Thank you for writing this book and giving an insight into what life is really like inside prison. We too often see a version on tv which is so far from the reality. Chris has not shied away from the detail. The book really demonstrated that powerlessness and the just not knowing. It’s unimaginable what it would be like to be locked away for 23 hours at a time. This gives a good illustration of what really is like

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

"A Bit of a Stretch" is a powerful and honest memoir that offers a glimpse into life inside a UK prison. Chris Atkins, a documentary filmmaker and former inmate, vividly describes his experiences during his time in prison with a mix of humour, horror, and introspection.

The book is an eye-opening account of the prison system and the daily struggles of those who are incarcerated. From the overcrowded cells and the corrupt officers to the constant threat of violence and the lack of rehabilitation opportunities, Atkins paints a bleak but accurate picture of life behind bars.

However, what makes "A Bit of a Stretch" stand out is Atkins' ability to inject humour and humanity into his storytelling. Despite the tough subject matter, he manages to keep the reader engaged and entertained throughout, thanks to his wit and candid writing style.

Overall, "A Bit of a Stretch" is a captivating and insightful read that sheds light on the harsh reality of the UK prison system. While it may not be for everyone, those who are interested in prison reform or enjoy memoirs that are unapologetic and raw will find this book to be a rewarding read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A unique perspective and eye-opening account of what it is really like in the British prison system.

I love books like this - just such an interesting and unique perspective to read from and I’d have happily read much much more! Loved!

This is an eye opening account of what it's really like inside Britain's prisons. The author speaks from personal experience, having been incarcerated for financial misdemeanours. His description of the daily grind and true impact of being locked up are vivid and shocking. When he puts forward his suggestions at the end for how the system should be reformed, you can see how they make total sense and really would make a huge difference to the system. Of course, the chances of them actually being put into practice are slim to non existent...

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.

The inside story of what goes on in Wandsworth Prison. it is well document the problems within the prison service but this book was still shocking to hear it from an insider and just how bad the problem is. Mental Health is a very large part of the problems and with no expert support things are getting worse by the day.

A personal insight into prison life. This is an eye opening read. Very well written and informative, Highly recommended for anyone who would enjoy an insight into prisoners lives.

An honest, unglamorous first-hand account of life in prison. It dispels any myths the reader might have about it and i found Chris Atkins stories of life inside absolutely fascinating.

My thanks to NetGalley and Atlantic Books for a copy of “ A Bit Of A Stretch” for an honest review.

This personal insight into prison life by Chris Atkins is an eye opening , interesting and thought provoking read.
I thought it was very well written book, that presents us with many reasons, why there is such a failure in reducing prisoner’s repeat offending..
This book should be required reading for every new Justice Minister..
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys getting an insight into other people’s lives.

This is the diary of the authors experience in prison.
The pace is very slow but it is an interesting read.

Following what felt like a slow start I really got into this book and the mini stories contained within. I’m slowly getting into more non-fiction and found this accessible and a quick read. While it was interesting it hear his overall experience of being in prison, it was all the characters that we meet there that really made this book for me,

How would you do in jail? Yes, you, The kind of person who reads reviews of books about people in jail. How would you get on.

I'd like to think I would do as well as Chris Atkins who, after being jailed for a financial swindle, has written a first hand account of what life is like for those in hail.

In a swipe at those who cleave to the "jail is a holiday camp" views of much of the tabloid press this account instead exposes the lack of facilities, the casual violence and the sheer inability of prison staff to manage a wide-ranging prison population with a wide-ranging set of physical and mental problems.

This is a book that anyone who is interested in an honest conversation about prisons should read.

I actually audio booked this.

I thought hearing it from the author made such a difference to the story. I have always been fascinated with the prisons in the UK and this helped provide a insight into them from someone who has been inside so to speak.

I couldnt believe some of the things in this book, he is someone you dont expect to be placed in the prison environment, it was genuine real and life changing.

3.5 stars
This is the author’s story of a prison sentence he received for his part in a tax fraud case. Sentenced to 5 years, but spending around 2 years in prison, he spent half of his time inside in notorious HMP Wandsworth. As a documentary maker, he decided to keep a diary to document his time behind bars. Opening with a story of him as a “listener”, listening to other prisoners who needed someone to talk to, I initially liked him. He made no qualms about the fact that he had been involved in the tax evasion, although not directly. He seemed direct, straight talking and candid about his experiences (I would say honest, but let’s face it the fact that he’s in prison for tax fraud stops me doing that!!).

