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Inside Parkhurst: Stories of a Prison Officer
Assaults. Riots. Cell fires. Medical emergencies. Understaffed wings. Suicides. Hooch. Weapons. It's all in a week's work at HMP Parkhurst.
David Berridge has spent 28 years working as a prison officer, with 22 years at Parkhurst. A tough character with a big personality and a dark sense of humour, David has had to deal with it all - serial killers and gangsters, terrorists and sex offenders, psychopaths and addicts. Inside Parkhurst is his raw, uncompromising look at what really went on behind the massive walls and menacing gates of one of Britain's highest security prisons.
David has been assaulted and abused, he has tackled cell fires and attempted suicides, riots and dirty protests; he has foiled escaped plans, talked inmates down from rooftop protests, witnessed prisoners setting fire to themselves, and prisoners ruthlessly murdering other prisoners. With this book he takes us inside this secret world for the first time. Thrown in at the deep end, David quickly had to work out how to deal with the most cunning and volatile of prisoners, and how to avoid their scams - and he's been doing this for nearly three decades. Reggie Kray, Gary Glitter, Robert Maudsley, Peter Sutcliffe, Ian Brady and several senior IRA leaders were among David's most high-profile charges.
With this raw, searingly honest account, he guides us around the wings, the segregation unit, the hospital and the exercise yard, and gives vivid portraits of the drug taking, the hooch making, the constant and irrepressible violence, and the extraordinary lengths our prison officers go to everyday. Divided into three parts - the first from David's early years on the wings, the second the middle of his career, and the third his disillusioned later years - David will use an episodic format to take readers to the heart of life inside and shine a light on the escalating violence, the lack of support for officers and the impact the government cuts are really having on the wings.
Both horrifying and hilarious, David's book will shock, entertain and inspire in equal measure.
David Berridge has spent 28 years working as a prison officer, with 22 years at Parkhurst. A tough character with a big personality and a dark sense of humour, David has had to deal with it all - serial killers and gangsters, terrorists and sex offenders, psychopaths and addicts. Inside Parkhurst is his raw, uncompromising look at what really went on behind the massive walls and menacing gates of one of Britain's highest security prisons.
David has been assaulted and abused, he has tackled cell fires and attempted suicides, riots and dirty protests; he has foiled escaped plans, talked inmates down from rooftop protests, witnessed prisoners setting fire to themselves, and prisoners ruthlessly murdering other prisoners. With this book he takes us inside this secret world for the first time. Thrown in at the deep end, David quickly had to work out how to deal with the most cunning and volatile of prisoners, and how to avoid their scams - and he's been doing this for nearly three decades. Reggie Kray, Gary Glitter, Robert Maudsley, Peter Sutcliffe, Ian Brady and several senior IRA leaders were among David's most high-profile charges.
With this raw, searingly honest account, he guides us around the wings, the segregation unit, the hospital and the exercise yard, and gives vivid portraits of the drug taking, the hooch making, the constant and irrepressible violence, and the extraordinary lengths our prison officers go to everyday. Divided into three parts - the first from David's early years on the wings, the second the middle of his career, and the third his disillusioned later years - David will use an episodic format to take readers to the heart of life inside and shine a light on the escalating violence, the lack of support for officers and the impact the government cuts are really having on the wings.
Both horrifying and hilarious, David's book will shock, entertain and inspire in equal measure.
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 19, 2021
61 people are currently reading
612 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
December 29, 2021
This book is hilarious. It's got bottoms, budgies, a great phrase "turned religious" and the very liberal use of the word 'fucking' followed by 'shitting' (as in fear) and shit (as in poo).
I have a new phrase, 'turning religous", as in when the author can't work out the who, what and where of a situation that might end badly for him, he says he 'turned religious' and prays!
I like reading prison memoirs - from either side of the bars - and I'd thought this was going to be another one. You know, worthy person wants to help reprobates and contribute to society. The author is not a worthy person, this is a job, and he only ends up in the high-security Parkhurst because after training when asked for his choices of where he wants to work, he can only remember this one's name. I think he'd do well writing comedy sketches if he isn't already.
Today, a blue-lighted [ambulance] inmate was suffering from what the paramedics said was ‘severe rectal trauma’. The hospital screws who initially examined him had decided that he needed to go out as he was bleeding and in serious pain. Years of catastrophic anal intrusion had caused major damage, damage that couldn’t fixed in the prison hospital.If life gives you lemons.. but stuck in prison and all you have is your botty, well he did his best. Budgies though are completely different. They are given to lifers for comfort. This particular lifer was very quiet, kept himself to himself, but known to have a violent streak,
This inmate had used his bottom for many things, including the smuggling of illicit items, concealing contraband, and for sexual pleasure and debt clearing. The frequency with which his poor old bottom had been fucked about had finally taken its toll and it was no longer fit for the purpose for which it was originally intended.
Even with my limited medical knowledge, I knew that anyone who can eat a live budgerigar – yes, he actually popped a live budgie into his mouth, crunched, chewed, swallowed and was then quite literally spitting feathers – was likely in need of some psychological attention.I love the author's very dry, very British sense of humour.
