| Screwed: The Truth About Life as a Prison Officer | |
|---|---|
| Author(s) | Ronnie Thompson |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Non-fiction, Autobiography |
| Publisher | Headline Publishing Group |
| Publication date | January 24, 2008 |
| Media type | Hardcover |
| Pages | 352 |
| ISBN | 978-0755316663 |
Screwed: The Truth About Life as a Prison Officer is a non-fiction book written by ex-prison officer-turned-author Ronnie Thompson (a pseudonym). The book was first published by Headline Review on 24 January 2008 in hardback.
Screwed is Ronnie Thompson's account of his time serving seven years in some of the UK's toughest jails. The action is set around "HMP Romwell", a fictional prison. Thompson created HMP Romwell to protect the identities of the establishments he worked in and the colleagues he worked with. Throughout the book, the author describes his day-to-day duties. It is a "warts and all" memoir; Thompson does not hold back his views about being a prison officer in the 21st century.
The book led to acclaim and controversy. The book was praised by serving officers, serving prisoners, and magistrates. Debate resulted from the commonly-avoided social issues Thompson deals with. Furthermore, the book's brutality and obscene vocabulary led to criticism, but Thompson insists that this is a reflection of how prison life is and how he lived.