Twenty-two year old Rebecca is a trainee psychologist in the prison service. It will be her job to assess and plan treatment for the most serious offenders. She feels inadequate and wonders what she has let herself in for. There is a new treatment based on cognitive behavioural therapy which she will be using. The premise is to change thinking patterns of these sex offenders and murderers.

This is a compassionate look at what goes on in prisons. Some of the men she works with have committed terrible crimes yet she never forgets there is a human being there. Some of the men's stories are horrendous and they themselves have had crimes committed against them, others seem beyond the pale.

I felt this book was at its best when it concentrated on her own feelings about what was happening. The struggles she has with Jeremy for example, the ex policeman who puts her down and goes on about her being a psychologist as if he doesn't believe it. These are fascinating. Also interesting is her burgeoning relationship with her fellow group worker, Dan, and how this pans out, although it lacks detail towards the end.

It was somewhat depressing to read that the programme wasn't all that successful though there may have been problems in the way it was implemented. These prisoners are among the most damaged and damaging human beings we have in our society. What is the solution.

I'd recommend this to anyone interested in psychology and especially how it is used in practice. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. a

EXTRACT: "Society does not want or welcome sexual violence and child abuse, and rightly so. Incarcerated men who have committed sexual offences, especially against children, are seen as the scum of society. My experience has taught me that underneath it all they are not so different from the rest of us.

However, I wouldn't want my compassionate view of the men as being (whatever is) normal, worthwhile and deserving of a second chance to be misinterpreted as sympathy or condoning their actions. It certainly is not. Yet if we can try and treat men who committed sexual offences this way, then we stand a much better chance of success. And so do they. We know that vilifying, stigmatising and ostracising these men does not help. If we shun and isolate them, deny them jobs and a sense of purpose, then the paradox is that they are MORE likely to reoffend...

Contrary to popular belief, the majority of men convicted of sexual offences desist (stop) naturally.

Your new neighbour might be someone who was neglected, sexually abused, mercilessly beaten and made to watch his mother being raped while he was tied to a radiator. And all before the age of ten years old, while his impressionable brain was still growing. I have absolutely no doubt you have rescued him from such a cruel horror as a young child if you could. Damaged children grow up. Now that child is an adult, can you find it in yourself to lay a role in helping him live safely in our society? It is a question we ALL need to be asking ourselves, and with the bigger picture in mind: the prevention of sexual violence."

Just wow! This has to be one of the most powerful books I have ever read. And non-fiction is usually my genre as I tend to fall asleep at the drone of factual text, but INSIDE JOB is presented in such a way we as the reader are drawn in from the start. We are made to feel a part of the programme in which these men are a part. It is eye-opening, raw and traumatic on many levels. These men are the scum of society and yet they are human too. This book takes us inside the Sexual Offenders Treatment Programme that was run throughout the UK prison system with Dr Rebecca Myers facilitating and then training further facilitators. We get to see first-hand how taxing it is for those who run the programme and how it changes their perception of the world around them too.

INSIDE JOB is honest, insightful and even disturbing at times but also challenges the reader in any pre-conceived perceptions they may have. Myers' account of her experience is astute and honest as she freely admits to the mistakes she made, both personally and professionally, in her early years as a prison psychologist at the Category A HMP Graymoor, one of the UK's most notorious prisons. She worked solely with sex offenders and murderers, running the Core-SOTP and Extended SOTP, a CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) rehabilitation programme designed for offenders to recognise their behaviours and those that lead to their offending. The accounts of each of the men in the SOTP groups are harrowing, disturbing but incredibly raw. No one is left untouched by the disturbing darkness that descends of the horrors that then change the way that they see the world outside of the prison walls.

It is interesting to note the struggle that Myers herself was faced with, finding the crimes abhorrent whilst still conducting her job with an unbiased perspective. And that despite their heinous crimes, they are still human beings. Focusing on the SOTP brought these men to the forefront and through Myers' account she was able to humanise most of them as they went through the arduous and often harrowing treatment programme. We then begin to see beyond their offences, as abhorrent as they are, to the men and before that to the children they had once been...not as an excuse but often recognising them as the defining moments in the life of an impressionably aged young child. It definitely pulls at the heartstrings in places though none of what took place before excuses their offences...however, it does lead to an explanation of certain behaviours which are learnt at those impressionable young ages.

