A funny, poignant and yet insightful and relevant!

A brilliant and honest tale giving you a real insight into the time the author spent 9 months of his sentence at Wandsworth Prison.

Chris Atkins writes with brutal honesty, the good, the bad and the real ugly of what really goes on behind closed prison gates and cell doors.

This book shows the other side of the story, not the cushy tale of prisoners lazing around playing xbox's but the harsh reality of overcrowding, understaffing and politics gone mad.

Chris covers the real side to mental health within the prison walls, suicides and self harming whilst also showing the 2 sides to prison officers, those who have real compassion and empathy and those who simply just don't care.

Not only a gripping insight but also stuffed full of real facts that make you think twice of being so judgemental!

A real fascinating read set out in diary entry style that's easy to whizz through.

A solid 3*

Thank you to netgalley and Atlantic Books for the ARC.

A Bit Of A Stretch by Chris Atkins is a very honest and unique read. It gives a very detailed look into what it’s like to be in prison.

A brilliant look into the life in prison. I found this book really honest, the author doesn't hold back and tells the reader about things we would never think about when not being in that kind of environment. I think too many still think prison life is easy, where they can watch tv all day and spend their time dealing and playing xbox. This book shows a different side to the over stretch system that leaves men locked in cells for 23 hours a day. I wasn't shocked to read about how bad the systems treats people with mental health, outside of prison system is just as bad, there is little help and what help there is will never be up to the mark unless massive overhaul happens.

An amazing read. Funny poignant and so very necessary. I hadn’t given much thought to the terrible conditions in prison but this opened my eyes.

A fascinating insight into the author’s experience of being in prison. It has definitely made me rethink my opinions of (some of the) people who are sent to prison and what I thought prisons were like. Well written with references to back up what has been written.
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advanced copy.

This is a book that everyone should read. The state of our prisons and judicial system is laughable and tragic at once. This is a gripping and honest depiction of prison life for the petty and persistent criminal and it shows how lack of funds for the programmes designed to rehabilitate, staffing chaos and dilapidated infrastructure make prison even more of an ordeal than incarceration is designed to be..

The widespread lack of support for inmates with mental health issues creates a cycle of destruction that makes their lives likely to continue to turn to violence and torment. Education courses are sporadic and basic amenities are rationed due to the appalling upkeep of contracted maintenance projects.

Chris Atkins is the perfect mouthpiece, articulate, not caught in the poverty-crime trap. guilty but not intent on criminality and able to both see the absurdity of life in clink and the tragedy of it too.

Chris Atkins's 'A Bit of A Stretch' is an account of his two and a half years in prison, and it's a compelling read (I read it in one sitting). Acknowledging his privilege right off the bat, Chris brings us through his experiences of the British judicial and prison systems with a sense of humour, and a gift for insightful observation and empathy that he clearly honed during his years working in film.

Managing to strike a balance between pathos and humour (I actually laughed out loud several times while reading this book), this memoir brings the reader on a journey that offers a rare glimpse of prison life in modern England. Chris Atkins has the storyteller's gift of understanding what images and anecdotes will land with an audience and we readers benefit from that gift.

'Orange Is The New Black' this book isn't - there is no glamour, no reinforcing of accepted stereotypes, and much insight into the banal everyday of prison life.

'A Big Of A Stretch' by Chris Atkins is a must read for anyone interested in prisons, prison reform, and / or a cracking good book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atlantic Books for an early copy of 'A Bit Of A Stretch'.

I found this book fascinating and read it very quickly. The book looks mostly at the months that Atkins spent in Wandsworth after getting a two and a half year prison sentence. It is set out in a diary entry style and discusses daily life with humour as well as some quite graphic detail.

I took the stats and facts of this book with a pinch of salt but on the whole appreciate the direction that Atkins was trying to take; he knows what works for his audience and he used his knowledge to meet that expectation. There is also quite a bit of repetition with regards to individuals introduced but perhaps this was more easy for me to notice given the speed at which I consumed this book.