I have a new phrase, 'turning religous", as in when the author can't work out the who, what and where of a situation that might end badly for him, he says he 'turned religious' and prays!
I like reading prison memoirs - from either side of the bars - and I'd thought this was going to be another one. You know, worthy person wants to help reprobates and contribute to society. The author is not a worthy person, this is a job, and he only ends up in the high-security Parkhurst because after training when asked for his choices of where he wants to work, he can only remember this one's name. I think he'd do well writing comedy sketches if he isn't already.
November 18, 2021
Yeah so, I’m not a fan. I can understand the high rating on here though, this will have been bought by hundreds or thousands of people with no inside experience of the justice system of prisons and take what David Berridge writes (well, told whoever wrote this) at face value. I however, to my own misfortune, have seen the inside of prisons, numerous times in my early life, including an A cat dispersal and can’t categorically say quite a bit he says simply wouldn’t happen.
It isn’t prison policy to “talk round and disarm a psychopath in his cell”. This isn’t a dig at prison officers, they work in a dangerous job, but that’s exactly why that isn’t policy. Officers aren’t put in danger, other prisoners aren’t put in danger, the riot squad is called, form a wall with their shields and force the prisoner to the back of the cell, disarming him while he can’t move, there would need to be hostages for negotiations and he doesn’t mention hostages, which you clearly would if you apparently talked him around because you’d have saved their life, far more worth bragging about than just talking a knife out of a mans hand.
Speaking of bragging, I lost count of the amount of times he reminds the reader that he can ‘handle himself’, alongside the constant reminders that EVERYONE inside is a danger and out to get you, it all feels like laying the ground work to justify some later brutality to prisoner, which right on cue keep rolling around, wrapped in the excuse of it’s needed because I’ve kept telling you they’re dangerous. No nuance, no discussion of the vulnerable, even when mentioning mental health inside he doesn’t bother to say anything about how people with mental health issues shouldn’t be in prisons, they should be treated by people qualified to treat them, they shouldn’t be treated like or judged to the standard of normal prisoners, but are.
No mention of the brutal IPP sentences that have left multiple people behind bars for years, serving an indeterminate sentence with no release date, more often than not having come to prison for a 3-6month sentence, yet end up in HIS kind of prison.
All in all this was a complete disregard for the prisoners and conditions they live in and more self promotion and a defence of his former colleagues and officers around the country, like a blue lives matter for prison officers because he doesn’t mention violence and abuse meted out on a daily basis by then, deaths in custody etc. The closest he gets to an admission of this is mentioning how only certain officers get to work the block because the “run a tight ship”, translated, it’s where most violence is meted out and they need to know you’re an officer they can trust.
2*, but only because I feel being an ex con giving this 1* will make it look like I did it out of spite and not because this is a genuinely awful book.
It isn’t prison policy to “talk round and disarm a psychopath in his cell”. This isn’t a dig at prison officers, they work in a dangerous job, but that’s exactly why that isn’t policy. Officers aren’t put in danger, other prisoners aren’t put in danger, the riot squad is called, form a wall with their shields and force the prisoner to the back of the cell, disarming him while he can’t move, there would need to be hostages for negotiations and he doesn’t mention hostages, which you clearly would if you apparently talked him around because you’d have saved their life, far more worth bragging about than just talking a knife out of a mans hand.
Speaking of bragging, I lost count of the amount of times he reminds the reader that he can ‘handle himself’, alongside the constant reminders that EVERYONE inside is a danger and out to get you, it all feels like laying the ground work to justify some later brutality to prisoner, which right on cue keep rolling around, wrapped in the excuse of it’s needed because I’ve kept telling you they’re dangerous. No nuance, no discussion of the vulnerable, even when mentioning mental health inside he doesn’t bother to say anything about how people with mental health issues shouldn’t be in prisons, they should be treated by people qualified to treat them, they shouldn’t be treated like or judged to the standard of normal prisoners, but are.
No mention of the brutal IPP sentences that have left multiple people behind bars for years, serving an indeterminate sentence with no release date, more often than not having come to prison for a 3-6month sentence, yet end up in HIS kind of prison.
All in all this was a complete disregard for the prisoners and conditions they live in and more self promotion and a defence of his former colleagues and officers around the country, like a blue lives matter for prison officers because he doesn’t mention violence and abuse meted out on a daily basis by then, deaths in custody etc. The closest he gets to an admission of this is mentioning how only certain officers get to work the block because the “run a tight ship”, translated, it’s where most violence is meted out and they need to know you’re an officer they can trust.
2*, but only because I feel being an ex con giving this 1* will make it look like I did it out of spite and not because this is a genuinely awful book.
August 29, 2021
What can I say, this arrived this morning & it was unputdownable...yep, I've finished it!
Parkhurst is a category B prison, it's sister prison is Albany which is also cat B. They are now combined & are known collectively as HMP Isle of Wight.