As a societal taboo, it is also widely perceived and accepted that these offenders cannot be rehabilitated but the truth is that in many cases they can be. Through SOTP they are given a sense of understanding of their behaviours which lead to their offences and why. Of course, not all offenders can be rehabilitated as they aren't open to the treatment being offered them. In actual fact, some treat it as a joke. Kyle is one point in case. Some make little progress while others come on leaps and bounds. I especially like how Myers focused on a particular group of men that we follow throughout the course of the book and as the reader we watch them unravel the puzzle, draw their life maps and gain an understanding as to their behaviour and the effects it had on their victims. Again, it is raw and insightful.

Throughout the book, Myers shows compassion and humanity and understanding as she develops something akin to a relationship with these men, as well as her wisdom in perceiving the parallels with her own life and how in many ways she saw herself as being like those men she was treating. Her own behavioural patterns were not so far from theirs and she found that both eye-opening and humbling.

Myers concludes her account with reports of the problems the SOTP faced along with its changes and modifications. To cease all types of treatment programmes would be redundant because the overall idea behind prison is for addressing offending behaviour and rehabilitation as well as punishment. To just punish would serve no purpose. INSIDE JOB is an eye opening and insightful read about the often dangerous offenders behind bars and the efforts in trying to change their behaviour and reduce sexual offending.

INSIDE JOB is a fascinating and engrossing read that just blew me away. It is not an easy read by any means, given the subject matter, but it is insightful and informative with achingly honest, raw and reflective. I liked how she ended with the outcome of some of those she encountered at that time, though it is a shame we never learnt the outcome of them all. I would have been interested to see how well, or not, some of those truly fared.

Overall, I highly recommend INSIDE JOB but it not for the faint hearted. Be prepared that this is not a glossed over account. It is in depth, raw and disturbing in places as it is not for everybody. I highlight the fact that it most definitely comes with trigger warnings such as descriptions of rape, murder and child abuse as well as psychopathy, sexual crimes and misogyny.

I would like to thank #DrRebeccaMyers, #NetGalley and #HarperCollinsUK for an ARC of #InsideJob in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

This book was really informative, not my normal read due to the topic subject, however it was not graphic in anyway but so interesting to understand the work behind the scenes within the prison system.

This book wasn't quite what I was expecting. I though it would be lots of short stories about prison life though the experiences of a prison psychologist. It was more of a case study of a therapy group in a prison led by the 22 year old author. The crimes were harrowing and difficult to read at times. Interesting. Not exactly a bedtime read.

I wasn’t expecting this to be an interesting read as it was. Was harrowing with some stories but was a good insight to what they go through! Well written and very vivid.

I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect when I started reading this book but now I’ve finished it I can honestly say I want to read more.

This isn’t an easy read by any stretch of the imagination. The criminals spoken about throughout are not nice people. But I, like the author herself, found myself connecting with the characters she writes about. The group sessions in particular were very hard to read but it gave an insight into the mindset of these men and why they did what they did.

I applaud the author for her work over the years, it can’t have been easy. I know this book is just a little insight into her working life.

Many thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and the author for providing a copy.

This was a very difficult read due to the subject nature but what a brilliant book of non-fiction.
The majority of the book concerns the author's work in the first few years following her becoming qualified as a psychologist back in the 1990's. Her work involved the attempted rehabilitation of prisoners who have committed sexual offences. Due to the subject matter there are many triggers throughout the book and the book is very detailed as to the rehabilitation process and how the prisoners react.
The author is very up front with her own feelings and she discusses subjects such as the death penalty and how doing the job has affected her personal relationships and she discusses how these are dealt with in the staff de-briefs after the rehab sessions.
It must be remembered that most of the book looks at the work of a prison psychologist in the 1990's and in recent years there has been many changes, not always for the better, which the author discusses in the latter chapters.
As a current student of psychology I found the book interesting as schemas, attachment styles and identity and personal relationships. All items I have covered in the last two years and so it was interesting to see how this was put into practice.
I like the writing style of the author and hope that she writes further books about her work.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK and Dr Rebecca Myers for providing me with an advanced electronic copy of the book in return for an honest, unbiased review