I hope this opens up a conversation around prison reform and brings to light what needs to be done in order to help combat reoffending as well as conditions for prisoners.

4/5 - would highly recommend.
Please note: there are numerous trigger warnings for this book.

This is an account provided by Film maker, Chris Atkins who was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for fraud offences. The book mainly follows the 9 months he spent in HMP Wandsworth.

This is a compelling read. Aside from the authors own experience, it is clearly well researched with lots of references to research papers and various reports. In many ways it's a difficult read. Prison was clearly not an easy ride - it covers issues of self harm, suicide, violence, mental illness, abuse of power all of which combines to give an account of a system that seems completely broken and which is causing a great deal of harm.... we are also given information about the influence of the political landscape in an accessible way.

I'm a little wary on this book... I read it with enthusiasm... but it's written by a film maker. Although it's researched, I'm wary of statistics. The book is written with the aim of evidencing a flawed, broken system which does more harm than good. It's explores the injustice of the justice system. That is its aim and purpose and so I wonder how unbiased it can be. It also seems unlikely that all prison officers can be so disinterested.

I'm not sure how realistic the account here can be given the aim if the book. It's an interesting read but I think should not be taken as applicable to the justice system as a whole.

Thank you to Chris Atkins, Atlantic Books and Net Galley for the ARC of A Bit of Stretch.
To say I enjoyed this would probably be a strange admission, but this was a glimpse into a world most of us don't experience. It is a kind of mash-up of Porridge and The Shawshank Redemption, very funny in some places and utterly shocking in others. Chris Atkins has documented his stay in Wandsworth Prison at Her Majesty's pleasure and his experiences prove that those who have the control are still getting things horribly and dangerously wrong. It makes one wonder what needs to happen before they overhaul our prison system and the conditions in which prisoners are expected to live, even those on remand. I hope a copy of A Bit of a Stretch has been sent to whoever is currently the minister for our prisons, although who knows if it would make any difference.

This is a unique and interesting insight into prison life. The story is autobiographical, from a journalist who received a prison sentence for falling foul of tax dodging, and goes through the prison system, specifically HMP Wandsworth. Well worth a read.

Perhaps for me the most important message of this book was this: rehabilitation only works if society actively partakes in it. Working in the legal system myself, I see every day how the prison system fails both it’s inmates and society in general. Unfortunately I don’t ever think we will reach a stage where society does actively participate in rehabilitation and prison/legal reform as too many people harbour intolerance on the matter.

Atkin’s book perfectly calls out these pitfalls with candid humour and a critical lens that intimately understands its focus. Whilst it did nothing but strengthened my own fears of the justice system that attempts (or really, does it?) to rehabilitate prisoners, I do think there are certain parts of this book that could make great changes if the right people bothered to acknowledge them and did some work to confront their own social prejudices.

I really enjoyed this. After dabbling in a bit of financial fraud, Chris Atkins found himself unexpectedly imprisoned in one of the roughest prisons in the UK, HMP Wandsworth. This is his memoir of his time inside, and it is by turns disturbing, heartbreaking and darkly funny. One of the most striking elements is the Kafka-esque level of impenetrable bureaucracy the prisoners find themselves caught up in, as they are told to fill in endless forms that do nothing to solve the urgent issues they’re facing, from health needs to family visits. During his time in prison, Atkins joined the Samaritans’ Listener scheme, and his experiences of trying to support his fellow inmates are harrowing. This is engagingly written and fascinating, but it’s also a disturbing insight into a broken system.

I found this book intriguing and alarming in equal measure. It charts Chris' recent experience at Wandsworth Prison as an inmate. In many respects it had a similar feel to books like the Secret Barrister and This is Going to Hurt, in that it reflects the prison experience (warts and all) with a certain amount of black humour.

The alarming part for me was just how broken the prison experience is.. It compares the arms race of politicians to promise ever harsher conditions on the one hand, with the horrific conditions (due to lack of money and poor management) that lead to a vicious circle of re-offending. It shows how small things (often not expensive ) can make a big difference to putting prisoners into a very negative spiral.