I was born & bred on the Isle of Wight in St Mary's Hospital which is directly opposite Parkhurst. When I was younger my Grandad worked at Parkhurst & would often come home regaling tales of who he'd met...The Krays, the Yorkshire Ripper, Charlie Bronson & many other of the country's most notorious criminals who were housed here. My Mum still has the complete set of @womblesofficial that my Grandad had the inmates make in their sewing class for me, I remember my Nan always wondering what they had stuffed them with 🤣
I love books like this where you get you see exactly what goes on inside those prison walls, how dangerous it can be & how you have to be on your guard 24/7.
The one thing there isn't enough if though is adequate Mental Health support for the staff, these people are pushed to their limits yet because it's 'their job' they just have to get on with it.
From toilet brush removal, unpleasant parcels & plenty of claret, this isn't for the fainthearted, but a truly fascinating eye opening insight as to what it takes to become a Prison Officer.
𝗜 𝗴𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮 5 ⭐ 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴
Parkhurst is a category B prison, it's sister prison is Albany which is also cat B. They are now combined & are known collectively as HMP Isle of Wight.
I was born & bred on the Isle of Wight in St Mary's Hospital which is directly opposite Parkhurst. When I was younger my Grandad worked at Parkhurst & would often come home regaling tales of who he'd met...The Krays, the Yorkshire Ripper, Charlie Bronson & many other of the country's most notorious criminals who were housed here. My Mum still has the complete set of @womblesofficial that my Grandad had the inmates make in their sewing class for me, I remember my Nan always wondering what they had stuffed them with 🤣
I love books like this where you get you see exactly what goes on inside those prison walls, how dangerous it can be & how you have to be on your guard 24/7.
The one thing there isn't enough if though is adequate Mental Health support for the staff, these people are pushed to their limits yet because it's 'their job' they just have to get on with it.
From toilet brush removal, unpleasant parcels & plenty of claret, this isn't for the fainthearted, but a truly fascinating eye opening insight as to what it takes to become a Prison Officer.
𝗜 𝗴𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮 5 ⭐ 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴
July 5, 2023
I get that this is real and the prison system but I was just so bored reading this. It just wasn’t written well in my opinion.
January 25, 2022
this book was split into sections making it easy to read and has parts that were worthwhile and genuinely interesting. i particularly found the more recent sections about austerity cuts interesting reading.
obviously we are warned that some names and terms are used as they were at the time but it doesn’t really mean some of them should be published today.
also i can’t agree with some of his views, i know next to nothing about prisons but surely treating actual people as actual people isn’t entirely a bad thing?
obviously we are warned that some names and terms are used as they were at the time but it doesn’t really mean some of them should be published today.
also i can’t agree with some of his views, i know next to nothing about prisons but surely treating actual people as actual people isn’t entirely a bad thing?
December 7, 2021
Time taken to read - 2 days
Pages -
Publisher - Orion
Source - Bought
Blurb from Goodreads
Assaults. Riots. Cell fires. Medical emergencies. Understaffed wings. Suicides. Hooch. Weapons. It's all in a week's work at HMP Parkhurst.
David Berridge has spent 28 years working as a prison officer, with 22 years at Parkhurst. A tough character with a big personality and a dark sense of humour, David has had to deal with it all - serial killers and gangsters, terrorists and sex offenders, psychopaths and addicts. Inside Parkhurst is his raw, uncompromising look at what really went on behind the massive walls and menacing gates of one of Britain's highest security prisons.
David has been assaulted and abused, he has tackled cell fires and attempted suicides, riots and dirty protests; he has foiled escaped plans, talked inmates down from rooftop protests, witnessed prisoners setting fire to themselves, and prisoners ruthlessly murdering other prisoners. With this book he takes us inside this secret world for the first time. Thrown in at the deep end, David quickly had to work out how to deal with the most cunning and volatile of prisoners, and how to avoid their scams - and he's been doing this for nearly three decades. Reggie Kray, Gary Glitter, Robert Maudsley, Peter Sutcliffe, Ian Brady and several senior IRA leaders were among David's most high-profile charges.
With this raw, searingly honest account, he guides us around the wings, the segregation unit, the hospital and the exercise yard, and gives vivid portraits of the drug taking, the hooch making, the constant and irrepressible violence, and the extraordinary lengths our prison officers go to everyday. Divided into three parts - the first from David's early years on the wings, the second the middle of his career, and the third his disillusioned later years - David will use an episodic format to take readers to the heart of life inside and shine a light on the escalating violence, the lack of support for officers and the impact the government cuts are really having on the wings.
Both horrifying and hilarious, David's book will shock, entertain and inspire in equal measure.
My Review
NOT for the faint hearted. This is a true story of Berridge's time as a prison officer at Parkhurst, from his rookie days to a fully fledged officer. He kept a diary type note of what he experienced, his time there and it came from that this book.
We learn what it is like to be an officer, working alongside some amazing officers who have your back and first into the line of fire as well as those who cower away and put folk at risk. The inmates, the things they will try and get away with, manipulate the system, lie, cheat to get what they need/want. How a simple gesture can be used against you, threats, violence, abuse. Even some deadly assaults, it makes you wonder how these people could go in day after day to face this.