I’ve read a few true account books of life on the inside, and each one always proves to be an eye opener. This one is no exception and the fact that he has been placed into HMP Wandsworth makes it all the more addictive reading! It certainly gives a disturbing and frankly scary insight into what it is like in prison, and being locked in a cell for 23 hours of the day would explain why most people come out of prison and then end up straight back in there. It does have its light-hearted moments, and I like some of the friendships he made with people in there. Overall though it does make you thankful that you are out on this side of the bars and not on his side.

I was amazed at how the prison works though, with the more “advantaged” prisoners given better privileges given depending on your background, education and the colour of your skin, something which I assume the author is very grateful for. The sad statistics show this leaves many of the prison population falling short and the high suicide and recidivism rate is shocking.

All in all, this was an interesting read, although frightening that our prisons are being allowed to be run like this. Whilst it may be the case for some that their time inside is often referred to as a ‘holiday camp’, this book does go to show that this isn’t the case for everyone and everywhere.

I wasn't a big fan of this. I did find it really interesting, and think it's worth reading if you're genuinely interested in the conditions of British prisons. However, I didn't like the author's narrative style, and this being a non-fiction meant that was a problem for me. I really couldn't get on with him ranting about under-funding when he was being part of a tax evasion scheme. It rubbed me up the wrong way at times, with the author coming across as though he was better than everybody else.

This is one of those books where the publisher’s blurb is largely true. Indeed it outlines a number of the events and stories in this book. The fact that Chris is both relatively well educated and has the background of a documentary maker gives this book insights that might not be gained from other writers. The book shows him as a good observer of people and very human. The initial feelings of being separated from his young son and unable to contact people are powerful. During his time in Wandsworth Chris becomes a “Listener”, effectively a Samaritan. In this role he sees and deals with some extremely troubled prisoners.

In among the stories of prison life are “asides” about prisons, their regimes and politicians views more generally. A number of these were very interesting indeed. There are many examples I could give – indeed I could fill this review with them. However the best thing would be to think about reading the book yourself if that interests you. That said I will share two or three points that particularly struck me.

I found particularly troubling the story of the Lithuanian teenager. Days before he committed suicide he was seen by a mental nurse but was not allowed a translator. She couldn’t understand him and decided he was fit to stay on the block.

There is puzzlement from a Danish academic visiting the prison. He can’t understand how it possible to rehabilitate prisoners who are locked up for 23 hours a day.

In his role as a Listener, Chris deals with a teenager who, having tried to hang himself several times, is under observation. The cell he is in has no privacy at all. He is paranoid and schizophrenic. All he has eaten for two days is razor blades. The idea that Chris should get him something in the way of food to eat gets mixed reactions from prison staff!

I did find Chris’s reflections on his fellow prisoners one of the interesting parts of this. He becomes friendly with another prisoner who is there for his part in defrauding inexperienced investors through scams. Chris found him a caring person both towards Chris himself and because he was an experienced Listener who had helped many people. The juxtaposition is striking.

As someone who has been a supporter of and interested in prison reform for many years now much of what is in here comes as no surprise to me. However even a small amount of thought would suggest that what is going on in prisons is worrying. There seems little understanding of any objective as far as prisoners are concerned.

The good bits in A Bit Of A Stretch can be all or any of the following – interesting/troubling/powerful . Some aspects are I found maybe rather more juvenile. It is certainly a valid insight into life in prison or Wandsworth at least. For me however it seemed to become less objective as time goes by and is more self centred. Many people will find this perfectly acceptable and entertaining on some level. However the balance between humour and cutting edge insights is a difficult path to tread and this book did not always succeed in that for me. I would definitely recommend it to anyone with an interest in the subject though.

This was a truly fascinating inside look at what life is like in prison. Well written and does a fantastic job of showing you something which you would would not usually get an inside look at.

