The Secret Prison Governor: The Brutal Truth of Life Behind Bars

by The Secret Prison Governor

Unedited, uncensored and this book shows the harsh reality of life behind bars from a real prison governor who spares no details.  How do you bring order to the lawless?  The Secret Prison Governor has spent decades surrounded by every type of prisoner known to man, from petty thieves and street-level drug dealers to crime bosses and dangerous serial killers.   Since starting as a rookie, he has experienced the reality of the UK’s harsh prison system and the hard challenge of ruling those within it.   In his own words, the Secret Prison Governor spares no detail of prison life, whether that’s breaking up shiv fights, crushing vast underworld networks, negotiating with hostage-takers or dealing with full-scale cellblock gang wars.  This is the truth of what life is like behind bars. 

Genres: Nonfiction

271 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 5, 2022

Reviews

[Geoff Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The lack of understanding of trauma indicated by the author’s narrative is flabbergasting.”

Interesting inside presentation of the service from a person who clearly has been motivated to do his best in a monolithic institution.

Reading it from the perspective of someone who has extensive knowledge of trauma and mental health issues however is alarming. The lack of understanding of trauma indicated by the author’s narrative is flabbergasting then disturbing.

It is clear that rehabilitation is not at the forefront of the system. Rehabilitation is not possible if the underlying cause of aberrant behaviour is not addressed.

A realistic (I imagine) but sad presentation of a population neglected and shunned.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most fascinating book for anyone interested in criminal psychology. The anonymous author set his standard at the beginning of book when he wrote that he is not a professional author, but I found the writing to be extremely interesting, clear, and engaging. UK prisons seem very similar to those in the U.S., so I learned a lot about two very similar justice systems that both have a long way to go to reduce recidivism and increase mental health support.

[Sophie Infanti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I throughly enjoyed this book - a very interesting account of the sad reality of UK prisons. I appreciate the author didn’t gloss over the harsh facts as it really puts things into perspective. Very cleverly written, would definitely recommend!

[Gonzaga Escauriaza · Rating 3 out of 5]

No está mal pero me esperaba algo más.
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