I have been to Hell, then Purgatory and now I find myself in Heaven.
The final volume of Lord Jeffrey Archer's prison diaries covers the period of his transfer from Wayland to his eventual release on parole in July 2003. It includes a shocking account of the traumatic time he spent in the notorious Lincoln jail (23 days) and the events that led to his incarceration there - it also throws light on a system that is close to breaking point.
Told with humour, compassion and honesty, the final diary closes with a thought-provoking manifesto that should be applauded by the Establishment and prison population alike.
During his incarceration, Jeffrey Archer wrote three volumes of prison diaries:
Volume One - Belmarsh: Hell
Volume Two - Wayland: Purgatory
Volume Three - North Sea Camp: Heaven
Not long after his release, Lord Archer wrote his first screenplay, Mallory: Walking off the Map, ran the Flora London Marathon and worked on False Impression (2005). Anyone interested in reading short prison stories based on Lord Archer's experiences in four different prisons during his incarceration can read Cat of Nine Tales (2005).
A Prison Diary: Volume III, Heaven was first published in 2004 and covered the period of Lord Archer's incarceration from 15 October 2001 (Day 89) to 21 July 2003 (Day 729), when he was finally released and returned home.
Ironically, I find Volume Three the most fascinating and interesting account of Lord Archer's time in a D-category prison or what is known as an open prison, where there are no electric gates, no high walls nor razor wire. A much recommended prison diary trilogy to get an insight into the bleak penal system in modern day Britain and of the drug culture in Britain.
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