The Prison Doctor + The Prison Doctor : Women Inside - Dr. Amanda Brown
Rating : ★★★★★ / ★★★★★
The Prison Doctor books were by far the most engaging, interesting and insightful books I have read in a long time. The two books tell stories of Dr Amanda Brown working in prisons as a doctor, showing pure, rich emotion and reality.
Would I recommend a read?
TL;DR 100% absolutely! These two books are unlike anything else I have found in this genre ( so far ;) ).
The 'too-long' section:
When my mum first handed me these books, I shoved them right at the bottom of my pile, trying to prioritise the books that 'meant more' or were 'talked about' more in medical student group chats that I am in. I'd never heard of the series and regarded it as less important, as if the idea of working in a prison was a fantasy and the book could not be an actually recollection of stories of inmates. So, when I picked up the book one sunny morning and immediately fell in love, it was a major surprise!
The Prison Doctor (1) is a compilation of stories from a male prison, with Dr Amanda Brown looking into many cases of inmates with an honest and respectful view. One of the most memorable points in the book (in my opinion) is in the very first chapters, when Dr Brown decided to follow her morals instead of pushing them to the side and continuing to work in her GP. This leads to her finding work in a prison, a demanding but somewhat heartfelt experience. Dr Brown writes a moving story for each case, outlining each detail so that as a reader, we know the whole patient. She writes about difficulties the staff and inmates find themselves with, her views of the prison system and her connections with the inmates as their doctor. Definitely an amazing read and I would advise anyone interested to read at least the first book of the two.
The Prison Doctor : Women Inside (2) follows Dr Brown as she moves from the previous male prisons to an all-female prison due to complications with a common drug used in prisons (no spoilers!). This second book does contain many mentions of serious assault, and I believe that this book looks more at the prisoners as people and members of society rather than medicine, though medicine is obviously mentioned. Hearing the perspectives of women in prison, their lives, their crimes and their health is fascinating in almost every way possible.
Overall, these books are my first 5 star read in this series! Easy to read and understand, and a deep breath of fresh air from a stressful life, I could not recommend these books more.