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Dream Dealer: From Prisoner to Professor - the Extraordinary Life of New Zealand's Leading Criminologist
From drug dealer to don ... an unforgettable story of redemption and reinvention from New Zealand's leading criminologist.
Growing up in 1950s Auckland, Greg Newbold's early years were marked by order and chaos in equal measure, as his stable childhood later became transformed by his mother's alcoholism. After leaving school at 17, he entered university in 1970 and soon became immersed in the drug-fuelled hedonism of the era. Always a risk-taker, he began dealing in the drugs he was using until he was arrested in 1975 and charged with offering to sell 34 grams of heroin to a police informant. Convicted and sentenced to seven-and-a-half years imprisonment, he spent the first half of his sentence in the maximum-security prison at Paremoremo before being transferred to a prison camp.
Dubbed 'Dream Dealer' by a fellow inmate, it was at Paremoremo that Newbold began to take a serious look at his future. He knew that his best chance of rescuing his life lay in continuing his studies in prison. Already a graduate before his arrest, Newbold pursued an MA in anthropology, submitting a ground-breaking thesis on the social organisation of Paremoremo Prison that earned him first class honours and a scholarship. After his release, he completed a PhD, became a lecturer at Canterbury University and rose to become one of New Zealand's leading criminologists.
Greg relives the rollercoaster ride of his life, describing the world of the prison in the 1970s and his eventful journey through it. He recounts the sometimes-dramatic process of adjusting to freedom after release, as well as his pivotal role in the Committee of Inquiry into Oakley psychiatric hospital which led to the institution's eventual closure.
Fast-moving and unadorned, Dream Dealer is the story of a man who has lived on both sides of the law but who is defined by neither.
Growing up in 1950s Auckland, Greg Newbold's early years were marked by order and chaos in equal measure, as his stable childhood later became transformed by his mother's alcoholism. After leaving school at 17, he entered university in 1970 and soon became immersed in the drug-fuelled hedonism of the era. Always a risk-taker, he began dealing in the drugs he was using until he was arrested in 1975 and charged with offering to sell 34 grams of heroin to a police informant. Convicted and sentenced to seven-and-a-half years imprisonment, he spent the first half of his sentence in the maximum-security prison at Paremoremo before being transferred to a prison camp.
Dubbed 'Dream Dealer' by a fellow inmate, it was at Paremoremo that Newbold began to take a serious look at his future. He knew that his best chance of rescuing his life lay in continuing his studies in prison. Already a graduate before his arrest, Newbold pursued an MA in anthropology, submitting a ground-breaking thesis on the social organisation of Paremoremo Prison that earned him first class honours and a scholarship. After his release, he completed a PhD, became a lecturer at Canterbury University and rose to become one of New Zealand's leading criminologists.
Greg relives the rollercoaster ride of his life, describing the world of the prison in the 1970s and his eventful journey through it. He recounts the sometimes-dramatic process of adjusting to freedom after release, as well as his pivotal role in the Committee of Inquiry into Oakley psychiatric hospital which led to the institution's eventual closure.
Fast-moving and unadorned, Dream Dealer is the story of a man who has lived on both sides of the law but who is defined by neither.
- GenresNonfiction
289 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 3, 2026
About the author
Greg Newbold
30 books2 followersEmeritus Professor, Sociology, Anthropology and Human Services at the University of Canterbury.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 31, 2026
I really only picked this up because it’s not everyday one of your favourite lecturers from University publishes his memoir. The fact I still remember Greg Newbold over two decades after graduating is testament to what a profound affect that he has on a crowd. He is an incredible lecturer and his memoir shows how much of a storyteller he truly is.
It did take me a while to get into this but once I did, this was a great insight into the life of our country’s best and well renowned criminologists. His story is one of resilience, understanding and empathy. He had lived a life a full of hugs and lows. Newbold’s life story shows how it is never too late to turn your life around.
It did take me a while to get into this but once I did, this was a great insight into the life of our country’s best and well renowned criminologists. His story is one of resilience, understanding and empathy. He had lived a life a full of hugs and lows. Newbold’s life story shows how it is never too late to turn your life around.
May 5, 2026
What a life Greg has lived!! Two strong messages I got from this is the strength and importance of friendship, and that I need to do more with my life! Greg has certainly lived to the fullest, experiencing so many challenges- highs and lows, but always had a can do view. I enjoyed this book - a very easy read.
June 29, 2026
Picked it up off a shelf in a hotel in Niue, not my usual pick. So glad I did, really well written and such an interesting insight into NZ life over the past 75 years and in the criminal sector. Great read!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews