapacitated by a lack of funding. A sad and eye opening read.
Sadly, the cases shown in 'Time After Time' explain how offenders are often set up to fail and there is a sad realisation that the services meant to assist in the rehabilitation of offenders are overloaded and incapacitated by a lack of funding. A sad and eye opening read.
March 27, 2026
I listened to this audiobook read by the author. I found it fascinating, shocking, moving and very eye opening. I didn’t know that much about the prison system, especially about recalling prisoners and how little support prisoners had when leaving prison. It really highlights the failings in the system through lots of very personal accounts of offenders and shows why many become reoffenders.
The author is in a unique position of being a previous prison inmate and has made friendships and connections to be able to illustrate the story; including some quite high profile cases I had heard of. It is written in a light hearted, informative way, it is not a dry non fiction book, I found it really interesting and I hope it can raise awareness and make a difference in some way.
The author is in a unique position of being a previous prison inmate and has made friendships and connections to be able to illustrate the story; including some quite high profile cases I had heard of. It is written in a light hearted, informative way, it is not a dry non fiction book, I found it really interesting and I hope it can raise awareness and make a difference in some way.
September 26, 2023
An audible listen 3.5 stars. Good but not as good as the first book.
May 25, 2024
Another great book.Terrifying statistics throughout.
August 2, 2024
Work book club - very depressing when you work in rehabilitation and very anti programmes 😢
August 13, 2025
Interesting and insightful but the chapters felt too long and were disconnected.
February 29, 2024
I thought A Bit of a Stretch was a fabulous book - and this is very close on its heels. I listened to it on Audible and Chris Atkins was narrating the book (which was fabulous). Its a 4.5 star rating from me. It was fascinating to hear prisoners and ex-prisoners reasonings for reoffending and highlighted the huge failings within the criminal justice system in the UK.
March 23, 2026
I loved A Bit Of A Stretch, but this one didn’t quite have the same charm for me. Still obviously an important read, but one I struggled to get through
November 10, 2025
Chris Atkins has triumphed again with this honest and fascinating expose about our inadequately funded and failing probation system.
I had my eyes completely opened after reading Chris Atkins' first book A Bit of Stretch about his time behind bars and this book is equally as shocking, funny and revealing as he tries to discover why UK reoffending rates are so high compared to other countries by spending time with repeat offenders and relating their varied experiences.
Our prisons are full of criminals caught up in this cycle of crime that is very hard to break free of, many of who have mental health or addiction issues.
They are released on licence (usually half way through their sentence) which means they spend the rest of their sentence period in fear of being recalled for breaking their licence conditions, one of which is the loosely termed 'behaving badly' which is open to misinterpretation and misuse.
They are told not to mix with other criminals yet if they have no housing they are put in hostels with other criminals. They can't claim universal credit for two weeks and are only given a minimal amount of money on release and struggle to provide ID anyway.
Financial cuts and the previous privatisation of the probation service has left it in shreds. Whereas previously a prisoner would have a designated probation officer with whom they could build a relationship, today there is no continuity and therefore no connection and recently released prisoners are left to find their own way on the outside.
Atkins also shines the light on some of the rehabilitation courses that the Ministry of Justice wastes millions on, revealing that often their claims of 'evidence based' effectiveness are false and misleading and that the department that accredits these courses is shrouded in secrecy and has some people on the board with a vested interest in the companies chosen to deliver the courses.
It's not all doom and gloom though and it was reassuring to hear about HMP Grendon that has a therapeutic ethos, intent on finding the reason why prisoners have committed crime and dealing with that with excellent results, reducing reoffending rates enormously. Akins also offers some sensible suggestions for change at the end.
Highly recommended.
I had my eyes completely opened after reading Chris Atkins' first book A Bit of Stretch about his time behind bars and this book is equally as shocking, funny and revealing as he tries to discover why UK reoffending rates are so high compared to other countries by spending time with repeat offenders and relating their varied experiences.
Our prisons are full of criminals caught up in this cycle of crime that is very hard to break free of, many of who have mental health or addiction issues.
They are released on licence (usually half way through their sentence) which means they spend the rest of their sentence period in fear of being recalled for breaking their licence conditions, one of which is the loosely termed 'behaving badly' which is open to misinterpretation and misuse.
They are told not to mix with other criminals yet if they have no housing they are put in hostels with other criminals. They can't claim universal credit for two weeks and are only given a minimal amount of money on release and struggle to provide ID anyway.
