Strangeways: A Prison Officer's Story

by Neil Samworth

Neil ‘Sam’ Samworth spent eleven years working as a prison officer in HMP Manchester, aka Strangeways. A tough Yorkshireman with a soft heart, Sam had to deal with it all – gangsters and gangbangers, terrorists and psychopaths, addicts and the mentally ill. Men who should not be locked up and men who should never be let out.

Strangeways is a shocking and at times darkly funny account of life in a high security prison. Sam tackles cell fires and self-harmers, and goes head to head with some of the most dangerous men in the country. He averts a Christmas Day riot after turkey is taken off the menu and replaced by fish curry, and stands up to officers who abuse their position. He describes being attacked by prisoners, and reveals the problems caused by radicalization and the drugs flooding our prisons.

As staffing cuts saw Britain’s prison system descend into crisis, the stress of the job – the suicides, the inhumanity of the system, and one assault too many - left Sam suffering from PTSD. This raw, searingly honest memoir is a testament to the men and women of the prison service and the incredibly difficult job we ask them to do.

Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime, Crime, Biography, Audiobook, Autobiography, Memoir

304 pages, Hardcover

First published June 14, 2018

Reviews

[Petra X]

I recently read Inside Parkhurst: Stories of a Prison Officer RTC when I am allowed more than 10 mins/hr on the computer as I still recovering from major eye surgery a week ago, I can see again about 75% but have to 'rest the eye' and thought it would be interesting to read Strangeways: A Prison Officer's Story as both take place in the same time frame when both were category A prisons (for the most dangerous and/or disruptive prisoners). I want to see what differences in culture, environment and rule enforcement there were despite them both being subject to the same authority and rules.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This excruciatingly honest account of life behind the bars of one of England’s most prolific prisons. A lot of prison memoirs originate from the USA so I welcomed reading a home front perspective. Initially I was a bit taken aback by the language and tone of the author; Manchester based slang and a lot of cursing. On the latter, I feel curse words rarely add anything to the written word but appreciated that for this author (and his account being so honest and upfront) it was relevant to the subject.

The author demonstrates insight into the achievements and limitations of the UKs prison service and is not too proud to state his own mistakes and weaknesses. While this isn’t a work of non fiction genius (it feels more like listening to an old mate down the pub spout off after a few beers) it is still worthwhile reading for those interested in true crime and rehabilitation of prisoners. The author also dedicates a lot of time to describing the mental health care (or lack thereof) of prisoners. There are some very disturbing stories here.

Cut aside all the bravado and cursing and this is actually a fairly good read. I would have liked to have had more detail of what happened following the authors departure from the prison service, which he only touches on briefly. However, I still enjoyed reading his story.

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An important look inside British prisons. It is well known that the prisons are overcrowded and have too few staff, but that doesn't tell us what really goes on. Neil Samworth holds nothing back as he reveals the details of what working in a prison is like. Far too often, prisoners receive very short sentences, only to end up back in prison. We learn that pretty much any prisoner can get drugs if they want. There are many violent incidents with prisoners, and after hearing so many of them in this book, they felt routine. The author describes his encounter with political correctness, which is both hilarious and depressing. When at a training session, he was instructed to pass all the minority candidates, regardless of how well they did. Towards the end of his time on the job, he talks about the chaos created by a bureaucratic reorganisation. I wonder how many bureaucrats (or criminologists for that matter) have actually stepped foot inside a prison. The narrative ends with the toll the job took on him and why he had to leave. He then proposes solutions to the problems with the system. The author is candid when he says that the prisons are worse now than when he left the job. Maybe change will come. The prison minister has pledged to resign if he fails his efforts at reform. But I'm doubtful, as the problem is much wider. The justice system is broken, as has been covered by both Peter Hitchens and the Secret Barrister

[Nigeyb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up Strangeways: A Prison Officer's Story in an Audible sale, or as a Deal of the Day. Neil Samworth spent 11 years working as a prison officer in Strangeways (aka HMP Manchester).

I recently read A Bit of a Stretch by Chris Atkins. It's another memoir, this time from a prisoner's perspective. Chris is a documentary film maker who got embroiled in a dodgy film funding scheme. Whilst he didn't personally benefit from the fraud, his company did, and so he got sentenced to five years in prison.

Both books made me extremely glad I've never been to prison and both make me keen to never have to experience it first hand. Extraodinarily Neil Samworth chose to be a prison officer which is every bit as tough as you might imagine, even for a physically imposing individual like Neil. The book provides an overview of his career, the effect that public sector cuts have had on the service, an array of hair raising tales from his working life, and the mental and physical toll his working life took on him. The book concludes with Neil Samworth's thoughts on how to improve prison and prisoner rehabilitation.

It's a book everybody should probably read, most especially policy makers and government ministers with power and influence.

