INSIDE PARKHURST: Stories of A Prison Officer

Gangsters, psychopaths, terrorists, assaults, riots, cell fires, medical emergencies, understaffed wings, suicides, hooch, weapons - it's all in a week's work at Her Majesty's Prison Parkhurst. After 28 years working as a prison officer with 22 years at HMP Parkhurst, one of Britain's most high-security prisons, David Berridge has had to deal with it all. Thrown in at the deep end, David quickly had to work out how to deal with the most cunning and volatile of prisoners, and learn how to avoid their many scams. His book is a raw and uncompromising look at what really goes on behind the massive walls and menacing gates and his diaries will shock and entertain in equal measure, both horrifying and at times hilarious. Beware there is some fruity language as he works his way around bullying, the day they stopped a suicide attempt, crap diet, the scream he can still hear, a scrap on the exercise yard, getting truly screwed, drugs, and playing by the rules. Gives an explanation of prison slang, official terms and uniformed staff by rank. 286pp, paperback.