Financial cuts and the previous privatisation of the probation service has left it in shreds. Whereas previously a prisoner would have a designated probation officer with whom they could build a relationship, today there is no continuity and therefore no connection and recently released prisoners are left to find their own way on the outside.
Atkins also shines the light on some of the rehabilitation courses that the Ministry of Justice wastes millions on, revealing that often their claims of 'evidence based' effectiveness are false and misleading and that the department that accredits these courses is shrouded in secrecy and has some people on the board with a vested interest in the companies chosen to deliver the courses.
It's not all doom and gloom though and it was reassuring to hear about HMP Grendon that has a therapeutic ethos, intent on finding the reason why prisoners have committed crime and dealing with that with excellent results, reducing reoffending rates enormously. Akins also offers some sensible suggestions for change at the end.
Highly recommended.
March 26, 2024
4.5 stars
Finished reading ... Time after Time: Repeat offenders The inside stories / Chris Atkins ... 19 March 2024
ISBN: 9781838954673 ... 334 pp. + Appendix, Endnotes, Index ... Note: Endnotes are entirely URLs of sources. There is no additional information unless you go to one of the websites listed.
The author is an ex-prisoner - tax fraud so no physical violence involved, and also much better educated than the vast majority of ex/prisoners. As such, he has an authenticity that made other ex-prisoners willing to talk to him so this book, comprising largely of a dozen individual case studies, could become a reality.
The book relentlessly shows how prisons in England and Wales are not fit for purpose - privatisation of services has been a very expensive failure; little to no rehabilitation either in prison or on release; what few rehabilitation programmes there are, are not fit for purpose, cause more harm than good; probation does little to nothing to help newly released prisoners; recidivism numbers are so high largely because the newly-released have to resort to criminal activities to eat and, if they're lucky, find a roof over their head. As one person said of the justice/prison/probation system, "They've set you up to fail."
There are a very few sparks that show prisoners can be rehabilitated. The author bases his thoughts on prison reform, in part, on these prisoners' and his own experiences, observations, and seeing what works. He sees that in some areas, reform would cost very little. In other areas, money would need to be spent which could in part come from stopping spending on things that don't work. The one thing he does not cover is how willing the general population would be to go down a different path when politicians, in Australia at least, bray about being "tough on crime", seeing this as a vote winner.
From what makes the news in Australia, while legislation and rules differ here and there, prisons and their outcomes are sadly all too similar.
Highly recommended. Somehow, a conversation needs to be started about prison reform.
Borrowed from my local library.
Purchased at my request.
August 22, 2024
Time After Time provides a well-written and insightful exploration of why convicts reoffend, highlighting the potential failures of the British prison system that contribute to their return to incarceration.
Each chapter focuses on a different recently-released offender, examining the specific ways the prison system failed them after their release. Chris demonstrates strong storytelling skills, painting vivid portraits of each individual without the narrative feeling repetitive. This clear chapter-by-chapter structure enables readers to fully engage with each character's story, avoiding the confusion that can arise when narratives are jumbled together.
While the book’s central theme is to explore Chris’s belief that ex-convicts reoffend at high rates due to systemic issues, the narrative leans heavily—almost exclusively—on the failings of the system, offering little discussion of the offenders’ personal responsibility. In fact, the only character Chris unequivocally portrays as morally culpable is a man convicted of a sexual offense, whose actions he criticises without the mitigating explanations he offers for others.
Chris briefly acknowledges a common critique of his previous book, A Bit of a Stretch, regarding the lack of attention to the victims of the crimes discussed. Yet, in this new work, he still only speaks to one victim. Moreover, the book overlooks two significant considerations: prison’s role as a form of punishment and its function in protecting the public by preventing offenders from committing further crimes while incarcerated.
Despite these criticisms, Chris’s conversational and descriptive writing style remains both engaging and informative. Time After Time is a vivid, enjoyable read that I would still recommend.
Each chapter focuses on a different recently-released offender, examining the specific ways the prison system failed them after their release. Chris demonstrates strong storytelling skills, painting vivid portraits of each individual without the narrative feeling repetitive. This clear chapter-by-chapter structure enables readers to fully engage with each character's story, avoiding the confusion that can arise when narratives are jumbled together.
While the book’s central theme is to explore Chris’s belief that ex-convicts reoffend at high rates due to systemic issues, the narrative leans heavily—almost exclusively—on the failings of the system, offering little discussion of the offenders’ personal responsibility. In fact, the only character Chris unequivocally portrays as morally culpable is a man convicted of a sexual offense, whose actions he criticises without the mitigating explanations he offers for others.