4/5

[Tariq Mahmood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sam has had an interesting life, an extremely stressful and unrewarding job but if he compares his PTSD experiences with the lives of soldiers than he should not really expect a lot of recognition as well. Prison officers are dealing with hardened criminals so they will be experiencing pretty unpleasant events. That's probably why the cream talent of the country are not opting for these jobs. I do agree with him that more support should be provided as well as deportation of criminals to their parent countries, which will relieve some of the stress of the overpopulated and understaffed prison service.
The problem with the book was that there was no real story, just a number of very similar stories loosely hanging together which kept me mildly interested. The only reason I kept reading this book was becuase I knew so little about the lives of convicts, and this is the best way to learn about their lives is to read about someone else's experiences rather than risk meeting these dangerous people myslef. Which means there is value in such books.

[Mr Martyn R Nixon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well written and insightful read

As a local who has worked under the shadow of Strangeways for many years, I could not get anything but curious as to what it was like in side. Yes you see, hear stories in the media but for me this book provides a “warts and all” view of a job and environment that, like much outside of London, is decomposing to mirror the anarchy that is poisoning our society through mis-expenditure, over liberalisation and misdirected politics. Mr S’ book concludes in what I think is a set of obvious key changes that are needed. Strangely this changes would benefit many of the services in the Uk. A good book: stay well Mr S

[Izzy Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

A page turner for sure. Littered with nitty gritty anecdotes that leave you uncomfortable at times but are necessary to really gain perspective on an officer's role.

Not written the best however I don't think it claims to be. I didn't always agree with Samworth's view of certain topics but that's life

[Lamilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

a good read and an awesome narration

[Bod · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily one of my books of the year; this had everything.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really interesting book about the reality of being a prison officer.

This book was really eye opening. I didn't really know much about what prison officers really do or the realities of their working day.

The stuff prison officers have to deal with on a daily basis is shocking. Reading this book really brings in home how underappericated prison officers are.

The violence, trauma and shocking behaviour and illness these prison officers witness is horrendous. I really do take my hats off to these individuals. I could never do what they do.

If you are at all interested in the prison system, I highly recommend this book. Its incredibly fascinating and very heartbreaking at times to read.

The only thing I didn't like about this book was the writing style. Neil writes as he talks so it was difficult to read at times. There wasn't spelling or grammar mistakes but some of the sentence structures didn't make sense so I had to re-read a copy of the sentences to understand what was being said.

Apart from that, it was really interesting and I highly recommend

TW: graphic descriptions of murder, rape, violence, self-harm, suicide, sexual assault, dead bodies and PTSD

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and honest, no frills. The powers that be should be paying attention.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some may say that this book is total fabrication, but believe you me it isn't, it is an honest insight into what prison life is like for a prison officer and a con.
I have experienced working within a prison and a lot of what is in this book, believe you me it isn't a picnic. Prison staff or under supported, and under paid. They work in the worst environment imaginable for little or no thanks. Sam was lucky to have 6 officers on a wing, we had 2, and on my last wing it was 1, and that is why I don't work there anymore. I was a good officer and well respected by staff and cons alike.
My family celebrate the fact that I am not 'behind bars' anymore, they have their daughter back, not the one who didn't seem to be bothered that she had spent the day mixing with murders and lowlifes, she survived. You become immune to the horror of what some of them have done and it becomes the norm.
I can sit here now and reflect on it all and I am just thankful I don't do it know, a lot of people i know are still working for HMP - I worry about them still x

[Anne Belcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I found the topic really interesting and really enjoyed Sam’s perspective, I found it much harder to read and buy into than say Dr Amanda Brown’s book.
I’m glad that issues of prisoner overcrowding, mental health issues and PTSD were all talked about, and I hope that this book means that Sam and his family can live off the royalties rather than working back in the prison service again!!

[𝔅𝔢𝔱𝔥 ☽⋆ ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was a fascinating account of what day to day life is like working as a prison officer. I appreciate the authors honesty and dedication. However call me a ‘snowflake’ or whatever but his boomer viewpoint was a little dated. Calling inmates all words of profanity and the likes (I appreciate he most likely has got called MUCH worse by inmates) he did come across a tad obnoxious which was offputting plus the writing was not great. But otherwise a decent read. I appreicate his talk about mental health at the end and agree that more resources and support needs to be put in place for prisons and their staff.

