The Prison Doctor: The Final Sentence by Doctor Amanda Brown

The Prison Doctor: The Final Sentence by Amanda Brown
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 222

Publisher - HQ Stories

Source - bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Revisit the wold of The Prison Doctor, as she describes stories of her time spent with foreign national prisoners.



In true Prison Doctor style Dr Amanda Brown tells heartbreaking stories with warmth and compassion of her time spent working with prisoners whose fate of deportation hangs in the balance.


Including moving and memorable stories, such as a Nigerian man who’s dying of cancer and wants to do so with his family around him rather than be deported back to his country where he will die alone, and a Ghanian who is terrified to return home as he knows certain death awaits him there because he’s gay, Dr Amanda describes how in the end she can only do what she does best. And that’s take care of her patients while they’re in prison.


My Review

I have read the previous two books in this trilogy and followed doctor Brown's storyline of her career working from within a GP and onto prison settings. The stories follow what she has seen, dealt with and the horrific things prisons have seen/done to themselves and had done to them. This book is different, now she is working with prisoners who are up for potentially being deported.

I had expected much of the same as the previous two books but this one has a bit of a hollower feeling - I think that is the word I am looking for. Normally we get lots of different people, cases, emergencies, conditions. I think there are a handful people's stories and some were really sad but I expected more. I just felt like this book hadn't gave me as much both in terms of people featured and their stories.

The writing is fine as it was, I would absolutely read more by her and I am always interested in any kind of healthcare stories. I think in prison and prison stories (true stories) it gives people a chance to see just how tough it can be in terms of management of conditions, mental health, access to care but I didn't really get that from this one. Sure if featured some bit it was flashes.

We also hear a bit more of her career and it was nice to see her reunited with previous colleagues and changes in a place she had previously worked (reshaped for completely different type of individuals).

So whilst I found it interested I felt it had a lot less offered than previous books, 3/5 for me this time.

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The Prison Doctor Women Inside by Doctor Amanda Brown

The Prison Doctor: Women Inside: Stories from my time inside Britain’s biggest women’s prison. by Amanda Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 288

Publisher -

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

From the Sunday Times bestselling author Dr Amanda Brown.

Insights into the world of a Prison Doctor, this time taking us deeper into the walls of Bronzefield, the UK’s biggest women’s prison.

From the drug addicts who call Amanda ‘the mother I never had’ to the women who’ve pushed back at domestic abuse, to women close to release in their 70s, who just want to stay in the place that they’ve always known, these are stories that are heartbreaking, harrowing and heart-warming. Amanda listens, prescribes, and does what she can. After all, she’s their doctor.


My Review

This is the second book by Doctor Brown, you don't need to have read the first to read this one. Doc Brown recounts some of the situations she has encountered in her time working in the prisons and many of the people she has treated or came across.

I think it is so easy to judge folk, people in prison, people with habits - often a combination of both. I think what this does is helps you get past potential prejudices, realise in many cases it really is before the grace of God go I. We get brief glimpses of some of the women she has met, treated and been affected by. A stark realisation of what prison life can be like for these poor woman.

After reading this I started looking into donations for women's prisons charities and hopefully once you read this book you may be a bit more understanding or less judgmental of people (not just women) behind bars. A look at the medical issues these women present with, the difference between care readily available at the call of a cab or your gp. If you haven't read the first book it is really interesting so please check it out. I hope she writes more about her experiences, I think these books are so important for your "average joe". In a world where we need more understanding and kindness, I think these books give a bit of insight into other peoples hardships. 4.5/5 for me this time - recommend for sure and like I say I hope she writes more.

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The Prison Doctor by Dr Amanda Brown

The Prison Doctor by Amanda Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1.5 days

Pages - 288

Publisher - H Q Stories

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

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.


My Review

Meet Doctor Amanda Brown, a GP who set up her own practice and looked after thousands of patients in her community. When her partners focus more on bringing in money via bonuses than patient focus being number one she has had enough. After a few choices/actions Amanda takes the steps to working as a doctor in the prisons, these are her stories of just some of the things she has seen and done.

From just knowing this is about health care in a prison everyone should know it is likely to be brutal, it is. Some of the things that happen to these people, how desperate they are and some of their own behaviors is pretty distressing.

It takes a very brave person to work in a prison and we see through Doctor Brown and her colleagues the passion and drive they have to do so. This is not a book for someone with a weak stomach or easily upset. There is violence, abuse, self harm, blood, distressing scenes and the stark reality of what it is like giving care to those who are in prison.

Compelling reading, really sad in places to be honest and dark. Whether you work in a healthcare setting or do something completely different I think this book is an eye opener and many people would find it interesting, I don't want to say would like it as it isn't the appropriate word due to some of the content. 4/5 for me, I would absolutely read more by this author or around this type of topic.

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