Chris briefly acknowledges a common critique of his previous book, A Bit of a Stretch, regarding the lack of attention to the victims of the crimes discussed. Yet, in this new work, he still only speaks to one victim. Moreover, the book overlooks two significant considerations: prison’s role as a form of punishment and its function in protecting the public by preventing offenders from committing further crimes while incarcerated.
Despite these criticisms, Chris’s conversational and descriptive writing style remains both engaging and informative. Time After Time is a vivid, enjoyable read that I would still recommend.
January 12, 2026
A great follow up to A Bit of a Stretch, this book sets out the problems with probation and rehabilitation. Each chapter is a story of offenders/ex-offenders whose cases illustrated a particular failing, which brought colour and context to the statistics. There were lots of eye opening points I think most of the public would be unaware of.
I think there was a slight hypocrisy in the argument that probation is too strict and not careful enough. I appreciate these can be true at the same time but I would have liked some more discussion about how these two can be better balanced practically, including how to support probation officers in doing so.
There were also some flawed arguments about how ex-offenders might prove their rehabilitation i.e. because they tackled a terrorist this means they wouldn't commit any other crimes again.
It was good there were some suggestions of how to fix the problems in the final chapter.
Chris Atkins writes in a conversational and easy to read way, with occasional humour peppered in to make this an enjoyable yet highly informative read.
I think there was a slight hypocrisy in the argument that probation is too strict and not careful enough. I appreciate these can be true at the same time but I would have liked some more discussion about how these two can be better balanced practically, including how to support probation officers in doing so.
There were also some flawed arguments about how ex-offenders might prove their rehabilitation i.e. because they tackled a terrorist this means they wouldn't commit any other crimes again.
It was good there were some suggestions of how to fix the problems in the final chapter.
Chris Atkins writes in a conversational and easy to read way, with occasional humour peppered in to make this an enjoyable yet highly informative read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 3, 2023
4.5 stars rounded up. Easy to read, well researched and shocking stats. I do like books written through short biographical vignettes. Uses a range of cases from big ones such as the plymouth attacks to less well known ones to demonstrate the problems with the probation service and other services that lead to reoffending. Still respectful to the victims. The stat at the start that 80% of crimes are committed through reoffenders shows that the reward for solving reoffending would have huge consequences. The last case in particular was shocking although glad it got the right outcome even if the trial should not have happened.
Only thing I would change is to have the conclusion with the solutions to be longer as the book appears more problem focused than solutions, although maybe that will be the next book.
Only thing I would change is to have the conclusion with the solutions to be longer as the book appears more problem focused than solutions, although maybe that will be the next book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 11, 2023
I think I found this book even better than Atkins first book, ‘A Bit of a Stretch’. It was fascinating to hear prisoners and ex-prisoners reasonings for reoffending and highlighted the huge failings within the criminal justice system in the UK.
I had no clue quite how broken the system is - listening to stories of people being recalled to prison for years in some cases, despite not having broken their licence terms was absolutely shocking and demonstrated how much needs to change.
A lot of the suggestions in the final chapter of the book seem like common sense - so why on earth does the government/criminal justice system change to accommodate these changes. Everything is about saving money nowadays, when the focus should be on rehabilitating and treating prisoners and ex-prisoners as people, not prison numbers.
I had no clue quite how broken the system is - listening to stories of people being recalled to prison for years in some cases, despite not having broken their licence terms was absolutely shocking and demonstrated how much needs to change.
A lot of the suggestions in the final chapter of the book seem like common sense - so why on earth does the government/criminal justice system change to accommodate these changes. Everything is about saving money nowadays, when the focus should be on rehabilitating and treating prisoners and ex-prisoners as people, not prison numbers.
April 18, 2024
When I saw this, I was guilty of assuming it would be a rather lazy sequel to the excellent A Bit of A Stretch. I firmly aquit this book of any such accusations. It is even better than its predecessor. An extensively, but never tediously researched overview of the decline of the probation service e and subsequently the real issues causing our woefully high rates of reoffending. A variety of voices and experiences are featured, while Atkins doesn't lose sight of victms either. This is not an abolitionist manifesto, the vast majority of those featured thoroughly deserved their time in prison. Yet they also deserve a chance to live a meaningful life after imprisonment too and it is clear that society is failing badly to achieve this. Essential reading.
