An enjoyable read which described Chris's short sentence throughout the UK prison service. The reader gets to see what life inside the prison walls can be like for people who aren't seen as you standard prisoner. The reader also gets to see just how bad the prison system is and how it is clearly not fit for purpose. A good read if a little bit repetitive at times.

I hadn't heard of Chris Atkins, a film maker who got caught up in a huge tax scam and went to jail for it. He was involved in a very small part of it but got sent to jail and this is his story of how it came about, life inside during his time, how he survived and what he experienced.

Life behind bars, we have all watched a million tv shows and read a few books on it, this one was a wee bit different for me, I felt anyway. He tells us of friendships, behaviours of the inmates, the privileges, punishments, guards good and bad and the difference between categories of prisoners and how difficult it can be to get the most basic of requests when you are incarcerated.

The book also shows how more advantaged Atkins was because of his class, skin colour and education compared to some of his fellow inmates. There is a lot of sadness, frustration and downright horror at some of the things that happened, suicide, death, loneliness, abuse of power - it really is an eye opener to people who have never experienced or been exposed to prison life. Hard to read at times due to the brutality of some of the situations, circumstances and just horror of jail life but interesting to see the huge impact it had on Atkins, 3.5/5 for me this time.

Chris Atkins was sentenced to serve five years in Wandsworth Prison in 2016 after being found guilty of tax evasion. For good behaviour, he was expected to serve just half that time. Although there have been umpteen documentaries about our prison system in the past, you always feel like certain situations have been staged. Chris by trade was a documentary maker and so over his time spent inside her kept a journal of day to day life there.
Now Chris does have a wicked humour which helps to lighten some of the grim reading and to be honest, inhumane conditions and red tape rules that are both costly and pointless but the message sank in. The prison system is shot, in need of more prison officers, better living standards and at least basic needs being met. What they have is 23 hours a day lockdowns and family becoming a thing of the past. I mean yes punish someone for their crime but don't break them ruin them and turn them back out on the street without support.
Chris had been part of the privileged culture on the outside which had in many ways transferred with him on the inside. This even determined where you lived in there? Yes, you still have your 'Park Street' and 'old Kent Road' scenario, which could make life bearable or suicidal. When government officials haven't a clue what hope is there? It doesn't need a committee to talk about it for two years to come up with solutions it needs people to go in day after day until it is sorted.
This account from Chris should make the smelly stuff really hit the fan. I hope the right people listen.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.

This was a great book showing how bad it is on the ‘inside’ and how much needs to be done to improve conditions. It shows how little the government are doing to help with current situation and that it’s no wonder people are released to go into reoffend

An excellent insight into the reality of the British prison system, Chris Atkins has written this in a great way that is eye opening yet personal.

This book provides an account of Chris Atkins' time in Wandsworth Prison. It is a fascinating account of the reality of prison life - very honestly written, and full of memorable characters he encountered along the way.
More seriously, it highlights a number of issues with the management of the prison service. It exposes some of the, often inhumane, ways prisoners are treated and it offers suggestions that could lead to more successful rehabilitation for many, and a much lower rate of re-offending.
An interesting and worthwhile glimpse into an unfamiliar world (for me at least) and hopefully some of his insights will be a catalyst for change.

What an eye opener this book is! Forget what you read in the newspapers as Chris Atkins gives an honest personal account of his experiences during his time at Her Majesty’s establishments. Whilst reading the disturbing facts I couldn’t help but think that there has to be a different more effective way to treat prisoners, especially as it’s clear that prison is not the place for those suffering with mental health issues.

Prison life is a monotonous institution which is largely contributed by severe under staffing. Drugs are rife adding to more mental health issues but fortunately Chris is a strong guy who managed to not get sucked in. Another aspect Chris tells of is the effects incarceration has on families including his own relationship with his son.

My thanks to Net Galley for the ARC digital copy, these are my own opinions of a Bit of A Stretch.

I went into this book not knowing what to expect - as a Forensic Psychologist I have a vested interest in how the prison system is portrayed, especially within the media. I found this book to be enlightening and highlight the true story of what a prison is like - it is not a holiday camp, however, there is still humanity apparent. I recommend this to anyone. Brilliant.

