The Prisoner: How One Woman's Jail Term Was The Making Of Her

by Kerry Tucker, Craig Henderson

Kerry Tucker seemed to be a typical suburban mother of two, but she was harbouring a terrible over the years she had stolen $2 million from her employers. When her crime was discovered she was sentenced to seven years at a maximum-security prison, alongside some of Victoria’s most notorious criminals. Being incarcerated with murderers and drug dealers was not nearly as daunting, however, as having to tell her two young daughters why she was leaving them. The shame was almost unbearable. She knew that she could give in to the shame or learn from it – and she owed it to her children to learn. Kerry quickly adapted to the prison regime and set about using her skills to successfully represent women in internal court, parole hearings and child welfare issues. She also introduced her own awareness programs and encouraged inmates to enrol in courses. Taking her own advice she began to study for a Master of Arts, and when she completed her degree the full university graduation ceremony was the first to be held inside an Australian prison. Today Kerry has gone on to attain a PhD and has been reunited with her daughters. She considers jail a gift because it has given her a purpose – to help educate disadvantaged women.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography

250 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 2, 2018

About the author

After spending four-and-a-half years in a maximum-security prison, Kerry Tucker was released with a Master of Arts. She went on to get a doctorate and to become a lecturer at Swinburne University. She currently works for an educational institution in Melbourne and is a passionate advocate for educating women in prison.

Reviews

[Namra · Rating 5 out of 5]

How often do we think about the 'prisoners'? We read headlines about criminals in newspapers, feel disgusted for a moment and then forget about them. "The Prisoner" by Kerry Tucker is a memoir that wants you to think about them,to feel them. It urges you to contemplate on how we treat prisoners, who are equally human, especially once they're released.

◾Idk why but after reading it I was reminded of the African proverb, "Until the lion learns to write, every story will glorify the hunter." We rarely find books written by inmates that reflect the actual life of the prison, of what people go through, how they transform into completely different individuals, of why and how they ended up there. Kerry Tucker penned down the most realistic reflection of what it's like to be in a prison.

◾This book is a rollercoaster ride. There's humor, there's sarcasm. Some stories are heart wrenching!! You read the book and you actually go through the pains every individual is going through in there. You get to know that the criminals need attention more than anyone else. They need to be understood; everyone has a story.

◾At points you (being a "civilized" citizen) feel like she's kinda "defending" the vicious criminals but then you read her lines "...murder is murder and it is wicked and evil, but when you live in a place where every second person is a murderer you don't differentiate between who is a good murderer and who is a bad murderer...".

◾This lady has a personality that you feel like you'd love her as a coworker, a classmate...she sounds fun and supportive; the type of person you know has your back. And that's why she was loved by everyone! She made the best out of her miserable circumstances; living in a maximum security prison, among murderers and drug dealers. And now she's a PhD!

✨I WANT EVERYONE TO READ THIS BOOK.

✨Fav: "There's a reason they call it serving time. After you've been stripped of everything, time is all that society can take off you as punishment. When you keep handing your time over day after day and year after year, however, it creates a black hole into which other things disappear: your relationships, your dreams, the person you once were."

[Alicia Tindall · Rating 2 out of 5]

For someone with a PhD I found the writer’s prose very basic and frustrating to read.
The book came across as very self serving which may not have been the writer’s intention.
Kerry Tucker defrauded her employer and her children’s daycare centre an estimated amount of one million dollars. She stole from them to fund her lifestyle. She doesn’t provide a lot of detail about why she did it but accepted responsibility for her behaviour by pleading guilty early in court proceedings and staying in custody whilst her matter was being processed.
At the same time her two daughters are absolutely distressed and confused about why their Mum isn’t coming home for the foreseeable future.
She then ends up in remand then moves to Deer Park to serve her sentence. She ends up helping a lot of women transition and settle into prison life throughout her four year sentence.
She also manages to obtain a university degree whilst in custody and then immediately upon her release lands a job.
It’s just the writing that gets me. She enjoys prison and feels like she belongs????
She thrives on helping others but still I can’t get over the feeling that this is a form of self promotion on her part. Again this may not be the writer’s intention but not feeling the love with this book.

[Michelle McCartney · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my eyes any book that I read in 3 days and not want to put it down has to be a great story to tell. I love reading non fiction and true stories and this book was insightful and inspiring story told by Kerry. You can only image ones thoughts in prison and I believe Kerry was trueful and to the point. Some commented that it wasn't well written but I throughly was indulged in it and gave it 5 stars...

[Joools B · Rating 5 out of 5]

I once heard a review of 'The Trauma Cleaner'- Sarah Krasnostein, where the book was recommended to anyone you know who has a 'missing empathy chip'. This same recommendation would apply to Kerry Tucker's book!