I really enjoyed this entertaining, interesting and, at times, shocking account of documentary maker Chris Atkin's time in Wandsworth Prison. Because he is sent to prison for a while collar crime (described in the synopsis as "becoming embroiled in a dodgy scheme to fund his latest film") he sees Wandsworth through different eyes and a different perspective to many other prisoners perhaps would (not wanting to assume anything about the other prisoners). Having kept a diary throughout his time there, he recounts some of the crazy, sad and horrifying experiences that he and his fellow inmates experience whilst locked up, and provides a commentary on the failings of the British prison system.

It's such an interesting read for me because I find anything about prisons interesting - I suppose because it's somewhere I'll (hopefully) never go and never experience. It also does a great job of highlighting the funnier parts to prison life, in ways the reader may not expect, and Atkins often recountd this with a large dose of dry humour.

The book is brilliantly written and feels incredibly honest and utterly disarming; I felt like I was there with Chris, serving time and experiencing the crazy ways of HMP Wandsworth, and the prison officers tasked with both keeping them under control and 'looking after' the prisoners - some are much better at this than others! It's absolutely shocking to read some of the stories - such as how many promises are broken to inmates (it seems to happen all the time) and cock ups with paperwork leading to prisoners having to serve more time than their sentences. Some are even more serious and involve medical issues - they could have been life threatening if someone hadn't stepped in.

I really enjoyed A Bit of a Stretch and would recommend it to anyone, whether they're interested initially in the topic or not. It's an incredibly interesting, thoughtful and surprising read.

This book is certainly an eye opener. If you thought you knew what goes on inside British prisons, well it’s time to think again!

In 2016, author Chris Atkins was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment after being found guilty of tax fraud. He spent the first 9 months of his sentence at HMP Wandsworth and kept a journal during his time inside. The resulting book is very readable and surprisingly humorous.  Written with a dark ‘gallows’ humour, some of the stories Atkins tells really are very funny in their absurdity. However, humour aside, I found myself gobsmacked at the absolute shambles that is the current prison system. From the poor state of the tiny prison cells to the total lack of communication between the guards and prison authorities, the incompetence displayed is quite frankly astonishing.

It is easy for those of us who have never experienced prison life to say that those in prison have ‘got what they deserved’, or that prison ‘isn’t supposed to be a holiday camp’. However, we’re not talking about luxury here, but rather the very basics of humanity - the right to shower on a weekly basis, the right to medical treatment and the right not be terrorised, bullied or racially abused by our fellow prisoners or even our cell mates. The prisoners, a lot of them suffering from addiction or severe mental health problems, are locked in 6ft x 12ft cells sometimes for up to 24 hours a day due to under staffing or a breakdown in prison procedures. It is hard to grasp the hopelessness and despair that must permeate throughout the wings. Without TVs, books, education and jobs, those prisoners would have nothing positive to focus on. I realised from the book just how essential family phone calls, visits and positive experiences/activities are to a prisoner’s well-being and to their rehabilitation.

Atkins was clever enough to observe how the system really works and was able to get himself moved to the best wing in the prison (Trinity), before making all the right moves to earn his privileges and improve his prospects of making it through his sentence in relative comfort (although in reality the term ‘comfort’ is really is a massive over-exaggeration of what he experienced).  Yet he was one well-educated person amongst a population of thousands and the majority won’t fare as well as him. He was one of the lucky ones.

There are some positive aspects to the book, such as the humour and camaraderie displayed by the prisoners and the way they develop and look after their own communities on the wings. Yet any positivity is massively overshadowed by the chaos, squalor and bleakness of life inside those walls.

I felt particularly sad when Atkins described his separation from his young son, Kit. He was fortunate that both Kit’s mother and grandmother were very supportive and ensured he received visits and regular updates. However, not all prisoners will have that same advantage and it really highlighted to me how it is not only the criminal who is punished by a prison sentence, but also the family left behind.

In the final chapters, Atkins lists the changes that he would make if given the chance. His ideas are reasonable and logical. I wish that I had read that list before reading the book, as I would have been interested to know how my views on his proposals would have changed from beginning to end.

Darkly entertaining, shocking and touching, this book made me laugh out loud, it made me sad to the point of tear, it left me frustrated and it made me very angry. It shows in stark relief the failings of the current UK penal system. The real question is whether the government is doing anything to fix it? Unfortunately, I suspect not…

Thanks to Atlantic Books and Netgalley for providing me with a review copy of this book.