Chris Atkins’ A Bit of A Stretch was always going to be up my street. Told by Chris Atkins, the documentary maker who actually did go to prison (not undercover, as I first thought, but was actually convicted of a crime) for tax fraud, the book is part-memoir, part damning exposé on the frankly shocking state of the justice system. And though you might not think it, it’s also very darkly funny.
The book details Atkins’ time at HMP Wandsworth, perhaps the most notorious of prison jails. And it’s just as bad as you might expect: chapter by chapter, we learn about the self-destructive habits formed by long stretches cooped up in jail cells without a break, about the tricks inmates pull to acquire more privileges and most importantly, how to sweet-talk the ‘screws’ into getting you more phone time.
Atkins is an impressive narrator: he doesn’t spare himself one bit, and we get to see his entire prison journey from start to finish, from his sentencing to his first days in prison, all the way through to his final days as a jaded inmate. He’s likeable and engaging, and more importantly, you get to see the justice system through his eyes.
And what you see really is shocking. The book is divided up into chapters, each of which addresses a different problem in Atkins’ experience of life behind bars, and the tone veers from funny to bleak often within the space of a paragraph- from suicidal inmates he’s called to help to the inventive ways that the inmates smuggle spice into their cells. Reading it feels rather like stepping through the looking glass into another world: one that you realise, with an unpleasant shock, is very much real.
Even if non-fiction memoirs aren’t your thing (which, fair. And this is heavy) I’d recommend giving this book a read. It’s a sorely-needed look at the way in which we strip people of their humanity when they’re behind bars, and of what needs to change to make it better.

I found this book very exciting at the beginning. I love anything to do with non fiction and the thoughts of hearing stories from inside prisons was definitely a must for me. As the story went on I thought it kind of kept repeating the same things over. Nothing new was really happening and the excitement went down hill. The writing was good and the characters were crazy but it didn't keep the story going. In the end I couldn't wait to it was finished

The book follows Chris whom was in prison for 5 years. It gives the readers an insight of the the prison, and how like is like there! Enjoyed the read

A Bit Of A Stretch follows the true story of Chris Atkins who was sentenced to five years for fraud. It dictates his life at Wandsworth prison and provides an interesting insight into prison life. Definitely worthy of a read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atlantic Books and the author for the chance to review

This was a humorous and at times frustrating read of life within prison walls. It showed the real monotony of life behind bars. It was also interesting to see this from the eyes of a white collar criminal.

What is very clear and worrying is that the prison service needs money investing in it and a serious overhaul..

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the arc copy of this book and the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my review.

I didn’t like the book
I only read bits of it
I had an ARC
I just thought it was silly at times
But I suppose it was quite serious

This is a well written informative book about the author serving his jail sentence in Wandsworth prison. Wandsworth prison is well known for being one of the oldest and largest prisons in Europe. The story he tells about his time there is both horrifying and amusing. During austerity years the Prison Service clearly took a hit. It clearly has never been the focus of any government and the last decade has brought it into crisis..

The author tells his story. From the passing of his sentence until his release to an open prison. He outlines very cleary how it affected him physically, mentally and especially emotionally. No one can envisage what it must feel like to have your liberty removed from you.. To be encarcerated is bad enouigh but when the system is near breaking point it is a frightening experience. Prisoners who clearly have undiagnosed mental health problems are locked up with very little help or support and this affects the other prisoners. The author tells on numberous ocassions incidents where medical treatment doesn't happen, and where there are just insufficent trained staff to deal with the different scenarios that arise on a daily basis.

It was especially interesting to read how the author chose to get involved as much as he could with any activities that were available. and to assist with tasks around the prison when possible. He formed some good relationshiips with both staff and prisoner. He also trained to be a listener with the Samaritans and had to cope with several difficult situation.

Throughout the book it was clear that personal inner resources are needed if there is any chance of you doing your time and getting out. Helping out where the opportunity arises. Also what was very important was his family and friends and their constant support and bringing his young son to visit.

Throughout the book I was horrified at the system and how most of the time it barely functions. Officers having to deal with a building that is not fit for purpose, coping with prisoners who should be in some sort of mental health unit and overall having to cope in dire conditions. Any chance of rehabilitation is limited when there are insufficient staff and few resources to help support prisoners..

I guess I am being naive in hoping that a book like this will stir any governments conscience. At the moment prison isn't working for the majority and rehabilitation is not going to happen for the vast amount of prisioner uintil time, money and resources are invested.

What a great insightful, eye opening, shocking and supremely entertaining read. For fans of The Secret Barrister and Adam Kay. This is, I guess, a “ work memoir” with a twist.
The story of life in one of Britain’s most notorious prisons. The real inside view. Intelligently written, justifiably critical but also with proposals for meaningful reform. Many in the justice system should read and learn from every sentence.
The author is right in the very one sided portrayal of prisoners, and how this shapes the. I’ve of the population. I really really hope this gets widescale publicity around publication as with the right headwind it could be a game changer for prison reform and the general public’s understanding of the issues.

Quite an enjoyable book to read and at times reinforced the impression you hear in the media of prisoners but equally it was good to read about it from the inside. Mind you I am quite surprised at how much depth the author goes into his time inside - you'd be surprised that the authorities are letting it be published!