May 10, 2024
A different view of the flaws of the UK justice system from an author who has seen it from the inside. The complex needs of delivering justice to victims and actually helping perpetrators to break out of the complex cycle of drugs, abuse, crime, mental health issues, homelessness, for-profit prison & for-profit ineffective training courses and their roles in re-offending. Chris Atkins makes the case that without a radical overhaul, once a person is pulled into the prison system it is almost impossible to escape again as it is currently set up. He also makes arguments as to how it might be changed by looking at what actually works and what does not.
December 7, 2024
Very thought provoking read (or listen, had this as audiobook).
It is very well laid out and surprisingly humorous, and makes lots of great points.
It will be interesting with Starmer in charge now given his background if things change. One of the authors recommendations (James Timpson) is already in place.
I agree with most of the points made but I feel a bigger one is missed. While there needs to be better support, especially for lower level and drug related crime, getting this perfect won’t stop reoffending until clear societal change is enacted with the most deprived of the population alongside prison reform.
Thoroughly recommend.
It is very well laid out and surprisingly humorous, and makes lots of great points.
It will be interesting with Starmer in charge now given his background if things change. One of the authors recommendations (James Timpson) is already in place.
I agree with most of the points made but I feel a bigger one is missed. While there needs to be better support, especially for lower level and drug related crime, getting this perfect won’t stop reoffending until clear societal change is enacted with the most deprived of the population alongside prison reform.
Thoroughly recommend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 7, 2024
Hearing that re-offending rates are high and our prisons are full, you think there should be a better way to do something with the system. But knowing nothing at all of any part of the justice system, I was not really in a place to hold a view on any of this.
I found this book really interesting and really well written. I’m very glad I listened to it at a time when a different government are just coming in and the first thing our new prime minister did was appoint James Timpson to the post of prisons minister. Maybe things will improve a bit under this administration.
I found this book really interesting and really well written. I’m very glad I listened to it at a time when a different government are just coming in and the first thing our new prime minister did was appoint James Timpson to the post of prisons minister. Maybe things will improve a bit under this administration.
August 18, 2024
Book club book!!! The guys at work picked this. I actually really enjoyed it, the author is funny but also serious. He make the heavy topic light hearted. Although a lot of what he said was true, and I agree with it, there were a few inaccuracies (from my experience/judgement). Also he was SO NEGATIVE about the whole prison system, and whilst he’s there are failures, there are some positive things like come on Chris, I’m trying here !!!!!
Anyway 4/5 coz good book but also very negative. But very interesting
Anyway 4/5 coz good book but also very negative. But very interesting
September 15, 2023
I smashed through this on a plane and it kept me entertained the whole 3 1/2 hours. Chris is position as a former prisoner really gives the book a sense of authority, and it’s really well researched. It doesn’t forget to focus on the victims, but does encourage empathy and helps to understand how the system encourages reoffending. Atkins writes in a really engaging way, and I’ll be reading anything he writes in the future!
June 14, 2024
The only reason I DNFed was that it was a busman’s holiday reading this and I’m not in the right frame of mind for it. But, really helpful at explaining why the probation system doesn’t always effectively rehabilitate people. I think I just found it not the right book to read at the moment when the Tories have cocked up the country so royally and we’re all skint yet spending £40k a head to house prisoners … and I’d prefer that to go towards students not having to spend a fortune in tuition.
August 8, 2024
This book had me hooked from the start. It’s an insanely thought provoking, insightful and engaging read. Chris navigates the murky waters of the justice system with well informed humour and honesty. This has not only inspired me but enraged and entertained me. It’s a fabulous read and I would highly recommend to anyone, especially people interested in psychology, criminology, law and politics. Brilliant! Wish I could give it 10/5 stars. 🌟
September 5, 2025
Thoroughly engaging, and even has some light, funny moments. Atkins illustrates the abysmal realities of our overstretched criminal justice system and the consequences - inevitably leading to further reoffending. The author presents some sensible recommendations at the end of the book to address how we tackle reoffending. The only thing I'd like to see more of is diversity. Atkins only interviewed one female offender, for example. It'd be useful to see more from other offenders' perspectives.
March 21, 2026
This is an excellent audiobook. I never read non fiction, but it really draws you in as it’s written with compassion and dark humour in parts. Taking nothing away from the fact there are victims to the crimes in the book, you end up being frustrated by the broken system which in many cases makes it literally impossible to reform even when people want to. Thank you to Chris for really bringing the issue to the general public in a truly engaging way.
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