Some of the stories are gut wrenching, stomach turning and quite sad/horrific. The self abuse inmates do to themselves, the violence to each other and staff, Berridge doesn't leave anything to the imagination. I think most of us have an idea of some of the things that happen in prison but this book is yet another eye opener. I often think Joe Public should read them, it gives a bit more appreciation for the job these people do. There are also mentions of the well meaning people from above, changing this, agreeing to that and how it impacts on the staff/prisoners. 4/5 for me this time, over the last while we have seen more true life books, work place stories, healthcare etc appearing and I do enjoy (if that is the right word for this type of content) reading/learning about different work environments. It is interesting to see how much prison life have changed even just over the course of the authors career. I have another book like this on the tbrm, I don't think it will be too long before I read it!
Pages -
Publisher - Orion
Source - Bought
Blurb from Goodreads
Assaults. Riots. Cell fires. Medical emergencies. Understaffed wings. Suicides. Hooch. Weapons. It's all in a week's work at HMP Parkhurst.
David Berridge has spent 28 years working as a prison officer, with 22 years at Parkhurst. A tough character with a big personality and a dark sense of humour, David has had to deal with it all - serial killers and gangsters, terrorists and sex offenders, psychopaths and addicts. Inside Parkhurst is his raw, uncompromising look at what really went on behind the massive walls and menacing gates of one of Britain's highest security prisons.
David has been assaulted and abused, he has tackled cell fires and attempted suicides, riots and dirty protests; he has foiled escaped plans, talked inmates down from rooftop protests, witnessed prisoners setting fire to themselves, and prisoners ruthlessly murdering other prisoners. With this book he takes us inside this secret world for the first time. Thrown in at the deep end, David quickly had to work out how to deal with the most cunning and volatile of prisoners, and how to avoid their scams - and he's been doing this for nearly three decades. Reggie Kray, Gary Glitter, Robert Maudsley, Peter Sutcliffe, Ian Brady and several senior IRA leaders were among David's most high-profile charges.
With this raw, searingly honest account, he guides us around the wings, the segregation unit, the hospital and the exercise yard, and gives vivid portraits of the drug taking, the hooch making, the constant and irrepressible violence, and the extraordinary lengths our prison officers go to everyday. Divided into three parts - the first from David's early years on the wings, the second the middle of his career, and the third his disillusioned later years - David will use an episodic format to take readers to the heart of life inside and shine a light on the escalating violence, the lack of support for officers and the impact the government cuts are really having on the wings.
Both horrifying and hilarious, David's book will shock, entertain and inspire in equal measure.
My Review
NOT for the faint hearted. This is a true story of Berridge's time as a prison officer at Parkhurst, from his rookie days to a fully fledged officer. He kept a diary type note of what he experienced, his time there and it came from that this book.
We learn what it is like to be an officer, working alongside some amazing officers who have your back and first into the line of fire as well as those who cower away and put folk at risk. The inmates, the things they will try and get away with, manipulate the system, lie, cheat to get what they need/want. How a simple gesture can be used against you, threats, violence, abuse. Even some deadly assaults, it makes you wonder how these people could go in day after day to face this.
Some of the stories are gut wrenching, stomach turning and quite sad/horrific. The self abuse inmates do to themselves, the violence to each other and staff, Berridge doesn't leave anything to the imagination. I think most of us have an idea of some of the things that happen in prison but this book is yet another eye opener. I often think Joe Public should read them, it gives a bit more appreciation for the job these people do. There are also mentions of the well meaning people from above, changing this, agreeing to that and how it impacts on the staff/prisoners. 4/5 for me this time, over the last while we have seen more true life books, work place stories, healthcare etc appearing and I do enjoy (if that is the right word for this type of content) reading/learning about different work environments. It is interesting to see how much prison life have changed even just over the course of the authors career. I have another book like this on the tbrm, I don't think it will be too long before I read it!
September 9, 2022
This book is rated 4 stars for me and here is why:
Positives: Very interesting and easy read, very well laid out. Quite eye opening to see what happens within a prison from a prison officers point of view.
Negatives: Very much a descriptive book not a story line. After watching many prison documentaries has made me question how much of this information is accurate and actually does happen. More so on todays day and age.
Overall good read and glad I read it, but will definitely try and read some other prison books to compare the knowledge and experiences explained :)
Positives: Very interesting and easy read, very well laid out. Quite eye opening to see what happens within a prison from a prison officers point of view.
Negatives: Very much a descriptive book not a story line. After watching many prison documentaries has made me question how much of this information is accurate and actually does happen. More so on todays day and age.
Overall good read and glad I read it, but will definitely try and read some other prison books to compare the knowledge and experiences explained :)
December 1, 2023
I didn't really get along with this book for two reasons. One, there was no coherence; stories weren't grouped around any particular theme, and it all felt a bit like, let's try to make some money, rather than a compelling story that needs to be told. Secondly, the guy comes across as a bit of a dick. I used to be a Prisoner Custody Officer back in the day so I have dealt with the people he talks about, except I did it with very little back up in insecure environments. He just comes across as whiny, he knows best, no one else has to deal with these issues. Actually the things he was complaining about happen in a lot of environments, not just prisons and there was no concession that maybe he should move with the times rather than see the past as the golden years.