[beth.inprogress · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this book didn’t have a structured narrative and lacked focus, it provides a rather interesting and transparent viewpoint of the UK’s current prison service. It raises some really relevant issues surrounding the faults within our current prison system. This book also contacts some harrowing incidents and I applaud Samworth for his openness and honesty in expressing his psychological demise while working as a prison officer which lead him to leave the profession due to being diagnosed with PTSD. This book however lacked a wider point of focus and I found the end chapter a rather idealised and oversimplified proposal of an improvement for the prison service issues. This book is clearly not written by an author but it provides a reader with an invaluable and authentic fly on the wall expose of the current prison system and allows the British public to be privy to the way in which the prison service is being let down by the lack of training, poor recruitment drives and not providing P.O’s with the mental support they need while on the job. A valuable and informative read but without the academic and thought out craftsmanship of a journalist/ academic/ non-fiction author.

[Katy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has opened up my eyes, I had no idea what it was like working as a Prison Officer and had never thought about it before. Strangeways is HMP Manchester, a notorious prison, which is also kind of local to me and wow. This book gave me a lot of food for thought and there are some prisoners and situations described in here that are so shocking, I don't think I could ever forget it. Grim.

The only negative thing I can say about this book is that the writing style is a bit muddled and colloquial for my liking, and I didn't really know what he was talking about sometimes, or I got really confused. Overall, I think this was a great read though.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I was a teenager I wanted to study criminology at uni and maybe work in the prison service (I later decided I didn't like humans enough so wanted to work with animals instead, lol) so I found this really interesting. I especially enjoyed the last chapter where Samworth suggests how things could be improved.

However, I did find the writing a little disjointed at times and hard to follow. I don't know if the audiobook made this more prominent. I'd still recommend reading if you're interested at all in prisons and crime in the UK.

[Cassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and read it in just 2 days! I loved his narrative style, it was honest and colloquial, as if he was telling you his story over a cup of tea. I admired how when he introduced something in a story he would reassure you that he would tell you the full story later. I think the structure of the book was good, and it was a very interesting, moving and horrifying tale.

[Marie Manson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book had no direction and it was really hard to follow. Although it certainly gives an insight to what goes on in the prison service.

[Julie Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was in the final year of my law degree, I wrote a dissertation for my Criminology module on the treatment of prisoners with mental health issues by the criminal justice system. To help in my research, my boyfriend’s father (eventually to become my father-in-law), who was then Governor of HMP Lincoln, took me to the prison so I could interview their resident medical professionals and access material in the prison service library. He also gave me a tour. I never expected it to look like the set of Porridge, but it did, except a lot less fun. I have never been in such an intimidating place in my life, before or since, and the impressions it left on me are still with me 25+ years later.

I now have a couple of other friends and family members who work within the prison service, and hearing stories of their working lives brings back those impressions, and this audiobook did the same thing. Anyone who thinks that prison life is cushy, for either inmates or staff, needs to read or listen to this book, and their illusions will immediately be shattered.

Neil Samworth is a man after my own heart, a no nonsense Yorkshireman the like of whom anyone who spends any time in our beautiful county will have come across, and his writing is presented in the same fashion. The narrative is blunt and honest and pulls no punches and I found it absolutely fascinating, horrifying and upsetting in equal measure. He starts with some background into his life and career before he enters the prison service (which made me think our paths may have crossed during my visits to Hanrahan’s in Sheffield during my youth!) which is a useful grounding to get to know him and understand his perspective when he begins to talk about Strangeways.

Everyone has heard of this prison, it is notorious, particularly for the riots which occurred before the author’s time there. It is an old prison, one of those we imagine how prison is, if and when we ever think about it. Lincoln prison was the same, not one of the new, recently purpose built facilities and I think this is important, as it reflects the way they are run and the way the prisoners are managed and behave, and Samworth touches on this in his book. He is extremely honest about the conditions, the prisoners, the officers and management, and the Government management and funding of prisons over the years. I found his bluntness about every aspect of the service, criticisms of all sides where due, refreshing and believable. If you really want an insight into the Prison Service, here it is. It certainly chimed with everything I had already seen and heard from people I know who worked inside.

There are parts of this book that will break your heart, particularly for the people who have to work in this difficult environment, with some truly awful people and in terrible circumstances day after day. They, on the whole, deserve our attention, care, respect and thanks for what they do. You need to listen to books like this, and then ask yourself if you would be prepared to do this job, to deal with the things they have to deal with day after day and what it would cost to entice you to do it. Then ask if these people are suitably cared for and rewarded. You may well be surprised at how you feel afterwards.

The book isn’t a story as such, the narrative is a little disjointed and it is sometimes hard to see why it was ordered the way it was, but if you can get past that, it is definitely worthy of your attention. I have to warn you, there is quite a lot of slang and swearing in the book, violence, drug use and some extremely unpleasant episodes. That is the truth of life behind bars for everyone involved, unfortunately. I listened to this as an audiobook and the narrator was absolutely perfect for the text, I would highly recommend the audio version.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of Neil Samworth, prison officer and, primarily, the time he spent working at Strangeways - now known as HMP Manchester. It's a story about his career and the staff and prisoners he worked with, including some quite high profile. Although described in the blurb as humourous, this is not a funny book and the humour is dark... it's actually a pretty depressing read. It's made me wonder why anyone would want to be a prison officer - not only is it a difficult and thankless task, it's also massively dangerous.

