Strangeways : A Prison Officer's Story by Neil Samworth

Strangeways: A Prison Officer's Story is a memoir by Neil Samworth. It draws on his eleven years working as a prison officer at HMP Manchester, also known as Strangeways.

Key details

• Author: Neil Samworth
• Memoir based on eleven years as a prison officer
• Set at HMP Manchester (Strangeways)
• Describes the impact of staffing cuts on the prison system
• Includes the author’s account of PTSD linked to the job

Synopsis

Neil ‘Sam’ Samworth recounts his time working at HMP Manchester, dealing with a wide range of prisoners, including gangsters, terrorists, psychopaths, addicts and those with mental ill health. He describes incidents such as cell fires and self-harm, as well as confrontations with some of the most dangerous men in the country.

The book also covers attacks on staff, the effects of radicalisation, and the impact of drugs entering prisons. As staffing cuts contributed to a wider crisis, Sam describes the stress of the role, including suicides and repeated assaults, and explains how these experiences left him with PTSD.