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

the writing was a little raw but the story was great, particularly in that it made me think about the prison system and how we treat prisoners once they've been released and how we really need to do better

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very interesting book, especially as it was written by someone who actually spent quite some time in prison.
Her explanations of life in prison, were told without any prejudices and self pity, she accepted her ‘time inside’ and from day one she made the best of the situation.
Kerry became a peer educator helping a lot of women with their paperwork, giving them the confidence to think for themselves.
A mastermind with words she became a great asset also for the prison staff.

Whilst in prison she studied and got a PhD and today is still an advocate for women in prison.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Prisoner is a wonderfully gripping book that I found very emotive, interesting and above all eye opening. I've read a lot of books about criminals but this is the first book I've read written by someone who actually served time. Kerry Tucker really highlights how prison effects you once you're released and to me that was the most eye opening part of this book.
I love the way the heart breaking stories like the incestious Rabbi paedophile are balanced with the light hearted stories like the Great Sand Heist. I will never look at a door snake the same! I also like that Kerry demonstrates how prisons can and do change people for the better, I think that's a really important message. However I'm still confused by the logic of a white collar criminal being in maximum security prison, that doesn't make sense to me at all.
I found parts of this book confronting on a very personal level because my mother was emotionally and psychologically abusive as well. I found some of her childhood stories to be smiliar to my own.
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in any aspect of the criminology type subjects.

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having watched the (original) TV series Prisoner as a child, I was fascinated by this account of 4 years in a women's prison. I am not from Victoria and not familiar with the story, so a few more details about the fraud crime would have been helpful. Kerry's story is worth reading both for how she survived and seemed to thrive in prison helping others, and the tragic lives of other prisoners encountered. The writing style is uneven - perhaps the hand of the co-writer trying too hard to make it readable and novel-like, when the straight facts simply told are enough. The sense of Kerry struggling to find purpose and meaning outside of prison and trying to fit back into society was unexpected and very powerful. Lots to think about from how the "justice" system operates and why women end up in prison to the cliched power of education and writing.

[M.T. Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I heard Kerry Tucker speak about her time in prison on the radio and was intrigued.

The Prisoner is a fast-paced and factual account of Kerry’s four-and-a-half years in maximum security prison. The bluntness of her writing is intertwined with emotion.

The stories Kerry Tucker and Craig Henderson tell of the other inmates are sometimes funny and almost always gut-wrenching. They leave you with the hopelessness the women felt. Kerry’s story is one of hope and getting on with it by doing what she can to help everyone survive, not just in prison but in life.

[Tiffany Callander · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this all in one sitting because I simply couldn’t put it down. It honestly moved me to tears SO many times. It was wonderfully written and gave a great insight into our prisons and the women inside them. My heart just aches hearing about how our societies set so many up for failure from the get go and also how difficult life after prison is. I can’t imagine how many fail to get back on their feet and stay there.
Like you said, our luck really is the life we get born into. I was so moved and inspired by this, so thank you!

[Christina Maisano · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting insight into life inside a women's prison. I would have liked her to tell us why she committed her crime, what led her to it. Also how much she loved being prison seemed a little strange but then then she got a got a job on her third day out and I'm sure that's not the norm.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful and inspiring, a book that stays with you long after the last page has been turned.
This book puts a new perspective on the way we should see our lives, and really shows the many layers to our society and how usually, as openminded as we think we are, we never ever really lift up the fabric of our own existence to see what’s underneath. I hope I do now.

[Simona · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating insight into life in prison. Kerry took the opportunity to help herself and other women in prison and remains an advocate for women in prison. Her sentence meant the heartbreak of leaving her young daughters, she made no excuses and did her time gaining the respect of other inmates, prison staff and academics. I loved the snakes!

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent story - well told, poignant and an eye-opener on what goes on in women's prisons in Australia. I would have liked to know more about the author's original crime of fraud - she doesn't go into lot of detail; she implied she was not able to do so for legal reasons.

[Sarah Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A magnificent story. Very matter of fact though, there’s no excessive description or attempt to create a story and unnecessary emotions.

[Ava · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional

[Tara Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy to read well written book giving a small insight into life in Victorian Prisons

[Nicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was okay, but I got bored with it by the end.
I admire the honesty of the author, but I didn’t really “get” her.
It’s relatively short and flows along okay, but just not one for me.

[Suz Bennett]

Very interesting read. Held my attention all the way. So good to read Kerry’s story when it is so positive.

[Monique · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tore through it. Fantastic story. One star off given it was ghost written

[Susan Davies · Rating 1 out of 5]

Excellent book!!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this true story. Kerry Tucker is an amazing woman who changed her life during her stay in a maximum security prison. She tells of the women she helped during her time there and how missing her 2 daughters broke her heart. This story was easy to read and flowed beautifully. Some of the womens' stories were tragic, others were heart-warming, The tradgedy about many people in gaols are their childhoods of poverty and abuse with no chance of knowing how to live well and be happy.
I highly recommend this book