A Bit of A Stretch was the prison memoir I wanted when I picked up Orange Is The New Black a few years ago and ended up not loving it.
This covers the authors time at Wandsworth prison and highlights all of the issues the prisoners in UK jails face thanks to a revolving door of uninformed politicians and ever-constant budget cuts.
An enlightening and infuriating read about the reality of prison life.

I’ve been desperate for an own voices book to be published about what it’s really like to live in prison. Not because I don’t have any idea - I worked in prisons in Scotland for four years - but because it is so so important to realise that anybody could end up in prison in the UK and that a prison sentence is a penal punishment that results in the loss of liberty.
A prison sentence should not be something that hangs over you for the rest of your life, preventing you from getting a job, finding a partner, or moving on with your life. I met people in prison for arguments with neighbours, people waiting for a place in a mental health institution, people who couldn’t pay fines, people who made foolish mistakes, or who were manipulated by other people into committing crimes that they wouldn’t condone in the cold light of day.

I’m glad to see this account published. Although Atkins recognises his privilege (having committed a white-collar crime, he is treated differently in prison) the book is, nevertheless, damning in its exposure of some of the issues that plague the prison services in England (Scotland isn’t too far removed, either):

* “Remand prisoners constituted only 13% of the total population in 2014, but made up 46% of suicides”
* “58% of remand prisoners, nationally, did not go on to be sentenced to prison” [yet, in my experience, being on remand puts people’s housing, rights to their child and drug rehabilitation at risk]
* “The very wing where inmates are supposed to get clean is also the easiest place to obtain drugs”
* “The prison environment enforced learned helplessness on an industrial scale.”

Of course, there are some brilliant people working in prisons. I had the pleasure of working with many of them. People who genuinely want to do good and make a change.
“It’s comforting to know that there’s humour, hope and kindness in even the darkest corners of the world”

The tone of this book is The Secret Barrister meets This is Going to Hurt. Or, for those of you who know it, a modern (and more damning) version of Jeffrey Archer’s ‘Prison Diaries’ (the book that got me interested in criminology in the first place).

Anybody interested in prisons and curious about a book written by somebody with lived experience of the justice system - this is the book for you! Publishing world... can we have more books written by people with lived experience of the justice system? I would LOVE to see an anthology published.

My only drawback (note of caution for readers who this irritates) is that the book is very political in places (hiya fellow lefties 👋🏼) and I know for some people this is off-putting. There is also strong language used throughout. However, the book is also very funny, real and humane.

Thanks for sharing your story with the world, Chris Atkins. I hope this book will incite genuine change in our justice system. Goodness knows we need it. I would gladly send a copy to the Minister for Justice myself.

Chris Atkins was sentenced to five years in prison for fraud and tax evasion. He's not the stereotypical prisoner we're used to hearing about – he doesn't do drugs, in fact he doesn't even smoke, he's middle class and got a degree at Oxford – and as a way of coping with prison life he writes down a little about each day.

His diary of life inside Wandsworth is both fascinating and horrifying and makes for compelling reading. There are ways of climbing the hierarchy system and being an educated man, Chris is able to get close to the top. This enables him to avoid twenty-three hour 'bang up' like most of the other prisoners and have a few comforts like a duvet, his own clothes, a kettle and use of the library.

Chris has written an honest account of his time in Wandsworth, sometimes negative about the system, often positive about his outlook. He doesn't make excuses for his wrong-doing and we see the raw emotion of losing his family, especially his young son. It's well executed, a real eye-opener, and I found it very difficult to put down.

Outstanding!
Chris Atkins, a former film producer, including making films for Dispatches ( Ch4 ) is sentenced to 5 years for ( in simple terms ) a money/tax fraud, that although he didn’t benefit from personally his company did and he was ‘aware’ of, he freely admits his crime and punishment

The book, is in diary form,pre trial, trial and the bulk of about his time in Wandsworth Prison, what he see’s, hears, experiences and his many feelings about it all but this is no self pity party, quite the opposite in fact, it is an ‘all in’ look at his life 24/7 whilst there, bad, really bad and the worst and yes also the good

I found it honest, horrifying, emotive, it challenged me and my ‘view’ on prisons and prisoners, upsetting and at times hilarious ( I really did LOL quite a lot ) poignant and touching

The writing, as authors can do when writing in diary form, seems to be personal and as if written just for you and I felt I was there living this, often, nightmare with him

I liked that the chapters started with bullet points to whet your appetite about what was going to happen in the chapter and that throughout the book ( often serious ) points re Mental Health issues, staffing, re-offending etc were dealt with in factual ways ( so you got the authors experience then the facts to back that up ) but have to stress NOT in a clinical boring way but in a way to reach all readers and make you ponder and think ( often quite shocking factual information )