For someone, like me, that hasn't stepped inside a prison this was a thought-evoking and insightful piece.
I'm firmly in the camp of "if you can't do the time, don't do the crime" brigade, which is appropriately quoted in this book. As well as reform prison also should have the function of being a deterrent to committing crime and so shouldn't be 'too cushy'.
So from the situation described in this book, and the state of the inside of British prisons, I'm left partly reassured that the state is so bad, after many rumours to the contrary, and yet elements are seemingly completely inhuman too.
Chris seems to find his own niche as part of the'white collar' brigade and so volunteering for roles such counselling earns him a nicer cell, in a nicer part of the prison, and seemingly his own choice of cell-mates. This is a good example of hard work being rewarded, which should be the case.
And yet I suspect many in the prison would not realise this was an option or be capable of performing it (e.g. through their own mental health/drug issues) and so even that is unfair in the circumstances.
The prison sentence was told chronologically and so after the initial shock it does get a little slow to read -or I guess I became harder to shock - but there are enough anecdotes of strange things occurring at various times to keep it ticking along well enough until Chris makes it to his release date.
I'm really grateful for the preview copy and glad I've read this as it's provoked a lot of thought with me.

Documentary filmmakers don't usually get the run of establishments within the Mountbatten-Windsor Hotel Group, but after getting involved in an illegal tax scheme to fund his latest film, Chris Atkins was invited for a five-year stay. The first nine months were spent in HMP Wandsworth, which is probably the oldest, largest and most dysfunctional prison in Europe.

The first thing which struck Atkins when he arrived at Wandsworth was the assault on the senses of the noise: nothing prepared him for this. The second was that the prisoners in Wandsworth didn't resemble the ones he'd seen in films and on television. They were tanned and fit: Atkins' fellow prisoners were pale and generally unhealthy. Prisoners (or men as an edict said that they were to be called) were supposed to be allowed out of the cells for exercise, but this depended on the availability and goodwill of the prison officers. Atkins had the misfortune of being sent down in 2016 in the midst of the worst prison crisis in history. A shortage of staff meant that prisoners had to spend more time locked in their cells: this created more mental health problems and more violence, which with unbending circularity meant that prisoners had to spend more time locked in their cells.

Why would teetotal Muslims join Alcoholics Annonymous? Well, it got them out of their cells for an hour. Why was there a rush to sign up for as many different religions as possible? For exactly the same reason.

The Prisons Minister, Lizz Truss maintained that family ties are vital for prisoners' rehabilitation, but in the early stages of a sentence the visits were restricted to two visits of an hour's duration each month. Atkins had a four-year-old son and it was only thanks to the goodwill and foresight of his ex-girlfriend that he was able to maintain the relationship with Kit.

The book is darkly humorous. The thought that there were so many illegal mobile phones in the prison that Atkins wouldn't have been surprised to find a Phones4U popup in the servery left me giggling. There was also the problem which arose when Atkins paid more than one tin of tuna to get his clothes washed and was ranted at by another prisoner for causing a failure in Keynesian economics and price inflation.

I could continue to give you examples of the ridiculousness of life in Wandsworth (Paracetamol can't be dispensed after 4 pm) but you really should read the book for yourself. Atkins describes prisons morphing into warehouses for the mentally ill and from what he says it's difficult to disagree with him. He emerged from his sentence relatively unscathed but did have the advantage of being educated, white, middle class, relatively affluent and [without] a mental illness. Few others are quite so lucky.

I probably wouldn't have read this book if I'd realised that the prison sentence arose from a tax crime - in another career, I would have been on the opposing team - but Chris Atkins accepts that he did the crime and apart from saying that he didn't really understand what he was getting into, doesn't offer any weaselly self-justification. (Hint: if you don't understand the ramifications of any financial or tax arrangements which you're considering then they're best avoided.) I'm glad that I did read the book as I found it interesting, worrying and very funny in places. I hope that it's widely read and (more importantly) acted upon by those in a position to do something about the conditions in HMP Wandsworth. I did enjoy the book and was sorry when it finished: in fact, I did quietly wish that Atkins had had a longer stretch...

I'd like to thank the publishers for letting Bookbag have an advance copy for review.

I don’t typically read a lot of non-fiction but I was gripped by this. As a teacher, I’m well aware of the gap between constrained budgets, the pressures to meet targets and ‘perform’ for OFSTED and meeting the real needs of students. But if I though then petty bureaucracy and management gobbledygook in education was farcical- it’s a shining, streamlined beacon of success compared to the prison system as portrayed by Chris Atkins in this book.

I’d expected something more vitriolic, more defensive of his personal misdeeds, but I found this remarkably balanced and thoughtful, considering some of the terrifying incompetence he witnessed.
The veracity of his claims is bolstered by his apparent fairness; he doesn’t criticise every officer or every initiative but offered praise and credit where he feels it’s due.

I talked about A Bit of a Stretch a lot at work and I recommend it to anyone who, like me, has shrugged off claims of injustice in UK prisons as something criminals deserve. It really is much more complex than that.
Plus Atkins does a nice line in dry, self-deprecating humour.