TuesReviews: Prison Doctor

Prison Doctor

By Dr Amanda Brown

Published 2019

Author, Dr Amanda Brown, worked in private practice for 30 years in England. However, a policy change conflicted with her personal values. So, she found herself adapting as a prison doctor - the next job she could find.

This book gives astounding insight into the tragedies, the horrors, the humour, the compassion, and the gratitude Dr Brown came to know time and again, while working in three different prisons. She divulges how she tackled boys youth, adult men's, and adult women's prisons in three parts of the book.

There are endless anecdotes in Prison Doctor worth sharing. It's best to sum it up with a line from the synopsis on the back of the book:

"From miraculous pregnancies to dirty protest, and from violent attacks on prisoners to heartbreaking acts of self-harm, she has witnessed it all from her patients."

And it delivers. The most fascinating part to me was how often severe sexual and physical trauma was the cause of drug use leading to incarceration for women, but much less so for men.

I considered I may feel disheartened reading such a book, but Dr Brown expels any such experience with her positive and appreciative point of view.

This book was a breeze to read, and very well written. It has sequels, so fans will be pleased.

4.5⭐️