I enjoyed learning all the in’s and out’s of how prison life works and how prisoners adapt if they are to survive ( literally )

I loved the at times self effacing commentary and the way the author acknowledged he ( even in these circumstances ) was privileged and one of the reasons being he didn’t have a drug problem as many do in prison

The book includes the quote ‘ he was so middle class he had a Waitrose tattoo’ ( about a fellow prisoner ) which immediately goes into my favourite quotes

You can probably tell I loved this book, its a book you could say has ‘affected’ me and I could go on for a long time about it but suffice to say it was a wonderfully enlightening read and as perfect as a book can be

Please read it!

10/10
5 Stars

I have to say I found this book insightful.
Chris Adkins got sent down for 5 years and sent to Wandsworth to serve his time.
Chris has written an honest account of his time in prison and given an inside to what it’s really like being locked up.
The bad and the slightly better bits. The people he came across, people who turned out to be good friends and helped him get through each day.
What we hear on the outside to what goes on in the inside are two completely different things.
Whilst this book on one hand is very negative (and so it should be) I also found Chris’s positive side to get through each day and help people really amazing.
I enjoyed this book, found it really interesting.
Well worth a read

It’s only the 19th of January but this falls into the ‘if you read just one book this year’ category.
A horrifying look at life in ‘modern’ Britain prison Wandsworth, which really should have ‘abandon hope all you who enter’ in the waiting room not the cheery false posters about what lies ahead for the inmates. As a person who’d definitely have been in the “good enough for them/do the crime do the time camp” this has totally made me rethink. Hopefully the author’s warts and all account of his time here this can be put to good use as a springboard for some proper reform. An insightful and engaging read.

No cosy read this, it’s grubby and realistic . He did the crime so he’s doing his time and helping others along the way. Sometimes shocking in violent detail that rubbing shoulders with other criminals is all about. The prison system does struggle and many good works are left to fizzle out but the Listening service is a true life line to so many prisoners , A good solid read with political undercurrents that many a government may or may not choose to address.

Presumably a much sanitised version of life behind bars, A Bit of a Stretch by Chris Atkins makes compelling reading. Written in an anecdotal style the narrative draws on the author’s spell in the notorious Wandsworth prison.
I imagine as a white,educated,fairly privileged man convicted of a white collar crime,his initiation into this new ‘lifestyle’ must have been absolutely terrifying yet he writes with a lighthearted touch proving that humour can always be found in the most dire of circumstances.
Whilst written to showcase some of the more colourful characters Chris came into contact with as well as to highlight the absurdity of much of the bureaucracy inside prison, the author tries to humanise what is clearly a dehumanising experience and give a voice to all those who otherwise go unheard.
At no time did I feel the author was trying to elicit sympathy for his predicament simply highlighting through his daily observations how in its current state prison isn’t working.
Told with such warmth and wit and empathy,this is a tale about adapting and surviving as much as anything else. His strength of character shines though the witty anecdotes making him easy to like. I felt heartened by his work as a Listener lending an invaluable ear to the most vulnerable prisoners and the ways in which he helped some of his illiterate acquaintances.
With laugh out loud moments, it’s impossible not to feel empathy towards some of these individuals and their situation. After all this is not a work of fiction!
Full of statistics to support a strong argument against how prisons are run in the UK, this is an accessible read around the wider debate about our penal policy. He pulls no punches when it comes to discussing severe staff shortages, the percentage of mentally ill inmates, the lack of basic facilities etc etc.
Of course this does read as heavily biased in terms of advocating a ‘softer’ penal policy but I can only applaud him for opening up avenues for future discussion. The ordinary man on the street is hugely influenced by what can be read in the tabloids which only serves to feed the argument for more draconian measures. Naturally any book documenting prison life is going to have a political undercurrent running throughout but how much a book like this can sway public opinion is debatable. Personally I was more interested in reading this book from a social policy perspective.
Chris is lucky in that he’s emerged from life inside in many ways richer for such a life changing experience but we have to remember that isn’t the case for the majority. Maintaining outside relationships and actually having a life to return to is often the exception so it’s wise to remember A Bit of a Stretch is written from a privileged perspective.
The narrative flows nicely as well as being interesting and informative. The informal
style makes it immensely readable. Highly recommend.
My thanks as always to the author and publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read in exchange for an honest review.

