The British prison service is trapped in a cycle of destruction

When andy laylaw He started working as a prison guard in 1998, it was “a nice job”. There were “low lows” and “high highs,” but it was mostly safe and you “could feel like you were making a difference.” Laidlaw, a straight-talking Scouser, rose through the ranks and eventually became deputy governor. He describes the job – which required the skills to deal with the most problematic people and the dexterity to “be attacked safely” – with pride. The best officers were a “mixture of Kofi Annan and a MMA champion”.