The Prison Doctor: Women Inside by Dr Amanda Brown

 The Prison Doctor: Women Inside is an amazing book about the stories Dr Amanda Brown has heard during her time in Bronzefield Women's prison and how we should all listen to those who commit crimes and do more to help. This book makes it clear that for many people there is a reason to commit crimes or to try and get into prison and many of these people need help in their lives so they can move away from the criminal justice system and live a happier life. However, as it is seen in this book, this is hardly ever the case due to lack of support and sentences which are too short. 

I like this book for many reasons. Firstly, it was interesting hearing about what Dr Brown thinks of the Criminal Justice system and how she thinks about her job. It was amazing hearing about how great it can be to work in a prison and although it can be a challenging job it can also be a very awarding job that allows you to become a better person. You learn how you should not judge anyone when you do not know their story and always be careful with what words you choose to use. It was also great to hear about so many stories of so many women who have been to Bronzefield and how they ended up in prison. What's more, it was also interesting to hear how many prisoners have many things in common such as bad childhood, abusive relationships and even rape, self-harm or mental health disorders which all provide us with food for thought. This book contains many morals.

This book is a valuable tool as it can clearly show us that our criminal justice system is not the best it can be and that we need to fix it and societies attitudes towards punishment. There are clearly some crimes that are so bad that the person should never be forgiven and in my opinion, should qualify for capital punishment, however, for those who have committed less severe crimes, we should listen to them and see how they ended up in prison and try and help them improve their lives. It is mentioned in this book that many of the women are homeless and they will remain homeless and will keep committing crimes hence keep coming to prison. They are stuck in a cycle with a lack of support to break this cycle.

There is nothing I dislike about this book as it is an excellent food for thought and It is really interesting listening to the stories of so many women as well as what Dr Brown herself has had to say. I have enjoyed this book so much that I am really considering buying and reading the first book of Dr Amanda Brown. What is most interesting is that this is a book I brought kind of by accident due to a closing down book sale and it would most likely be a book I would have normally overlooked, but I am glad I did pick this book up because I have really enjoyed it and so I think a lesson I have learnt is to try many different books and as the old saying goes- 'never judge a book by its cover'!

Altogether, I rate this book 5 stars as it really is a great book that is really educational for everyone. It shows the reader that people commit crimes for many reasons and if they were given the right support then they would not need to commit crimes. There are also crimes that people may do for no reason but most of the time many if the prisoners do feel regret and remorse and only want to get their lives on track. Thank you Dr Amanda Brown for sharing such touching and interesting stories.