Listen to a sample
The Prison Teacher
- Author
- Mim Skinner
- Narrator
- Mim Skinner
- Publisher
- Orion
- Publish Date
- 30 May 2019
- Run Time
- 6 hours 50 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
What to expect
***
"Did you know . . .
. . . that 48 per cent of the women in prison have committed an offence in order to support the drug use of someone else?
. . . that 46 per cent of women in prison report having attempted suicide once in their lifetime?
. . . or that over half of the women in prison have been victims of more serious crimes than the ones they've been convicted of?
But this isn't a book about statistics. It's a book about the individual stories of women caught up in our creaking and under-resourced prison system. Women who commit crimes in order get a roof over their head, who star in prison pantomimes and who deal drugs with Apprentice-style entrepreneurship. It's about those who won their battles with addiction or mental health, and those that didn't. About those who will never come back to prison, and those for whom it's the only safe space they've ever known.
Headlines and news reports of prison leave us with a boiled-down narrative of goodies and baddies - violent offenders, neglectful mothers and incurable psychopaths if you read one paper, or cruel officers, the evil establishment and sexist judges if you read another. But, very rarely, just humans. When I started working in prisons, part of me expected to find this pantomime cast of characters. Instead I met wonderful, funny, brave and resilient people with complicated stories - on both sides of the bars.
Come inside with me and meet them."
Critics Review
-
I've never read a book like Jailbirds before - which shows quite how much we need it. It is very funny and very important and reminds us that women in jail are still women worth listening to. I'm only grateful - for them, and for us - that Mim was listening.
Pandora Sykes
-
Mim's warmth and understanding make for a humane, sometimes humorous, and always perceptive account of prison life. This book is a fine achievement.
Ken Loach
-
Jailbirds is a very real and powerful account of living and working in a women's prison - with all the complexities, pain, frustrations and hope to be encountered there. It's a really accessible, engaging read and we will be recommending it to new staff as part of their induction.
Kate Paradine, CEO of Women in Prison
-
Skinner's warmth and empathy radiates from the pages in this eye-opening read. Humbling, hopeful and wryly hilarious in equal measure, it serves as a powerful reminder about the importance that women's voices - even behind bars - deserve to be heard.
SUNDAY HERALD
See more reviews See fewer reviews
-
Skinner's book is full of nitty-gritty details of life inside, and peppered with stories (some tragic, some funny, some poignant, all real) of the women who make up Britain's female prison population.
THE OBSERVER
User Reviews
No reviews yet.
Details
- Author
- Mim Skinner
- Narrator
- Mim Skinner
- Duration
- 6 hours 50 minutes
- Release Date
- 30 May 2019
- ISBN
- 9781841883816
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Orion
- Genre
- Gender studies: women and girls, Prison law
Synopsis
Darkly funny, heartbreakingly poignant and stark in its revelations about the UK's attitude towards people on the fringes of society and women in general, JAILBIRDS is this year's book you need to read.***"Did you know . . . . . . that 48 per cent of the women in prison have committed an offence in order to support the drug use of someone else?. . . that 46 per cent of women in prison report having attempted suicide once in their lifetime?. . . or that over half of the women in prison have been victims of more serious crimes than the ones they've been convicted of?But this isn't a book about statistics. It's a book about the individual stories of women caught up in our creaking and under-resourced prison system. Women who commit crimes in order get a roof over their head, who star in prison pantomimes and who deal drugs with Apprentice-style entrepreneurship. It's about those who won their battles with addiction or mental health, and those that didn't. About those who will never come back to prison, and those for whom it's the only safe space they've ever known.Headlines and news reports of prison leave us with a boiled-down narrative of goodies and baddies - violent offenders, neglectful mothers and incurable psychopaths if you read one paper, or cruel officers, the evil establishment and sexist judges if you read another. But, very rarely, just humans. When I started working in prisons, part of me expected to find this pantomime cast of characters. Instead I met wonderful, funny, brave and resilient people with complicated stories - on both sides of the bars. Come inside with me and meet them."
About xigxag
xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK's only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.
There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.
Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.
Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.