P.S. If Harper Collins read this I would love to have this book in print for my future work in psychology. Any chance of a freebie? :-)

This is an excellent book written on a very difficult subject. Rebecca, the author, has just graduated from her psychology degree and is starting work in a prison with sex offenders. She begins working with a group of men to see if she can get them to understand (and sometimes admit to) their crimes, the impact on their victim through re-enactment with them as the victim and to understand more about their psyche in order to learn what they can do to stop them reoffending. There are some graphic and harrowing descriptions of the crimes, but the way some of the men move forward, as a result of the course, is amazing. We also find out more about Dr Rebecca and how it affects her and her relationship with a fellow prison worker
I thoroughly recommend this book.

What a fascinating and intriguing insight from a female psychologist working in a very much Male dominated world.

Dr Rebecca Mysers was just twenty two years old when she takes up a position in HMP Graymoor as a prison psychologist.
Dr Mysers gives a no holds barred in the book.
She talks about her time in the prison service and also about her own personal life and the mistakes she has made.

A must read for anyone interested in psychology and the workers inside a Male prison.

⭐️ 5/5
📚 73/36
📍 🇬🇧
🗂 Memoir
📖 The personal experience of a Trainee Psychologist in forensic prison, starting the job in the late 1990’s. Exploring the self and working relationships with prisoners and staff.
👉 I requested this book as I’m interested in medical/psychological memoirs
🧠 I was expecting lots of different stories but this mostly follows 6 inmates going through the Sexual Offenders Treatment Programme (SOTP), then onto further treatment.
✅ I enjoyed the epilogue, it wrapped up the book really well
💬 “Their soup is made and we cannot take the onions out”
⚠️ Detailed descriptions of fatal harm to others, rape + much more
📆 August 2022
*Publication Date - 18th August 2022 (paperback)

I received this eARC in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley and HarperCollins UK. Thank you for accepting me to review this book.

A memoir of 22yr old Rebecca Myers and her first job of a Psychologist in a prison with 800 murderers, rapists and child molesters to start the first treatment programme for them and how naïve she was.
It was scary at times and I really felt for her.
A really well written book not what I usually read but well worth reading.
Would have liked to know what treatment they do now or maybe that`s another book.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC

Posted to Goodreads

This is an intelligent read written with searing heartbreak and honesty. Whilst very disturbing, it does make the reader think about how as a society we need to do better. The author's honesty about her own schemas makes it all the more relatable.

As a thriller writer, this book was eye-opening and fascinating! I could not put it down! Thank you for such an amazing insight into a role I would never have the strength to do myself. Highly recommend this book! It's captivating, honest, raw and gripping.

I don’t know how to rate this one so I’m going to leave it rating free.

It’s uncomfortable, edge of your seat squirming level of discomfort.

I don’t know whether to be proud of the author or utterly stunned that they were able to get a job in such a high security prison shortly after graduating. For me their inexperience shone through and there were numerous examples of power imbalances throughout including their relationship with Daniel - “despite the passion, he is manipulative and selfish”. That was unfortunately very abundant from the word go, although selfish is an interesting word when self aware.

The interactions with the prisoners was interesting and I would have been liked to know where more ended up. However, there were numerous instances where the author sounded like she had befriended the men “I have coped with hearing the offences and genuinely grown to like some of them as people, seeing beyond what they have done”. Maybe it’s because I’m not a psychologist but the repeated use of this kind of phraseology made the crimes seem insignificant and not like they were huge threat to not only the authors safety but also the general public. I found this particularly unnerving.

The ending gave me no further answers to the many questions I’m left with.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper for the advanced ebook

An interesting exploration of a small group of men's motivations for their sexual offences and a psychologist's work with them.
While it was good to see the progression - or not in some cases - of the men in the group, I would've been interested in reading about other cases the author worked on. Sometimes it felt rather drawn out.
Some will find details of the cases hard to read, but it's obvious enough with a book like this that you should expect graphic details.