I have met a lot of officers like him and for the most part they are just sad that they can't get away with some of the actions that would have been applauded previously. They can't get away with calling prisoners names or taking away their rights because they're arseholes. Newsflash a lot of prisoners are arseholes but if you treat people like animals they will behave like animals. Just call them Mr and get a grip. Also talking about mentally ill people trying to hurt themselves in such a derogatory fashion makes you an arse, even if they are sometimes horrible to you.
I have met a lot of officers like him and for the most part they are just sad that they can't get away with some of the actions that would have been applauded previously. They can't get away with calling prisoners names or taking away their rights because they're arseholes. Newsflash a lot of prisoners are arseholes but if you treat people like animals they will behave like animals. Just call them Mr and get a grip. Also talking about mentally ill people trying to hurt themselves in such a derogatory fashion makes you an arse, even if they are sometimes horrible to you.
August 30, 2021
I gave up trying to read this book.
This book isn't for me. I enjoy true prisoner books but I just can't get into this one.
It not a book I put down and think I can't wait to read it again.
I read to page 93.
This book isn't for me. I enjoy true prisoner books but I just can't get into this one.
It not a book I put down and think I can't wait to read it again.
I read to page 93.
November 18, 2021
A horrible distasteful book written by a bully. No wonder screws are hated.
November 14, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — Inside Parkhurst
Inside Parkhurst is a gripping and unsettling look into life behind bars, told with a raw honesty that keeps you turning the pages. The author doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities of prison life — the routines, the dangers, the psychology of survival — but also highlights the unexpected bonds and moments of humanity that appear in even the bleakest places.
What really stands out is how immersive the storytelling is. You feel the claustrophobia, the tension, and the constant undercurrent of fear, but also the resilience it takes just to make it through each day. It’s the kind of book that makes you pause and think about the people behind the labels, the circumstances that brought them there, and the system built around them.
If you enjoy gritty, real-life narratives or books that shine a light on environments most of us will never experience, this is definitely worth picking up. It’s intense, eye-opening, and more emotional than expected.
Inside Parkhurst is a gripping and unsettling look into life behind bars, told with a raw honesty that keeps you turning the pages. The author doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities of prison life — the routines, the dangers, the psychology of survival — but also highlights the unexpected bonds and moments of humanity that appear in even the bleakest places.
What really stands out is how immersive the storytelling is. You feel the claustrophobia, the tension, and the constant undercurrent of fear, but also the resilience it takes just to make it through each day. It’s the kind of book that makes you pause and think about the people behind the labels, the circumstances that brought them there, and the system built around them.
If you enjoy gritty, real-life narratives or books that shine a light on environments most of us will never experience, this is definitely worth picking up. It’s intense, eye-opening, and more emotional than expected.
December 18, 2024
I don't know how i feel about this book.
However I've already recommended it to all of my friends and promised to lend it to 3 of them so it wasn't bad at all.
I love how it was set out in diary format so it was so quick to read. And some of the entries were just hilarious 😂 the shenanigans them prisoners get up to is madness.
But as the book goes on and all the rules change and the prisons get easier for the prisoners and the harder for the officers, I started having a problem.
Obviously that's not the authors fault but the things he had to do and let the prisoners get away with was just silly.
However I've already recommended it to all of my friends and promised to lend it to 3 of them so it wasn't bad at all.
I love how it was set out in diary format so it was so quick to read. And some of the entries were just hilarious 😂 the shenanigans them prisoners get up to is madness.
But as the book goes on and all the rules change and the prisons get easier for the prisoners and the harder for the officers, I started having a problem.
Obviously that's not the authors fault but the things he had to do and let the prisoners get away with was just silly.
April 14, 2025
great jocular and eye opening account of how the prison service is run.
the last two chapters made me really angry that those at the top of the power ladder can keep moving the goalposts and relaxing one regulation after another with absolutely no personal experience of how this will effect their workforce.
prison should be a punishment not a free holiday.
there are more regulations in care homes than these high security prisons.
the last two chapters made me really angry that those at the top of the power ladder can keep moving the goalposts and relaxing one regulation after another with absolutely no personal experience of how this will effect their workforce.
prison should be a punishment not a free holiday.
there are more regulations in care homes than these high security prisons.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 19, 2024
A very interesting account of life as a prison officer… obviously it’s one sided but covers a long career in the service and the many changes he has seen. I can’t believe anyone would want to go into this career after reading this, and similar books!
April 9, 2023
Really witty memoir with lots of funny one-liners. Would definitely recommend if you're interested in the topic.
June 25, 2025
I live on the Isle of Wight, which is where Parkhurst is situated, so I was intrigued to read about life inside the prison.
The book is very readable, divided into small diary-like entries. Some of the stories are gruesome, some are shocking and some are humourous. If you want to get an insight into the life of a Prison Officer then you could do worse than picking this book up.
As a fellow ex-public servant (govt), I can also empathise with Berridge's feelings towards the end of the book. Feelings of serving statistics rather than doing the job, of bad communication, of not feeling valued. I can understand everything.
The book gets 3 stars only because it is quite a short book, and many stories were repeated. I could have done with a bit more depth. Overall, though, it was very interesting.
