Maximum Insecurity: A Doctor in the Supermax

by William Wright

*** Soon to be TV Series***

Winner 2014 Global Ebook Awards in the Non-Fiction True Crime Category.

Runner Up in the General Non-Fiction category at the 2014 Hollywood Book Festival.

Triple Finalist in the Readers' Favorite 2014 Award Contest.

Gold Medal in the Non-Fiction Occupational category at the 2014 Readers' Favorite Book Awards

After three decades as a successful ear surgeon, William Wright, MD is bored beyond belief. He dabbles with retirement, but finds idleness infuriating. He has to do something. Then he sees an ad for a doctor’s position from the Colorado Department of Corrections at a supermax prison. Now that, he thinks, would be different. His wife has some thoughts on the matter too. She thinks her husband just lost his mind and is on a collision course with a prison shiv. After his first day on the job, he wonders if she wasn’t onto something. His first patient is an arrogant, callous youth convicted of five cold-blooded murders. Dr. Wright has to steel himself not to bolt. Nothing prepares a doctor for life at the Colorado State Penitentiary. He quickly discovers treating maximum security convicts is like treating recalcitrant murderous four-year-olds. Always willing to threaten their doctors with bodily harm, they are more interested in scamming drugs than treatment. Told with self-depreciating humor and scathing wit, Maximum Insecurity describes Dr. Wright’s adventures practicing medicine in a supermax correctional facility without, he’s glad to say, getting killed even once.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Medical, Medicine, Humor, Crime, True Crime

257 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 11, 2013

About the author

I was an ear surgeon in Indianapolis before burning out and trying to retire. A second career fell into my lap with a job as the physician at the Colorado State Penitentiary, the state's maximum-security prison.

The experience was weird enough for me to write a book about it, Maximum Insecurity. If you've always wondered what really goes on in a supermax prison, especially trying to practice medicine in one, check it out at http://www.WilliamWrightBooks.com.

A sequel about being the medical director at the El Paso County Criminal Justice Center (the county jail) was published 12/14. Come see it at http://www.WilliamWrightBooks.com.

Now, here's the official bio:

A resident of Colorado Springs, William “Bill” Wright, MD earned his medical degree at the University of Michigan. After working as an ear surgeon for thirty years, Bill spent eight years practicing correctional medicine with the Colorado Department of Corrections. He has published over fifty medical journal articles. Maximum Insecurity is the light-hearted adventure of Wright’s career practicing medicine in a supermax correctional facility.

A commercial artist and private pilot, Bill has three black belts and is a certified instructor of Aikido and Tae Kwan Do. He is married, with four children and six grandchildren.

Reviews

[Petra X]

There is one terrible statistic in the book. It is that children who have a mother in prison are six times more likely to be incarcerated themselves than children who live in poverty but don't have a mother in prison. Half of all female juveniles and a quarter of all male juveniles in detention have had a parent in prison. Three-quarters of all women in prison have two or three children under the age of 18 at home. Almost 100% of women sent to prison get divorced by their husbands.

It would seem that from every angle, unless it is for the protection of society from a very violent person, it might be better to seek other means of punishment for women. It makes no sense for society to have so many juvenile delinquents and future criminals being being literally made by the system, when there are other possibilities that would preserve the mother at home with her children.

There are ankle bracelets, house arrest, possibly family hostels, probation and legalising sex workers. Prostitution as a crime is kind of criminal thinking. It is the same thinking but much, much worse, than restricting abortions. It is the State wanting to own and control women, which they do not do to men. Not even if they are customers of sex workers.

But whatever means there are from an economic point of view, a humanitarian one, or even the general happiness of society, locking women up for crimes that are not dangerous to society is resulting in a lot more criminals than there would otherwise be.

[Theresa Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read several books about the prison system in America from the perspective of inmates or former inmates. Reading from the perspective of a civilian (Dr. Wright) who works in the prison system was an interesting point of view.

In real-world private practice, patients generally try to be as truthful as possible about their medical history and whatever pain they’re experiencing so they can be treated properly for whatever problem brought them to a doctor. Dr. Wright was an ear doctor performing surgeries and helping people who experience dizziness. He’d gotten tired of the endless paperwork hoops of private practice, but retirement didn’t suit him either. When he saw the opening at the Colorado State Penitentiary, he took the job, though his wife was dubious.

CSP isn’t like other prisons in that it houses the worst of the worst—men who couldn’t follow the rules of other prisons. For example, “don’t murder the correctional officers.” The inmates are locked up twenty-three hours a day and they don’t get contact visits with friends and relatives, which means it’s harder for them to attain drugs, although C.O.’s who want to boost their salaries can be counted on to bring in drugs. The inmates also do their best to trick Dr. Wright to give them drugs. Percocet is a favorite.

Many of the men complain of “excruciating” shoulder pain. Dr. Wright then asks how many push-ups they do a day. A typical answer might be, “Nine hundred, twice a day.” His prescription is not the Percocet they beg for, but maybe to do a few hundred less push-ups a day.

The book starts to get repetitive and there doesn’t seem to be a discernable arc. There are lots of funny asides and anecdotes, but it mostly read like I was reading Dr. Wright’s diary. Though he was dealing with pedophiles and rapists and murderers, he seems remarkably calm about it, so there wasn’t tension that he’d get seriously hurt by any of the bad guys, who he examined while they were shackled with two C.O.s hovering nearby, ready to pounce if the inmate got any sketchy ideas.
In Colorado where I live, Wright writes that many of the major Colorado highways were built by prison labor, as well as the route to the scenic Royal Gorge. He writes that homosexual inmates were forced to wear dresses, even on work detail.

