Cover Image: Inside Job

Inside Job

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Member Reviews

Initially, when I first started reading this book, I thought I would give up straight away. When she referred to her high heels and tight clothing.

She is a trained psychiatrist, she would have been briefed on what to have worn in a male dominated environment, with men who haven’t seen a woman for a long time. However, I persevered and when the book then moved away from her appearance and on to the various programmes that she was running, I really enjoyed it. It was informative and interesting.

I rate this book 3 stars.

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This is interesting, and sensitive where it needs to be.
It is hard to imagine doing this kind of work, but this book gives a sense of what it takes.

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This book will be one you remember. It gives a gruesome insight into the minds of sex offenders imprisoned for their crimes. The author lets the offenders do the talking, I found it honest, raw and disturbing. It was a clever way of delivering a hard hitting message.

Reading about how the prison service try and rehabilitate offenders was particularly interesting. While their crimes are abhorrent, following their journeys helped me see them as human beings and not just monsters.

Fascinating yet unpalatable subject matter told in an honest and engaging way.

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This is one of the better memoirs i have read in terms of psychologists and criminals. This is the first i have read that had a sole focuys on sex offenders. I really like how she told her story from one of the worst prisons that houses these offenders. I was really impressed that she became a doctor at 22 years old and chose to work at such as scary place. She tells her story that she fears for her life on a daily basis but her life's work is to help these people. this book could be triggering but it should be known simply off of the title.

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An interesting read about the psychology of prisoners. As the book told of a course for sex offenders within the prison environment - it was a tough read.
I wasn't quite sure why the author needed to talk of her affair with a colleague.

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This is the memoir of a psychologist working in one of Britain's toughest prisons focusing on the treatment of sexual offenders and psychopathy.

It can be a tough read as whilst there isn't a massive amount of fine detail, the broad specifics of the offences committed are still distressing. It is fascinating to discover how the treatment programmes of sexual offenders have varied over time. It is also an interesting examination of psychopathy and how amongst psychopaths there is a lack of remorse for their actions.

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This was a really interesting, human insight into the prison system. I've read a variety of books about prison wardens/prisoner biographies, but similarly to a couple of others I've read - I really enjoy the psychology element of this story. A real look at what we're doing actively to help prisoners, using restorative justice and humanising those often seen as animals. I find Rebecca's work absolutely heartbreakingly hard, and clearly here we have some people who just don’t want the help - there is no wayI could do her job. However, it is also heartening and encouraging to see what work like this is doing to help and help build new relationships and lives for these prisoners.

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Parts were very interesting but I felt this was a longer story than it needed to be. I also didn’t understand her need to put in her affair with a colleague.

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A very interesting read and the true tales from a psychologist who worked on the SOTP (Sex offender treatment programme) in UK prisons.
Not an easy read, however a very interesting read that makes you consider whether you can trust anyone.

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A really interesting read and a good insight to what happens inside.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

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This is a fascinating biography of a woman who became a prison psychologist at the age of 22 on graduation. She is honest - sometimes almost too honest - about the trials and tribulations of being a young woman in a very male environment where even the Prison Officers question the wisdom of an attractive young woman dealing with sex offenders.

Dr Myers does not shy away from the crimes these men commit, even when they are horrendous. It is important to her story to understand who she is dealing with. The prisoners are quoted at length as they talk in group therapy with the author and others as facilitators. And you can see the change in them and their slowly dawning acceptance of their culpability. I’m not sure the long term effects will be commensurate with the investment in the men and the schemes but the system cannot be faulted for trying.

An engaging, very interesting book and recommended if you’re interested in true crime or in the academic aspects of psychology.

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley

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Thank you NetGalley for this opportunity to read and review!

As someone who worked briefly in the prison service I found this book fascinating.

Rebecca takes us through her career from being a new graduate taking her initial steps into the prison yo running the Sex Offender Training Programme.

The book was interesting, frank and on occasion somewhat shocking.

