David Berridge

David Berridge joined the prison service in 1992, three weeks short of his 32nd birthday. He started his training at HMP Shrewsbury and then spent the next 22 years on the Parkhurst landings, dealing with the country's most violent and badly-behaved prisoners. During his time there he worked amongst Category A inmates, including serial killers, terrorists and armed robbers, in a dispersal unit, mentally ill inmates in a high security psychiatric unit, and high-risk inmates in a protected witness unit. Six years ago he moved to HMP Albany.

David retired last year at the age of sixty. He is keen to use this book to raise awareness about the many problems our prison services are facing.