Review: Amanda Brown – The Prison Doctor

The Prison Doctor
Amanda Brown

“Dr Amanda Brown has treated inmates in the UK’s most infamous prisons – first in young offenders’ institutions, then at the notorious Wormwood Scrubs and finally at Europe’s largest women-only prison in Europe, Bronzefield. From miraculous pregnancies to dirty protests, and from violent attacks on prisoners to heartbreaking acts of self-harm, she has witnessed it all. In this memoir, Amanda reveals the stories, the patients and the cases that have shaped a career helping those most of us would rather forget.”

I’m always keen to read medical stuff. I’m not quite sure what I expected from this book though. I think I could have had more juicy medical stories in terms of ailments treated, rather than the somewhat introspective tone approach taken here. As the Prison Doctor says though, it’s not her job technically to judge based on the prisoners’ crimes, it’s up to her to treat their medical problems.

Perhaps reading this sharply on the heels of I am a Killer has desensitised me to crime and criminals? They did what they did, now they do their time. Sometimes I wonder whether death would be a kinder sentence, particularly with how many try to kill themselves or self-harm in horrifying ways. We have to remember though that this book only addresses some of the criminals in the system, and the doctor can’t possibly see everyone. That means there’s some people whose stories are hidden – and will continue to have this. I’m not going to pretend to be an expert in criminology.

Are my complaints going to prevent me from reading the next book in the series? Hmm, probably not. I wouldn’t bother purchasing this book though, I’d just find a copy at my local library or borrow from a friend. It’s an easier read, and I’m not judging it for that.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.