I have already bought a paperback copy for my closest friend such was the impact of this book.

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Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

Hugely interesting insight into work within prisons from Dr Myers. Fascinating work being carried out and a life that most of us have only ever know from watching or reading about it. Well written, descriptive and informative.

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An interesting exploration of the early experiences of a prison psychologist in the 1990s. I have listened to lots of episodes of ear hustle about prison life from the perspective of incarcerated men but they struggle to find prison staff who will talk so it was brave and honest to read this account. The end felt a little blunt with the abrupt time jump - could have been a bit smoother. Politically interesting to see the generous funding of prison programmes - I couldn't imagine these today.

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I like many others I imagine, are fascinated by what drives people to commit crimes of such as rape and murder, so the opportunity to learn of Myer’s insights and experience in working with some of the most dangerous individuals was a draw to me. Myers tells of her time as a newly qualified psychologist working at Graymoor Prison.
It has a complimentary of blend of reflecting upon her own limited experience (at that time), and perceived short comings, working in an environment that was also very misogynistic, as well as allowing us to become immersed in the Sex Offenders Treatment Programme that involved 5 criminals. This allowed the book to flow almost like a novel, so it was easy and engaging to read. The criminals were genuine characters with complex backgrounds and upbringings. It therefore touches on what drives individuals to commit such heinous crimes. It also allows us to see them in a human and relatable manner and captured how relationships grew between the men on this programme as well as Myers, and how they were able to see their behaviour patterns and triggers to be better individuals. This need not mean they could necessarily change who they had become.
Whilst it does not go into great detail, some acts and behaviours are described to reflect what these individuals did, so readers do need to be prepared for this. I found it insightful to learn how hearing such details impact on staff, who go on to have a heightened observance of normal day-to-day interactions - of a dad with his daughter, for example. And how one male staff member sadly could no longer bath his daughter as the details he had listened to, meant he felt it inappropriate to do so.
Whilst somethings have moved on somewhat from Myers account of over 20 years ago, the reflection was rich and astute, which made it a privilege to read. I was entertained and educated at the same time.

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***Audio ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.co.uk in return for an honest review ***

This book is the memoir of Dr Rebecca Myers, a forensic psychologist who recounts her working life in men's prisons running sex offender rehabilitation programmes. This is a no-holds-barred account which may be triggering for some reading; so be warned; however, I found this book to be an insightful take that made me think about patterned behaviours. and ways of thinking.

We focus on the first group of individuals she worked with during an overhaul of the sex offenders' treatment programmes in the UK. As we learn more and hear about the inmates' growth during the course, Rebecca draws us into her personal life and shows us that it may not just be the prisoners who need to work on their learned behaviours. I thought this was clever after initially thinking that her romance wasn't relevant, this showed that none of us is that different to each other.

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Written by a young trainee psychologist, Dr Meyers is sent to HMP Graymoor to work with murderers, rapists and paedophiles. This is a gripping insight into a world most of us wish not to think about, and is well written by a thoughtful and insightful author.

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Really fascinating account of working with sex offenders in prison and we and they get insights into what contributed to their offending. I admire Rebecca's honesty about her own feelings and recognition that she shares many of the same character traits as the prisoners. Hard to read what the prisoners confess to, but we are spared the worst details that Rebecca and her colleagues have to deal with.

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Thank you for giving me the chance to read in advance. Having worked in a prison I found this very well written and couldn’t put it down. Brilliant

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I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher, in return for an honest review. This review is based entirely on my own thoughts and feelings.

Overall Rating: 4*
Writing : 5*
Information : 4*
Uniqueness : 3*

I've read a few true crime non-fics recently and this has topped them all. It was pretty graphic in explaining their crimes, but you got to learn about the people behind the crimes too. Any of their heinous crimes could be basis for a thriller novel.
Myers also included a lot about about her personal life which added to the overall enjoyment. I'm going to recommend this to all true crime enthusiasts but I will add that there are a lot of trigger warning associated with this book.

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