The book is very readable, divided into small diary-like entries. Some of the stories are gruesome, some are shocking and some are humourous. If you want to get an insight into the life of a Prison Officer then you could do worse than picking this book up.
As a fellow ex-public servant (govt), I can also empathise with Berridge's feelings towards the end of the book. Feelings of serving statistics rather than doing the job, of bad communication, of not feeling valued. I can understand everything.
The book gets 3 stars only because it is quite a short book, and many stories were repeated. I could have done with a bit more depth. Overall, though, it was very interesting.
September 5, 2021
Such an interesting and gripping book. Seeing the inside of prison from an officers perspective is unusual so seeing prison for what it is and hearing stories keeps you gripped.
This book had be laughing out loud and gagging so be prepared for some grim stories but I laughed so much! Brilliant book!
Really recommend!
This book had be laughing out loud and gagging so be prepared for some grim stories but I laughed so much! Brilliant book!
Really recommend!
July 6, 2022
Wow I loved this book. What a great eye opener. This book is well written and goes into great detail. I will be reading this book again. I well reckoned read for anyone that like true crime stories.
December 26, 2023
Another interesting prison read. I have read many biographies of time as a Prison Officer and this was a very enjoyable read.
I always find them interesting and nothing surprises me anymore. This was David's story of his time as a prison officer until he eventually left in 2019. It has 3 parts, the first 2 parts are of his career at Parkhurst, and the final part when he worked at Albany prison, which was worlds away from Parkhurst.
I also have his second book which I am looking forward to reading next.
I always find them interesting and nothing surprises me anymore. This was David's story of his time as a prison officer until he eventually left in 2019. It has 3 parts, the first 2 parts are of his career at Parkhurst, and the final part when he worked at Albany prison, which was worlds away from Parkhurst.
I also have his second book which I am looking forward to reading next.
February 14, 2022
The Tory legacy left me furious. Endless budget cuts in the number of staff, dog units, mental health cuts is all awful and some of this skimping leads to extremely dangerous situations.
The amount of money seemingly wasted in these prisons is also shocking and it seems it could be avoided.
As in teaching and the health sector, higher ups could do with listening to those who actually carry out the job!!!!
Mr. Berridge both has many good points about possible change and yet seems stuck in his ways. I appreciated he is trying to understand gender and identity, but some of his statements made me wince or left me annoyed because they were rather disrespectful.
It seems difficult to help those with serious problems without all other prisoners exploiting the help, so I really sympathise that his job must be arduous.
This style of writing paragraphs instead of stories is intensely frustrating to me. I hope other people enjoy it more.
The amount of money seemingly wasted in these prisons is also shocking and it seems it could be avoided.
As in teaching and the health sector, higher ups could do with listening to those who actually carry out the job!!!!
Mr. Berridge both has many good points about possible change and yet seems stuck in his ways. I appreciated he is trying to understand gender and identity, but some of his statements made me wince or left me annoyed because they were rather disrespectful.
It seems difficult to help those with serious problems without all other prisoners exploiting the help, so I really sympathise that his job must be arduous.
This style of writing paragraphs instead of stories is intensely frustrating to me. I hope other people enjoy it more.
September 12, 2021
An eye.opener into prison life.
Very well written in what is such a thankless profession. It would seem that the powers that be are only interested in pleasing the so called do gooders who consider the needs of the prisoners above that of the prison officers. Well done you for staying as long as you did, you deserve your retirement. Enjoy!!!
Very well written in what is such a thankless profession. It would seem that the powers that be are only interested in pleasing the so called do gooders who consider the needs of the prisoners above that of the prison officers. Well done you for staying as long as you did, you deserve your retirement. Enjoy!!!
December 4, 2021
Really disappointing. A series of unrelated tales. Told nothing about life in a prison. Superficial and disappointing.
September 20, 2021
I saw this in a bookshop recently, and I have always been interested in books of this genre, so I decided to buy it. I had also read prison books by Norman Parker, Bobby Cummines (both of these books were also about Parkhurst) and Neil Samworth (also a prison officer), and I enjoyed all of these. I also bought several books by Charles Bronson, Britain's most notorious long-serving prisoner, but I didn't enjoy his books as much.
I enjoyed Inside Parkhurst, though. It really opened my eyes and my mind to what life is really like inside such a notorious, high-security prison. The author doesn't pull any punches, and there is a lot of swearing, so I advise you to stay away from this book if bad language offends you. He does mention a few of Parkhurst's most notorious inmates in one sentence, but these are never mentioned again, which was a shame. Maybe these prisoners weren't there when the author was. It's a pity, because I would have liked to have learned something new about these more notorious inmates, but it didn't spoil my enjoyment of the book.
As I mentioned, I did enjoy this book and found it very hard to put down. I was amazed at just how quickly I finished it. The book is shocking and humorous in equal measure, so should please most readers. I hope that we get more books like this in the future. As I said, it is a genre that I have always enjoyed.
A solid five stars from me. Well done, Mr Berridge, for such an enjoyable and enlightening book, and thank you for it.
If you are like me and love books about prison and prison life, then you should love this as much as I did. I heartily recommend it.
Great stuff.
