Prison – A survival guide by Carl Cattermole. Penguin Books, 2019, £8.99
Finally a book that covers almost everything a person facing incarceration for the first time needs to know. As Carl points out early on in his easy-to-read and often funny guide to what life inside is like, there are a myriad of emotions and a minefield full of rules and regulations that hit the senses from the minute you enter through those gates that can leave the first-time inmate disoriented, confused and vulnerable.
My first sentence back in 1995 as a young man for section four threatening behaviour left me reeling as I sat in my cell in maximum security Belmarsh, not having a clue what was happening or what would happen next. Having access to this guide would have been an enormous help as, believe me, they tell you the bare minimum when you enter prison and you find your way bit by bit from other inmates.
Carl covers every aspect, from the emotional rollercoaster you will undoubtedly ride, to the everyday running of the prison, spanning wing/work/education etc, with plenty of sound advice and handy tips to help make your stay at her majesty’s a bit more bearable. With chapters and contributions from partners and children of prisoners, child prisoners, LGBTQ and foreign national prisoners, all sharing their different experiences, the book is an excellent read that anyone facing a sentence would do well to acquaint themselves with. It should equally be read by activists or anyone with a set conception of prison as I believe it would be an eye opener for many.
A well overdue book written with care and thought that should be regarded as essential reading. Prison is always changing and, as Carl notes, rules and regulations can differ from prison to prison, so I can see this book as being something that has to be reviewed and updated periodically (even in the prison slang section there was stuff new to me). This book brought back a lot of memories, both good and bad, but I’m thankful it has been written, as I’m sure others will be in the future.
Sean Cregan
Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! 273 December 2019/January 2020