I thought many problems in prison were pretty well known but this was an eye opener for me... particularly around the risks to staff, deaths in custody and issues with mental illness... not to mention the problems caused by staff members who's moral values might be questionable and their experience lacking.

I listened to this book on Audible and the narration ruined it for me. The actual author narrates the forward but not the main book. Instead that was someone who was narrating in a very strong, stereotypical Yorkshire accent which was so at odds with the authors own voice it just irritated me. It just wasn't very genuine and I think gave the impression of this big strapping yorkshireman that did no favours to the objective of this book - to illustrate the very real emotional impact of working in a very high risk environment with very little protection. It raises some massive issues about the prison service in the UK. I dont agree with all the observations this author makes about crime and criminals but this is clearly a very experienced officer who was a credit to the Prison Service but not looked after.... it's a sad story but a worthwhile one.

[Lisa - OwlBeSatReading 🦉📚 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do love a bit of gritty British crime nonfiction and Strangeways by Mr Samworth ticked all the boxes.

His biography from a Prison Officer’s POV is as hard hitting and emotional as it is compelling, sickening and comical. Neil (Sam) calls a spade a spade. He’s a big, bold, brave Yorkshireman, who shares his life experiences and how it lead to working at the notorious Strangeways prison.

This book is brutally honest, at times I had to stop reading and properly digest certain aspects. This is no job for some namby pamby featherweight do-gooder. And neither is this book. It’s hardcore stuff this. To just about get through the harrowing shifts you need presence. You need big fists and a big attitude to match. But most of all, you need empathy and patience. And Neil has shed loads.

If you like your books eloquently written I suggest you try something else (like The Prison Doctor). Neil Samworths style felt like I was listening to him over a pint or ten at the local boozer. (I love that my phone suggests his name is actually Neil Samwise, because Sam, is indeed, just that!!).

Things I’ve learnt:

• what the word ‘mither’ means.
• never underestimate the lengths desperate people go to.
• being called ‘love’ by a Yorkshireman is standard practice.
• it really is ok to have a dark laugh, guilt free, when the going gets tough.
• it’s cool naming book chapters after popular songs of my era Neil. Cheers matey!!

Strangeways : A Prison Officers Story is a book I’d highly recommend. But it’s not for you soft lads, so move along the hall....

[Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! I have been listening to this audio version and it is such an amazing book to listen to. The author tells his story as he worked in prisons and especially his time at Strangeways in Manchester as an officer. The narrator is amazing and his voice is perfect for this style of the book.

Samworth tells how he joined the prison service, the roles he had, his upbringing and right the way through until he left. There are some really awful stories and what he has seen and how he has dealt with the many people he has come across. He comes across as a tough bloke, but also fair. He has had some dangerous run-ins with inmates and injuries he has suffered.

He has seen problems with the prison service over the years and he does mention how he has suffered from PTSD, this is something that I imagine is rife among staff in this service. The people they are mixing with are criminals, some are highly aggressive, drug dealers, and gang members, some are psychopaths and then some are just evil. He explains how prisoners use various tactics to incite riots or to get out of their cells.

When I first saw this title I was interested to get a first-hand account of what it is like to work in a high-security prison. I know there are TV shows, but I wanted something a bit more and this book definitely gave me that. A chance to get behind the scenes in a no holds barred style of the book. There are many TV shows and documentaries about prisoners and criminals but there is very little about the officers.

This is a tough book to listen to but my goodness it was addictive. This is one for those who like to learn more about people and their jobs. Tough, gripping, sombre and one I would highly recommend.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I couldn’t put this book down...equally fascinating and horrifying at the same time!
Some of the stories that were told are very grim reading, it’s shocking that so many of these men live their life without any pride and dignity in themselves and also without meaning and purpose for when they come out. In the last chapter ideas were put forward as some sort of solution but I just felt depressed at the end that there was NO solution.
Hats off to prison officers tho...what a job they do.

[Traybo77 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A no holds barred account of what our Prison Officers have to deal with. Truly insightful and eye opening. A great read!

[Sharmaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute eye opener about our prison officers and what they have to deal with in prisons.

[Tracey Holland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent insight of prison life by an ex prison officer, enjoyed reading something different too.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

A true story of Sam's life working as a prisoner officer. It makes for fantastic reading and realisation of life in the Prison industry.

[Leah Grove · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting graphic stories, sometimes shockingly so. Under-appreciated profession.

Only 3* because it’s not something I’d usually choose to read

[Caroline Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dreary.