This is both entertaining and scary because I have no doubt that, with a little artistic licence, this is an accurate portrayal of our prison system in the 21st century. Chris Atkins doesn't pull any punches but does admit that, as a white, well educated, middle class Englishman, he had definite advantages right from the start of his incarceration and others experience far worse conditions than he did.

He could however, have sat back, merged into the 'white collar crew', served his time and left, it is to his credit that he did none of those things. Instead he put himself out there as a Listener, working on behalf of The Samaritans, giving advice or just companionship to those on his wing who needed it at times of great stress and need. He also volunteered for other jobs, granted in many instances because of what they offered in return, all of which helped those around him.

Reading this book was to revisit modern history from a different perspective. Recent fraud trials, prison reforms and ever changing Ministry of Justice personnel are seen through the eyes of someone they resonate with and I found Mr Atkins viewpoints interesting, enlightening and credible. The government cuts which effect all facets of everyone's lives are felt differently in a community which is totally self contained but equally reliant on a world which for the most part would rather pretend it didn't exist and the results reported here are shameful.

The minutiae of prison life is shown, granted from only one perspective, to be at best a regimen of rehabilitation through education and awareness whilst at worst as a world where mental health and identity are ignored or even exacerbated by a lack of understanding or sympathy. There are funny moments, even laugh out loud ones, and help, advice and friendship is available if you know where to look or if your face fits but overall it makes for sombre but necessary reading and should be on the bookshelves of all prison reformers, politicians and prison governors throughout this country.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review. I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in social science or the justice system in particular or who wants to see our prison system through the eyes of someone who was prepared to relate what he experienced in an open and easy to read manner.

This is a very insightful look into today's massively overcrowded, underfunded prison system. Atkins makes light of some of his experiences so that the reader is continually entertained and enthralled by his escapades and the characters he encounters along his way. Locked behind a cell door for 23 hours a day with a shared loo and no real privacy does not reflect well on our society. Such insights should be a compulsory read for every prison governor and prison minister.
Well done Mr Atkins for hitting the perfect balance between a good read and an eye witness account of an institution not fit for purpose.

A five star read from Chris Atkins about his time spent in HMP Wandsworth. It is brutally honest and disturbing. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry at some of the things he writes about. The inefficiencies and lack of sensible management would drive me to distraction if I were to work in a place run that badly. Highly recommended. Maybe it should be put on the national curriculum as both a deterrent and a motivator for change for the next generation. With thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the chance to read and review an e-ARC of this book.

4 fascinating stars

A Bit of a Stretch is a brutally honest and horrifying account of the author's time spent in one of the worst prisons in the UK.Chris Atkins was sentenced to 5 years in prison for tax evasion and kept a diary during his time in Wandsworth prison. Initially I had mixed feelings about reading a book written by a convict, but in the end my curiosity got the better of me. Once I started reading, I couldn't stop. Atkins is very open about his crime and admits he broke the law and believes he got what he deserved. In his book he describes the horrible conditions in the prison, the inefficiency with which prisons are run and also the ridiculous bureaucracy and red tape prisoners must face, often being caught in impossible catch 22 situations.

There were a lot of things mentioned in the book I kind of knew from movies and TV shows, but some things were completely new to me. What I found the most interesting and admirable was the 'Listener scheme' run by a UK charity called Samaritans. Under the scheme selected prisoners are trained to provide emotional support to their fellow inmates. The scheme's primary objective is to reduce suicide and self-harm of prisoners which is unfortunately very common. The author describes his journey of becoming a listener and the support he was able to offer to more vulnerable prisoners.

Despite the seriousness of the topic, the book is full of dark humour moments that will make you laugh and cry at the same time.If like me, you find life behind the bars intriguing (not that I would ever want to experience it!) then I would 100% recommend this book.

Many thanks to Atlantic Books for my review copy in exchange for an honest review.

A Bit of a Stretch was a very interesting read and really eye-opening of what it’s like to be behind bars. He explained how mental health issues impact prisoners and how rife drug use is just to get through the ordeal. It also explained why reoffending statistics are so high.

Obviously, as a white male in for a white-collar crime, Chris Atkins had a lot of privilege which he does acknowledge and he knows that it made his time in prison easier than those less privileged. I did find parts of it a bit repetitive and it got a bit tedious in the middle but all in all, it was a good read.

I received a copy of the ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

A very interesting read and an insight in to prison life, really enjoyed it, kept me interested from beginning to end

I love memoir books and I enjoyed this one. It wasn’t the best one that I’ve read however it was enjoyable and interesting and is worth a read.