Set against the alarming part is Chris' own human experience of it. It charts how he also spent time to make the lives of others better and shares his feelings about being deprived of seeing his son. This I found quite moving.

Documentary filmmaker Chris Atkins facilitates a £1m tax fraud to raise the £85,000 he needs to fund his latest film. He is caught and sentenced to 5 years in prison. He goes on to spend several months in the Victorian Wandsworth prison in SW London, one of the largest in Western Europe, before being eventually recategorised and moved to Ford open prison in Sussex.

This diary with commentary covers his time in Wandsworth, he found Ford to boring to document. He also provides an epilogue covering his own release and the destinations of some of his Wandsworth compatriots. The epilogue also sets out his recommendations for the criminal justice system.

The account of Wandsworth is grim and shocking, leavened with dark humour He describes in detail the physical and mental impact of a dysfunctional system and grim physical conditions on himself and others. It should be mandatory reading for those concerned with managing, overseeing and reforming criminal justice. The account was both eye opening and compelling, and is to be recommended to everyone.

Atkins himself enjoyed a strong external support network and as a white middle class prisoner networked with other similar prisoners to find a relatively comfortable niche. He gave back by acting as a 'Listener' under the stewardship of the Samaritans. He also points to a positive elements of his experience.

This book is brilliant! I will admit I was a person that always hears about prison being far too comfortable, where they all have TV’s and deluxe rooms and thought that was what it was like. I feel somewhat sad to have been proven wrong, because the conditions at Wandsworth sound horrific and harrowing, and Chris really did make me feel sorry for the inmates - even though crimes had been committed by these individuals. Chris is absolutely right, our prison system should be rehabilitating and trying to better these people, to stop them from future crime. Overall I found it super interesting, and it’s also given me a different mindset / attitude towards prisons. I’m so pleased Chris was able to help others as a Listener, and that he had a supportive family behind him.

If you are a middle-of-the-road sort of person who thinks that our society is reasonably fair and that punishment mostly fits the crime then you probably ought to read this book. If you are a politician, or anyone else with responsibility for the state of our prisons, then you should be hit around the head with it repeatedly.

Chris Atkins is a documentary film producer, who got involved in a tax fraud, got caught and was sent to prison. The book is his experience of being in Wandsworth Prison for something over a year and, firstly, accepting where he was and, secondly, working his way up through the prison system until he was finally sent to a more civilised open prison and finished his sentence.

The experience of prison is dehumanising, alienating and unnecessarily cruel. There is no personal space or personal dignity and the procedures that should work, like exercise time, visits and mail, constantly go awry. The prison population contains disproportionate numbers of people with mental problems and drug addicts. The first group are at risk of suicide and the second group ensure that the prison has all the problems of supply and addiction which are found in the outside world - but magnified in a secure environment. It goes without saying that drugs are widely available. Chris Atkins also came across a few bankers as well!

If you play the game, you can very slowly earn privileges. Chris Atkins offers to do tasks which get him out of his cell, take courses and help with education and, eventually, moves to a better class of cell and more stable company. He works as a 'listener', essentially a Samaritan, so he still sees a lot of the dark side of prison life and its futile cruelty.

The prison management is out of touch, trumpeted political innovations come to absolutely nothing and the day-to-day running is left to the prison officers. Generally, these are a lazy group, some corrupt, some merely nasty and a few who have some concern for the inmates in their care. They are all clearly part of the problem.

What makes the book so impressive is the authenticity of the experience. This is how it was for someone who never expected to go to prison and who had only the flimsiest idea of how bad a sentence could be. The book plumbs the depths of his despair on the way to acceptance but you never get the impression that the observation is overplayed; it is simply how it is. The book ends up as a shocking indictment of our Victorian prisons and how they are run and also of our attitudes to crime and punishment. In that sense, we're probably all guilty of not making enough effort to look over that wall.

But the book doesn't preach. It is essentially a documentary but it does make you think that perhaps our televisions should stop showing reruns of 'Porridge' and, as a society, we should do something about the state of our prisons.