In ‘Inside Job,’ Dr Rebecca Myers (Forensic Psychologist) talks about her experiences running her first sex offender training programme in a prison when a 22yr old trainee during the late 1990’s. In it she describes supporting six men who have committed horrific sexual crimes, in addition to burglary, assault and murder, to understand the reasons why they committed them and to develop strategies to prevent it happening again. Myers also talks about her thoughts and feelings as a trainee in the prison environment, her mistakes and worries, and aspects of her personal life.

As a psychologist who trained in the early 2000’s and who has also run a sex offender training programme (albeit in the community with people with a learning disability) I could relate to a lot of Myers writing. I found it a very accurate representation of the group process and was impressed by the way she has turned it almost into a crime novel. Myers writing style is really clear and engaging and she carefully balances compassion for the men with revulsion for their crimes, and fear of the harm they can cause her. I am sure lots of the case studies presented are composites, partly due to confidentiality and also this book being written 30yrs later, but they came across as authentic.The only difficulty I had was with the relationship Myers describes having with a fellow prison officer and co facilitator of the group. Whilst she describes this being common in the prison milleu, I did question the professionalism and unknown or unacknowledged impact on the group and the third facilitator. However she is honest to have included it and it helps to show that psychologists are imperfect and human.

My thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Uk for a copy of “ Inside Job” for an honest review.

This was a very interesting insight into the work of prison psychologist Dr Rebecca Myers ,someone who deals With prisoners who carry out serious sexual and violent acts.
It is not an enjoyable read, indeed it is very hard to get through reading the details , but it is fascinating to see how a program ,to get into the minds of such prisoners can begin to explain how someone can find it possible to inflict such pain on others .
Thought provoking memoir

Really interesting and gripping book with a real insight of a forensic psychologist in the carceral system. A job in the sex offender therapy program is terrifying but definitely makes a fantastic book. Without being sensationalizing or voyeuristic, it revolves around human stories and traumas and really sucks you in. I read it in one sitting, a real gem!

An excellent expose of quite a hidden world, and a world most of us wouldn't want to explore ordinarily. But the author manages to create quite an emotional and engaging read out of absolutely horrific material.
Despite feeling quite repulsed by the acts described I could see through them to the men behind them, like the author tries to do with her work, and manages to do with her words here.

I became strangely invested in the the group of men the author works with, and the staff she works alongside and found myself rooting for everyone involved (bar a few irredeemable characters). Some of the stories were so extraordinary I sometimes forgot that these were real people and it almost felt like reading a novel sometimes, but the 'truth is stranger than fiction' cliché is just awful in this context.

I was astounded at the psychology techniques described - the pen in the leg anyone? - and found the procedures and research really interesting.

The author also reveals some of herself and how her psychology parallels the men she is treating, so there is some internal struggle and discussion about who we are and why we do what we do, which added more depth and personality. There were some throwaway lines about her relationships that could have done with some more explaining but overall I liked getting to know Rebecca and her colleagues and patients.

The final chapters about the changing techniques over the years and the catch up on some of the men were brilliant. I was desperate to know what happened to a few of them, information that the author didn't know either, and weirdly I have gone from thinking 'throw away the key' to hoping that after their punishments there was some redemption.

This isn’t my usual type of read but I was intrigued by the fact it’s based on the authors own experiences.

If you’re a fan of true crime or shows like Mindhunter then you’ll definitely get a kick out of this book.

In this gripping, hard hitting memoir, Dr Rebecca Myers revisits her time in the ‘Hot Seat’ with Graymoor’s infamous inmates - who might not be as different to us as we think.

First of all this book isn’t for the faint of heart, you’re going to hear from rapists and child molesters but it is interesting and thought provoking to hear from their perspective and that of a psychologist. Straight away you can tell that you’re reading the work of someone’s life experience. I was glued straight away and couldn’t stop myself from reading. I wanted to find out more about the inmates and the work Dr Rebecca Myers was doing but I also wanted to know about Rebecca’s personal life and how and if she could turn her work mind off after hearing such awful things.

Overall this was a thought provoking and gripping read which caused a mixture of emotions. If you’re a fan of true crime then this would definitely be the book for you.