I’ve just read A Bit of a Stretch by Chris Atkins. A successful journalist and documentary filmmaker, he was sentenced to 5 years in prison for a tax fraud he became involved in when looking for ways to finance a project. As someone used to documenting events he kept a detailed diary about his time in Wandsworth. It’s an interesting look at what life “inside” is like. While the tabloid headlines continue to scream about “lags” living it up at the tax payer’s expense in “holiday camp” prisons, Atkins calmly pulls back the curtain and exposes the reality of how this country treats its prisoners.

Nothing I read was news to me because I work in a prison library in an open prison (which Atkins describes as being “like the Ritz in comparison”) and often prisoners tell me their stories; what they did, which prison they have been in and the things they’ve seen. Atkins worked the system as best he could, acknowledging that as a white, middle class, well-educated man he had many advantages most prisoners don’t. He quickly got himself on the “best” wing. He volunteered as a Listener – a prisoner trained by the Samaritans to provide assistance to other prisoners in crisis. He met with many desperate people, most of whom have mental health issues which make them incapable of the kind of conformity the prison regime demands. They are punished rather than treated. Men are locked up 23 hours a day. The ideal of rehabilitation via education, health and work followed by appropriate resettlement is unavailable. Teachers stand in empty classrooms because there aren’t enough officers to unlock the men. Healthcare appointments are missed for the same reason.

I smiled at the publishing blurb which asks “Where can a tin of tuna buy you clean clothes?” One evening at work a prisoner asked me to photocopy something for him and to my surprise offered me a tin of tuna as an incentive. It was only when I mentioned it to one of the men who worked with me in the library I discovered it’s prison currency. It’s that familiarity with the narrative that made this book perhaps slightly less engaging to me as so much of it was like conversations I regularly have, however, I think anyone curious about what it’s like to be in prison will find this book fascinating. It’s important stuff too. Atkins balances darkness and desperation with much-needed humour through anecdotes and encounters with prisoners and officers. There’s camaraderie too; that essential and often unlikely bond between people in similar situations. And also, the heartbreak of being away from his young son. Every time someone is imprisoned there are other people who suffer; family and friends – the impact on children is huge.

Prison reform is a tough subject because the public is resistant to spending money on those who commit crime. Why make life easier for people who have done the wrong thing? It comes way down on the wish list when you consider how all of our services are so stretched and underfunded. Who would choose funding prisons over education, healthcare, adult services etc? It’s no election winner. Atkins suggests most reasonable people agree everyone should be treated with at least minimum standards of decency and care, but for the throw away the key brigade he employs unarguable statistics: “Britain has the worst reoffending rate in Europe with 48% of ex-prisoners being reconvicted within one year of release. The cost of reoffending alone is estimated at £15 billion, more than three times the entire prison budget.” Atkins ends the book with his suggestions for improvement which are pretty compelling. For more information please look at the Prison Reform Trust which does sterling work in this field.

I do want to end by saying I have come across many people who work in prisons who are absolutely motivated to support and rehabilitate people so they leave prison in a better position than they went in. Breaking the cycle of offending is what we all want, surely?

Prison life from a prisoners point of view. Funny and sad bits of the monotony of prison life. Worth reading

Amazing. I worked in prison for 6 months (not as an officer, in a civilian role) so it was interesting to view the system from the viewpoint of a prisoner. Absolutely a must-read for anyone with any interest in the workings and day to day day of the prison system. A fantastic read.

Chris Atkins was sentenced to five years for fraud. He tells us about the time he spent in Wandsworth prison in detail. We learn of the monotony of living behind bars. Chris Atkins is a journalist and documentary maker. He decided to keep a diary whilst inside. This is an interesting, eye opening and informative read. If you like true crime you will really enjoy this book.

There's clearly a bit of a trend towards the warts and all diaries of this format emerging since the huge success of Adam Kay's "This is Going to Hurt", and this certainly felt like a similar kind of story - albeit written by a documentarian rather than a now-comedian. The humour is there, but don't expect the raconteurism to match that of Adam Kay (this sounds uber critical, but Kay is a bit of a standout in this genre!).

What you do get from A Bit of a Stretch is an excellent account of the author's time in HMP Wandsworth, with useful footnotes to provide context, and end up leaving it really liking the author and appreciating what he had to go through in his time inside.

The level of detail and insight is truly interesting, with a level of compassion and understanding that helps you develop a genuine idea of how the prison system is clearly failing its 'people' and is in absolute disarray.

I particularly found the opening part of the book hugely intriguing as Atkins detailed his thought process as he found himself wound up in prison.

I'd love to read more from the author about his experiences once back on the 'outside' and how he adapted and what may have changed in his mindset after being incarcerated.