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Prisonomics: Behind Bars in Britain's Failing Prisons
When economist Vicky Pryce admitted taking speeding points meant for her former husband, the ex-Cabinet minister Chris Huhne, she found herself convicted of perverting the course of justice.After a very public trial she was sent to East Sutton Park prison near Maidstone. There, she kept a diary in which she recorded her very challenging experiences and her strong views on how the prison system works, especially with regard to how it treats women. The result, Prisonomics, will provide a compelling analysis of the cost to the economy, as well as the human cost, of keeping women in prison. In it, she uses her personal experiences and professional understanding to look at how prison works, and should work, from an economist's perspective. Royalties are being donated to Working Chance. Working Chance is a charity (1131802) which changes lives and changes society by finding women ex-offenders work.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published October 14, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 22, 2021
Vicky Pryce said she was responsible for her husband's traffic infraction and took the points on her licence for it. 10 years later she finds herself in prison for it. So, being a top government economist, she makes prison her next project and it's really gonzo reportage and analysis.
She doesn't feel superior to the other women at all, but one of them. By and large, despite what prison drama and documentaries would have us believe, they were a nice bunch who did their best to get on and help each other. They were also mostly of low intelligence, had committed crimes because they had no earning power to look after their children (many were single mothers) or because their men had wanted them to - drugs, theft. Few were violent, few were career criminals, but most were recividists.
The worst thing of all was the punishment of their children. These mostly very poor women from fractured families often literally had no one at all who could look after the children and they would end up in care with other children from equally chaotic homes. Punishment and rehabilitation in the community, ankle bracelets, whatever, might all have been more successful for these women and their families. And a lot cheaper for the country.
Everything in prison that can be analysed financially is. It is a really brilliant book by a very erudite and compassionate woman, an excellent writer. Do you think she would really have been locked up if she hadn't been a wealthy, successful professional, wife of an MP for taking points on her licence?
Do you think she was a danger to society? Do you think it was a total waste of money? Do you think that imprisoning her and many of her fellow inmates was more an exercise in revenge than appropriate punishment and rehabilitation? Does society not have better ways of punishment and better ways to spend tax money?
She served the last part of her sentence under house arrest with an ankle bracelet. It didn't cost anyone very much, it limited her freedom extremely, wouldn't that or community service been punishment enough.
She doesn't feel superior to the other women at all, but one of them. By and large, despite what prison drama and documentaries would have us believe, they were a nice bunch who did their best to get on and help each other. They were also mostly of low intelligence, had committed crimes because they had no earning power to look after their children (many were single mothers) or because their men had wanted them to - drugs, theft. Few were violent, few were career criminals, but most were recividists.
The worst thing of all was the punishment of their children. These mostly very poor women from fractured families often literally had no one at all who could look after the children and they would end up in care with other children from equally chaotic homes. Punishment and rehabilitation in the community, ankle bracelets, whatever, might all have been more successful for these women and their families. And a lot cheaper for the country.
Everything in prison that can be analysed financially is. It is a really brilliant book by a very erudite and compassionate woman, an excellent writer. Do you think she would really have been locked up if she hadn't been a wealthy, successful professional, wife of an MP for taking points on her licence?
Do you think she was a danger to society? Do you think it was a total waste of money? Do you think that imprisoning her and many of her fellow inmates was more an exercise in revenge than appropriate punishment and rehabilitation? Does society not have better ways of punishment and better ways to spend tax money?
She served the last part of her sentence under house arrest with an ankle bracelet. It didn't cost anyone very much, it limited her freedom extremely, wouldn't that or community service been punishment enough.
March 11, 2015
Picked this up by accident while browsing around in the library. The name caught my attention.
Such an interesting book, open my eye to see the criminal justice system in a new way. Policy makers should all read this book!
Such an interesting book, open my eye to see the criminal justice system in a new way. Policy makers should all read this book!
May 7, 2017
It's normal to spend a sunny weekend in the garden reading an economic analysis of how the criminal justice system fails women, right?
February 22, 2020
I've always wondered what it would be like to be in prison, and this book helped to explain things, though it was mostly about open prisons.
Unfortunately, a lot of the analysis at the end seemed to be out of date through time having passed, but it still raised some interesting points.
Unfortunately, a lot of the analysis at the end seemed to be out of date through time having passed, but it still raised some interesting points.
September 20, 2020
Generally I liked this book about the authors experience of prison. I just found it a little too statistically focussed, I understand that she’s an economist but sometimes it was just too numbers heavy and not enough on the personalities and daily life.
I appreciate this was written a while ago so I hope the author has gone on to make her voice heard about the prison system. Sadly, from what else I’ve read, I’m not sure that much has changed.
I appreciate this was written a while ago so I hope the author has gone on to make her voice heard about the prison system. Sadly, from what else I’ve read, I’m not sure that much has changed.
October 17, 2022
Interesting. I’ve learnt a bit about the justice system and especially the affects on women.
October 31, 2024
A proclaimed admirer of Thatcher in the book bemoaning cuts in the service from what can only be described as a break away in the countryside eating biscuits for a few months. Give it a rest.
October 6, 2016
really good book, easy to read and interesting
great stuff
great stuff
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews