Behind these Doors

A Radio 4 Book of the Week

'Powerful' Observer

'Superb' Daily Mail

'Brilliant' Radio Times

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Few people leave prison unchanged. It's a place heavy with suffering, a place where you will find dangerous, vulnerable, and forgotten people. But for Alex South, it was a place where she also found hope.

In this powerful and moving memoir, Alex attempts to make sense of her experiences in prison by confronting the harsh reality of life on the inside and examining them from different angles. In an overwhelmingly masculine environment, where strength and aggression are routinely on show, Alex's view is particularly important.

Capturing the confusion and contradictions of prison, Alex presents a life that is often hidden from the public. Changing our perceptions, Behind These Doors shows the many devastating, but often inspiring, consequences prison can have.

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'I was completely gripped whilst reading it - it's such a powerful memoir and one that shines a light into a world most of the public rarely see.' Nikki Smith, author of The Beach Party

'A true, compassionate and honest account of what it is to work in our prisons.' Dr Gwen Adshead, Sunday Timesbestselling author of The Devil You Know

'This is a beautifully written account about hope and optimism, of humanity, realism, resilience and the complexity of people.' Professor David Wilson

'This beautiful book really resonated for me as a true, compassionate and honest account of what it is to work in our prisons; and the massive political challenges that go with incarceration.' Dr. Gwen Adshead, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Devil You Know
'This is a beautifully written account about hope and optimism, of humanity, realism, resilience and the complexity of people - some of whom wear a uniform and others who don't. Oh and it's also an account that's personal, warm and inspiring and so perhaps you'll be surprised when I tell you it's a book about prison and the people who live and work there. I'm just sorry that not all Prison Officers are like Alex South.' Professor David Wilson
'I was completely gripped whilst reading it - it's such a powerful memoir and one that shines a light into a world most of the public rarely see, but need a greater understanding of if the system is to change for the better. A fascinating and heart-breaking insight into those who work in the prison system as well as those incarcerated within it.' Nikki Smith, author of The Beach Party
'A vivid, unsentimental insight into a world that needs to be seen.' The Observer
'Brilliant' Radio Times

Alex South is a former Prison Officer with ten years' experience working for Her Majesty's Prison Service. She has worked at HMP Whittemore, HMP Wormwood Scrubs and HMP Belmarsh as an Officer, Senior Officer and Custodial Manager. During her time at these prisons, Alex was deployed to numerous live incidents in her capacity as a trained riot commander and hostage negotiator.

In 2017, Alex was awarded a Winston Churchill Fellowship to travel abroad and research the impact on prison officers of their working environment. Alex has a BSc in Psychology and Criminology and a Masters in Forensic Psychology, both with the Open University. In 2020, she won first place in the Beechmore Life Writing Competition. Her entry considered the effect prison has on a 21-year-old prisoner at the beginning of his first sentence, and an experienced officer on the brink of burnout

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