I enjoyed Inside Parkhurst, though. It really opened my eyes and my mind to what life is really like inside such a notorious, high-security prison. The author doesn't pull any punches, and there is a lot of swearing, so I advise you to stay away from this book if bad language offends you. He does mention a few of Parkhurst's most notorious inmates in one sentence, but these are never mentioned again, which was a shame. Maybe these prisoners weren't there when the author was. It's a pity, because I would have liked to have learned something new about these more notorious inmates, but it didn't spoil my enjoyment of the book.
As I mentioned, I did enjoy this book and found it very hard to put down. I was amazed at just how quickly I finished it. The book is shocking and humorous in equal measure, so should please most readers. I hope that we get more books like this in the future. As I said, it is a genre that I have always enjoyed.
A solid five stars from me. Well done, Mr Berridge, for such an enjoyable and enlightening book, and thank you for it.
If you are like me and love books about prison and prison life, then you should love this as much as I did. I heartily recommend it.
Great stuff.
July 20, 2022
I feel like this book is an easy read with short chapters in a diary format. There is a bit of ranting which seems justified.
I do feel that the author is very set in his ways, despises the idea of rehabilitation and sees prisons as a place for punishment. He criticises all forms of training and attempts at improvement in prisons, and blames these on rising incarceration rates. He should consider that rehabilitation and improvements to the prison system are necessary always. He should understand that the reoffending rates are not because of rehabilitation being a buzz word in his training, but that as he demonstrated rehabilitation is completely ignored by him and his generation of officers. The new officers that he deems snowflakes would also seem to be ineffective at this task. It seems like quite a miserable failure overall in this system. Anyway, a prison officer who believes in punishment rather than progress and finds attempted murders and suicides a run of the mill day, and disrespectfully describes the assaulted individuals as being covered in “claret” should maybe reconsider the pedestal he holds his old fashioned screws on.
None of this is to overly criticise the author though, it seems like it’s very hard to win in this job, other officers who wrote honestly would also be easy to criticise and if I was one of them so would I be.
I do feel that the author is very set in his ways, despises the idea of rehabilitation and sees prisons as a place for punishment. He criticises all forms of training and attempts at improvement in prisons, and blames these on rising incarceration rates. He should consider that rehabilitation and improvements to the prison system are necessary always. He should understand that the reoffending rates are not because of rehabilitation being a buzz word in his training, but that as he demonstrated rehabilitation is completely ignored by him and his generation of officers. The new officers that he deems snowflakes would also seem to be ineffective at this task. It seems like quite a miserable failure overall in this system. Anyway, a prison officer who believes in punishment rather than progress and finds attempted murders and suicides a run of the mill day, and disrespectfully describes the assaulted individuals as being covered in “claret” should maybe reconsider the pedestal he holds his old fashioned screws on.
None of this is to overly criticise the author though, it seems like it’s very hard to win in this job, other officers who wrote honestly would also be easy to criticise and if I was one of them so would I be.
September 19, 2022
𝐼𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑃𝑎𝑟𝑘ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑡
Prison books are one of my favourite non-fiction sub-genres and I absolutely can't get enough of them. I've had this on my TBR for a while and it didn't disappoint. Fascinating, disturbing, and eye-opening, this was a real mix of heart-breaking stories, facts, and anecdotes, and the author's dry sense of humour shone through.
This was written in diary form, in short, snappy chapters or often a few entries per page, which made for a really quick and enjoyable read. Evident from Berridge's tales, is the sad reality of the system working (or not working as the case may be) and the complete lack of support prison officers received, which I can only hope has possibly improved as the years have gone on, but feel this also may not be the case.
I really recommend picking this up, whether you're a seasoned prison novel reader, or you've never picked up a book on the topic previously - it really is an mind-altering, informative, and shocking read, and once again: thank you to all the prison officers who do a job most of us would run the opposite direction from.
𝘍𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 @𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭 (𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮).
Prison books are one of my favourite non-fiction sub-genres and I absolutely can't get enough of them. I've had this on my TBR for a while and it didn't disappoint. Fascinating, disturbing, and eye-opening, this was a real mix of heart-breaking stories, facts, and anecdotes, and the author's dry sense of humour shone through.
This was written in diary form, in short, snappy chapters or often a few entries per page, which made for a really quick and enjoyable read. Evident from Berridge's tales, is the sad reality of the system working (or not working as the case may be) and the complete lack of support prison officers received, which I can only hope has possibly improved as the years have gone on, but feel this also may not be the case.
I really recommend picking this up, whether you're a seasoned prison novel reader, or you've never picked up a book on the topic previously - it really is an mind-altering, informative, and shocking read, and once again: thank you to all the prison officers who do a job most of us would run the opposite direction from.
𝘍𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 @𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭 (𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮).
February 19, 2025
3.25 stars
The author gives a damning evaluation of the prison service and how the bureaucrats are oblivious on how to run a prison and easily fold for inmates. The author stated in since the 2010s austerity cuts has decimated the service with major budget cuts and reduced staffing levels. He acknowledges how the service is not working and just waiting for a huge disaster to happen.
It was interesting to hear the changes between the 1990s to mid 2010s. Would note that there is multiple graphic descriptions of self harm to inmates and injuries to both staff and inmates.
