A Prison Diary Volume II: Purgatory

The number one bestseller continues his vital account of life inside the British penal system.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 336 pages
Publication date: 06 April 2023
Publisher: Pan Macmillan

On August 9, 2001, twenty-two days after Jeffrey Archer was sentenced to four years in prison for perjury, he was transferred from HMP Belmarsh, a double-A Category high-security prison in south London, to HMP Wayland, a Category C establishment in Norfolk. He served sixty-seven days in Wayland and during that time, as this account testifies, encountered not only the daily degradations of a dangerously over-stretched prison service but also the spirit and courage of his fellow inmates.

Archer's experiences in Wayland are harrowing and revealing. He describes the cramped and dilapidated conditions, the lack of basic amenities, and the pervasive sense of fear and despair among the inmates. He also shares his observations of the prison staff, who he describes as indifferent, abusive, and often corrupt.

Despite the overwhelming challenges Archer faced in Wayland, he refused to be defeated. He used his time in prison to educate himself, write, and engage in political activism. He became a mentor to other inmates, offering them support and guidance in their struggles to survive in the harsh prison system.

Prison Diary Volume II: Purgatory is an extraordinary work of non-fiction, where Archer reveals what life is like inside the walls of Britain's prisons. It is a powerful and eye-opening account of the human cost of mass incarceration and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity. Archer's writing is raw, honest, and compelling, and his experiences will leave readers deeply affected.

In conclusion, Prison Diary Volume II: Purgatory is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the criminal justice system, the human cost of incarceration, and the power of hope and resilience in the face of adversity. Archer's writing is a testament to the human spirit's ability to overcome even the most challenging circumstances and to emerge stronger and more compassionate than before.

Weight: 242g
Dimension: 129 x 198 x 26 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781509808885