Unlocked

An Irish Prison Officer’s Story

David McDonald, Mick Clifford

$35

Paperback

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English

Penguin Books Ltd
26 January 2023

True crime; Prisons

The extraordinarily revealing memoir of life in Ireland's biggest prisons from a retired officer

For thirty years, David McDonald was a prison officer in some of Ireland's most notorious institutions. His baptism by fire was in Mountjoy in Dublin. A chaotic, pungent and overcrowded place, he experienced the primitive way in which order was kept, and spent over a year working with prisoners with AIDS who were treated in an appalling manner.

Next he transferred to Europe's most secure facility- Portlaoise. Guarding IRA subversives, and high-profile gang members and violent offenders known as the 'heavies' - including John Gilligan, Christy Kinahan, Brian Meehan, Dessie O'Hare and Graham Dwyer - he had to be ready for anything. Tackling rioters and foiling inventive contraband schemes were all in a day's work.

Promoted to Assistant Chief Officer in 2000 and transferred to the new Midlands Prison, he took charge of the protection wing where prisoners who are deemed to be at risk from other prisoners are housed. Yet the harshness of prison life and the myriad issues caused by drug addiction would leave him questioning what is often a brutal and inadequate system. Serious concerns about how some situations were handled led to McDonald becoming a thorn in the side of prison management. Ultimately his concerns led to him becoming a whistle-blower. Now, writing with award-winning journalist Mick Clifford, David describes in vivid detail the sheer power afforded to prison officers, and the vulnerability that comes with being outnumbered by inmates; the tension punctuated by extreme violence, and the human moments between inmates and officers. Unlocked is a jaw-dropping and authentic account of life in the toughest of workplaces.

By: David McDonald, Mick Clifford
Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 198mm, Width: 129mm, Spine: 18mm
Weight: 213g
ISBN: 9780241996669
ISBN 10: 024199666X
Pages: 304
Publication Date: 26 January 2023
Audience: General/trade , Professional and scholarly , College/higher education , ELT Advanced , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

David McDonald (Author) David McDonald is a retired prison officer from Portlaoise. He has worked in some of the largest prisons in Ireland including Mountjoy and Portlaoise. He was Assistant Chief Officer in the Midlands prison. Unlocked is his first book. Mick Clifford (Author) Michael 'Mick' Clifford is Special Correspondent for the Irish Examiner. He has worked in print and broadcast journalism for over twenty years. He is the author of three non-fiction books, including Bertie Ahern and the Drumcondra Mafia (with Shane Coleman), A Force for Justice- The Maurice McCabe Story, and two crime novels. In 2014, TV3's Tonight with Vincent Browne programme selected him as Journalist of the Year for his coverage of the garda whistle-blower story. He was named the newspaper industry's Journalist of the Year in 2016. He lives in Dublin.

Reviews for Unlocked: An Irish Prison Officer’s Story

An extraordinary behind-the-scenes look at the hidden world of Irish prisoners . . . it's a fascinating book -- Brendan O'Connor Such a good read - it's amazing some of the stories -- Muireann O'Connell * Ireland AM * Cracking -- Matt Cooper * Today FM * Illuminating . . . Every chapter contains a wealth of piquant facts and stories * Irish Times * Thought-provoking . . . this unsettling but important book does a fine job of holding [prisons] up to the light -- Andrew Lynch * Business Post * Gripping and thought-provoking . . . takes us behind the prison walls and shows us the many sides of a complex world * RTE Guide *