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Screwed: Britain's Prison Crisis and How To Escape It
Screwed is the inside story of the collapse of HM Prison Service told from the front line. Ian Acheson served as both and officer and Governor in a 20-year career that saw him move from the landings to the boardroom. During that time he watched Her Majesty's Prison Service, the uniformed organisation he was proud to serve, collapse into a hopeless and helpless bureaucracy presiding over feral penal dustbins warehousing human failure. This hard-hitting account looks at the politics and the operational decision making which have our prisons to descend into places where extreme violence, indolence and victimisation are normalised. He concludes that the situation is not beyond repair and describes how a new corporate culture and mission can achieve a much-needed revolution in the way the service is run.
320 pages, Hardcover
Published February 11, 2020
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April 18, 2024
Immensely disappointing. The book is deserving of at least two stars, because it raises the profile of the prison service's under staffing, under resourcing and staff retention woes, however the prison service (and dare I say the government) are well aware of these problems and have been aware for some time. These problems are also not unique to the prison service in the public sector and Acheson's 'take' on it isn't the unique discovery and revelation that he seems to think it is.
At times the book seems contradictory and poorly thought out. For example, at one point highlighting the view that the recent HMP Wandsworth escape was a failure of staff to follow formal processes...while later bemoaning that governors are no longer able to bend or break the rules to meet conditions on the ground.
The writing style is poor, ranting, relying heavily on adjectives and hyperbole when I would have preferred to see more references and evidence of research.
I would also question Acheson's credentials in commenting on the issues raised, considering he has not worked in the prison service for over two decades and spent relatively little time on the front line due to his participation in an accelerated promotion scheme. Even the front line staff he claims to speak on behalf of would not consider an accelerated promoted person a proper or experienced officer. The book reads as very 'out of touch' and a bit of a grift, likely for this reason, with the general arguement being a cliche of 'back in my day, things were better'. It might convince readers without recent first hand experience of the prison service, but it is unlikely to convince those who have it.
In conclusion, the book is on par with a tabloid opinion piece on the subject, by someone who had some experience in the prison service once upon a time. I suppose it is okay in this context, but it is not the serious analysis I hoped it would be.
At times the book seems contradictory and poorly thought out. For example, at one point highlighting the view that the recent HMP Wandsworth escape was a failure of staff to follow formal processes...while later bemoaning that governors are no longer able to bend or break the rules to meet conditions on the ground.
The writing style is poor, ranting, relying heavily on adjectives and hyperbole when I would have preferred to see more references and evidence of research.
I would also question Acheson's credentials in commenting on the issues raised, considering he has not worked in the prison service for over two decades and spent relatively little time on the front line due to his participation in an accelerated promotion scheme. Even the front line staff he claims to speak on behalf of would not consider an accelerated promoted person a proper or experienced officer. The book reads as very 'out of touch' and a bit of a grift, likely for this reason, with the general arguement being a cliche of 'back in my day, things were better'. It might convince readers without recent first hand experience of the prison service, but it is unlikely to convince those who have it.
In conclusion, the book is on par with a tabloid opinion piece on the subject, by someone who had some experience in the prison service once upon a time. I suppose it is okay in this context, but it is not the serious analysis I hoped it would be.
Displaying 1 of 1 review