I have to admit feeling guilty at having enjoyed this book enormously.
At the book's heart is a polemic on the current state of Her Majesty's Prison Service and the treatment of the incarcerated.
Chris Atkins account of his nine months spent at Her Majesty's pleasure in Wandsworth is not a dry read of injustice and the treatment meted out to prisoners.
He readily admits to his crime and only refers briefly to the injustice, remarking that convicted paedophiles get a far lesser sentence than he, as a fraudster.
The joy of this book is the humour, admittedly rather dark at times, that Chris Atkins finds with its inhabitants, the petty bureaucracy and incompetence of a system designed to rehabilitate those convicted.
Read, it will change the way you view the prison system.

The diary of the prisoner in Wandsworth was a good read, I felt frustrated at the system and it was a joy to read the humour of the author in such dire circumstances. An enjoyable journey for us to read of and its a very well written story. Some of the fellow inmates were very interesting and the epilogue was the finale to the story when we find out how Chris' old cellmates had fared since release. Quite a lot of the prison system seems quite farcical and its only the mindset of the inmates that dictate how they will cope with their incarceration. I have spoken to several friends about this book already.

If anyone still believes the bloody nonsense that prison is time spent in a Pontins holiday camp, then think again. Chris Atkins is more than aware that his education, literacy, class and race set him apart from the majority of the prison population, but that makes this even more upsetting. The vast majority of the prisoners in HMP Wandsworth struggle to pass a basic literacy test and so certainly couldn't publish their prison memoirs. And despite the apparent focus on rehabilitation and education, it appears that precious of that actually happens. Instead prisoners are locked in their cells for twenty three hours a day, left to rot in fortnight old clothing, given limited resources to toilet roll let alone education opportunities.

Atkins sheds a sharp and uncomfortable light on the state of British prisons across the countries and whilst a lot is hidden under darkly veiled humour, the absolute barbarism of our prisons is all too clear. Is it any wonder that our re offending rates are one of the highest in Europe when our prisons are so short on staff that their inmates barely get showers, let alone essential education and vocational preparation? Is it a wonder that self harm and suicides are through the damn rood when prisoners can't see a doctor because of there aren't enough officers to unlock their cells? You here a lot on the news about new initiatives and approaches to our prison system; Atkins shows quite clearly here that unless real money, real time and real effort is poured into the system, it is destined to stay broken.

Strangely, this is actually quite an easy read if you don't look beneath the surface, Atkins approaches everything with a dry and dark sense of humour, and it's only when you stop and think that you realise just how unacceptable so much if what he describes is. If Wandsworth's prison was a school, OFSTED would have shut it down years ago. And I'm not talking about privileges here, I'm talking about basic damn human rights. Is it any wonder that prisoners riot when they are barely allowed out of a small, shared cell for an hour a day? When their food is virtually inedible, there is a rampant drugs trade going on within the prison and when 'screws' often treat them as less than dirt beneath their shoes? Is it any wonder that prisoner suicide rates are through the roof when the very system they have been incarcerated in seems to drive them towards that exact course of action?

This is a frightening read, even with its light hearted tone and dry, caustic wit. If the prison bureaucracy was that hard to discipher as a learned man, how can the majority of the population there hope to cope when they can barely read and write? Why are eighteen and nineteen year olds still being sent to adult prisons, despite a clear report stating that the conditions are not suitable for under twenty fives? Why is there a lack of basic education, sanitation and dignity?? The reason why is the same reason the UK has the highest re-offending rate in Europe; because out of sight, out of mind. Do the crime and serve the crime. Except as Atkins rightfully points out, that helps nobody; not the offender and certainly not the general population as it will likely be the same person who nicks your TV. Our re-offending costs are three times that of our prison budget. Surely that says that something is seriously, utterly wrong with the system as it stands.

So. Read this if you want an eye opening view at British prisons. From self harm and suicide to rampant drug abuse and continued lock downs, curtailing any hopes prisoners might have to an education and rehabilitation, this has it all. It's all told in a darkly humorous way, but the real issues are there to be seen and they bleed out loud and clear.