This Sunday Times bestseller is a shocking and at times darkly funny account of life as a prison officer in one of the country’s most notorious jails.‘Authentic, tough, horrifying in some places and hilarious in others . . . the author’s honesty and decency shine through’ – Jonathan Aitken______________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. He tackles cell fires and self-harmers, and goes head to head with some of the most dangerous men in the country. 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. Strangeways by Neil Samworth is a raw, searingly honest memoir that is a testament to the men and women of the prison service and the incredibly difficult job we ask them to do.______________‘A frequently shocking read’ – Daily Express

The uncompromising, extraordinary story of life as a prison officer in a high security prison.About the AuthorNeil Samworth worked as a prison officer at Forest Bank and then Strangeways between 2005 and 2016, when he left the service after being diagnosed with PTSD.ReviewsNeil Samworth’s story is authentic, tough, horrifying in some places and hilarious in others. It captivates the reader because the author’s honesty and decency shine through as he tells it like it is on the daily roller coaster ride of prison life in Strangeways. An enthralling, exciting but disturbing book. — Jonathan AitkenA fascinating insight into the workings of a prison and the effects that staffing cuts have had on those trying to maintain order . . . a frequently shocking read. * Daily Express *Book InformationISBN 9781509883554Author Neil SamworthFormat PaperbackPage Count 304Imprint Pan BooksPublisher Pan MacmillanWeight(grams) 217gDimensions(mm) 197mm * 130mm * 18mm