See below notes made during the read:
Dont think it was right for the officers to issue their own karma against the "inmate they knew for certain had attacked them" (but cannot completely be sure)- tho it was just small annoying things it just doesnt seem appropriate
The author switch to the Albany prison showcased the facical rules in place that he rightly ridiculed and pointed out that the inmates were exploiting for their own gain. Also showed the Governors lack of insight and are oblivious to how to run the prison/ support their staff
The author gives a damning evaluation of the prison service and how the bureaucrats are oblivious on how to run a prison and easily fold for inmates. The author stated in since the 2010s austerity cuts has decimated the service with major budget cuts and reduced staffing levels. He acknowledges how the service is not working and just waiting for a huge disaster to happen.
It was interesting to hear the changes between the 1990s to mid 2010s. Would note that there is multiple graphic descriptions of self harm to inmates and injuries to both staff and inmates.
See below notes made during the read:
Dont think it was right for the officers to issue their own karma against the "inmate they knew for certain had attacked them" (but cannot completely be sure)- tho it was just small annoying things it just doesnt seem appropriate
The author switch to the Albany prison showcased the facical rules in place that he rightly ridiculed and pointed out that the inmates were exploiting for their own gain. Also showed the Governors lack of insight and are oblivious to how to run the prison/ support their staff
May 31, 2025
Inside Parkhurst is one of those non-fiction accounts you find cheap at The Works - exactly where I found it🤣 I'm endlessly intrigued by prisons and their inner workings so I picked this up and ended up giving it 2.5⭐.
3/4 of the book is interesting stories and recollections taken from David's diaries throughout the many years he worked as a prison officer in a previously Class A categorised prison (the highest security level). This part of the book was the interesting, nitty gritty look inside that people pick these books up for. He lost some points for me when he was claiming that prison officers need to be the "pinnacle of moral superiority" whilst also having described multiple incidents where he was less than moral towards the prisoners, but I was interested enough to keep on reading and was suitably shocked by some of the events described.
The last section is complaint after complaint after complaint about the devolution of the prison system. While probably justified, it was an absolute drag to read
3/4 of the book is interesting stories and recollections taken from David's diaries throughout the many years he worked as a prison officer in a previously Class A categorised prison (the highest security level). This part of the book was the interesting, nitty gritty look inside that people pick these books up for. He lost some points for me when he was claiming that prison officers need to be the "pinnacle of moral superiority" whilst also having described multiple incidents where he was less than moral towards the prisoners, but I was interested enough to keep on reading and was suitably shocked by some of the events described.
The last section is complaint after complaint after complaint about the devolution of the prison system. While probably justified, it was an absolute drag to read
September 1, 2022
As an ex patient of the Priory hospital and a current Open University student, reading prison to be a combination of the two made me laugh out loud.
This book is both harrowing and hilarious. It amazes me the lengths that people go to be violent, to be aggressive and to be heard. There is no doubt in the fact that prison doesn’t work but this book makes it clear this comes from the powers that be, not the prison officers who work tirelessly to keep the places afloat.
I am studying a criminology module at uni this year so I found this book especially interesting but it has eliminated one career from the list. I admire the people that can walk into their place of work everyday knowing they will be abused, used and manipulated (or at least have people trying to do these things).
All in all, if you have an interest in the running of prisons and want a first hand account then this is the book for you!
This book is both harrowing and hilarious. It amazes me the lengths that people go to be violent, to be aggressive and to be heard. There is no doubt in the fact that prison doesn’t work but this book makes it clear this comes from the powers that be, not the prison officers who work tirelessly to keep the places afloat.
I am studying a criminology module at uni this year so I found this book especially interesting but it has eliminated one career from the list. I admire the people that can walk into their place of work everyday knowing they will be abused, used and manipulated (or at least have people trying to do these things).
All in all, if you have an interest in the running of prisons and want a first hand account then this is the book for you!
October 26, 2021
I'm a huge fan of non-fiction prison/mental health/pathology books, so thought this would be right up my street. I got about 100 pages in and was bored. I wasn't finding the short anecdotes funny or shocking - just dull. I decided to continue, but didn't feel the book really improved. If anything, it almost mirrored the prion officers career; the last 50 or so pages read like he'd really had enough and was counting down the days until retirement. I didn't like his tone when writing about younger officers, who he often described as 'snowflakes' etc. Surely everyone has to start somewhere in their career, especially in a service where there are already such staff shortages? I wouldn't recommend this as an interesting read, and tbh if left me feeling quite depressed.
December 21, 2021
A decent book overall. However I was expecting much more depth. It isn’t written well although the author gets a cross what he intended. One thing that stands out throughout this book though is how the prison service has changed. It’s for the reader to decide if that’s for the better or worse, however this author also a serving officer is very outdated for today’s standards. Quite a bit of his narrative left me wincing and thinking his personal opinion was outdated, unfair and old fashioned.
Having read books around prisons, from all perspectives this isn’t one for the well read on the subject but as an intro...go for it!
Having read books around prisons, from all perspectives this isn’t one for the well read on the subject but as an intro...go for it!
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