Getting the proper medication for prisoners isn’t always easy. If drug A doesn’t work, a doctor on the outside can prescribe drug B. On the inside, s/he needs permission from administrators, which s/he almost never gets, meaning inmates’ care can become exorbitant when emergency room visits come about. This is especially true for mentally ill inmates, a huge percentage of our prison population.

This was an interesting, enjoyable read.

For more of my reviews, please visit: http://www.theresaalan.net/blog

[Katrina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dr. Wright is the epitomization of all things wrong with our medical and correctional systems. With self-aggrandizing attitude, Dr. Wright dehumanizes his patients and uses them merely as foils to demonstrate his own moral and intellectual superiority. Even his colleagues and administrators aren't spared the indignity. By the end of the book I really wanted to smack the smug look off his face when he started waxing poetic about his commitment to the Hippocratic Oath.

It wouldn't be so bad if this were a work of non-fiction. But unfortunately this is a real doctor, treating real patients, in a real clinic. And rather than use this book as a platform to advocate for reforms to our prison medical system (which are desperately needed), the whole thing is one big ego-boosting circlejerk. Well done, Doc.

[Natalie Laufer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel sorry

I feel sorry

for both the doctor and offenders. The bureaucracy he endures is frustrating, but in all honesty, he shows very little humanity. He doesn't share a single detailed story that he doesn't allege malingering. Also, absolutely no analysis of mental health issues, or a sophisticated look at physical effects of long-term solitary. I'm sure he means well, but his left-handed accounts are chilling. Depressing .

[William Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I think it's marvelous since I wrote it, but the nurses and docs seem to think it portrays working in a supermax environment pretty well. It's not something that most of us will ever experience (hopefully) and it's a chance to look over the walls and see what a medical practice in a maximum-security prison is really like.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

The thing about memoirs is they generally fall into one of three categories: superbly interesting, moderately interesting with a little bit of puffery or lots of puffery and not very interesting. I would categorize this book as somewhere between the latter two, placing it slightly closer to moderately interesting.

What I liked about this book: it's kind of nice to know the supermax prisons are pretty safe places to work. Based on information shared from Dr Wright, mostly because the prisoners are confined 23/7 and escorted by two COs (correctional officers) everywhere they go. Unlike other lower grade III or IV prisons that might have general population. But supermax prisons is where the really crazy and repeat offenders go (those who murder and attach, often times within other prisons) and for the mentally ill (but not criminally insane fellows) go. These guys are sociopaths with no remorse and little intelligence. What they lack in intelligence they make up for in "reading between the lines". These guys are predators and can the read body language of others extremely well and think nothing of using to their advantage. COs and other peace officers are taught to ignore the prisoners as much as possible because one bad day at work and an offender will pounce on vulnerability or weakness of any kind. Case in point: "You having a bad day at work, aren't you? Yeah, I have bad days too." Next day: "Hey, what about bringing me a stamp" and next thing everyone finds out said person is now a drug mule for the offender. I guess it really does happen. I would suck at working in prison and also being in prison. Good thing I haven't done anything deserving of it.

What I did not like about the book: the personal life history of Dr Wright. I appreciate his sense of humor regarding what could easily be a depressing subject. His wit is pretty fast and funny but his hubris is rather large too. At point, he even came right out and said doctors are better than nurses because doctors have more education. He believes in hierarchy based on education. His snobbery comes in waves, when his humor ebbs. Another thing was the book length. I felt his book could have easily been cut in half and retained its same material.

All in all, I gave this book two stars because I honestly don't see myself recommending this as a good read to pretty much anyone. Sure, it had humor and was interesting but not enough to share with others. If I liked a book okay but did not love it: two stars.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. While the topic was interesting enough I couldn't get past the repetitive nature of the examples used in the narrative nor the condescending tone of the stories told. It was really off putting for me. The was one section at the end where I felt he tried to establish that prisoners aren't really too far removed from the rest of the human population but it was too little too late for me.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This memoir provides a behind the curtain look at life within the walls of a maximum security prison and the care and treatment prisoners receive. Combining two of my favourite genres, medical memoir and true crime, this was an ideal read for me and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Following the authors decision to move away from ear surgery, he decides somewhat randomly to apply for a job as medical officer to some of the most dangerous people in the state of Colorado. I enjoyed the authors depiction of life behind bars and the vast array of complaints described by the patients slash inmates.

As is with the case with the whole of the UK, inclusive of prisoners, free healthcare and minimally chargeable prescriptions, it was interesting to see how the healthcare system works with regard to wards of the state. Three dollars for an appointment seems okay by comparison to the amounts I've read are charged to civilians. You don't have to have healthcare insurance if you're a US prisoner, you get free emergency operations. By healthcare standards within the US, you're in a pretty good situation or so it seems.

Some might critique the writer for his attitude towards prisoners; for all his hesitations as he began his career chapter in prison, he soon becomes wise to the inmate experience and how many will try and play the system for drugs or free operations (if only for a change of scenery). The author also describes other aspects of prison life, from makeshift weapons, tales of attempted escapes and how contraband falls into the inmates hands.

I think critics of this book have been unfair in the writers portrayal of his career and relationship with his patients. Many of us have never have, or ever will, first hand experience of prison life; especially not the maximum security sort. Nor will many of us meet patients who are deemed criminally insane. Those who choose to put themselves on the frontline like this deserve our appreciation.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was especially excited to have won this book through First Reads because I recently read Running the Books, about a prison librarian and teacher, which I enjoyed quite a bit. Although I began reading with high hopes, I ultimately felt fairly ambivalent about this book.

First, the good: I like books that transport me to new places, expose me to new and unfamiliar cultures. This book definitely does that: the prison culture is quite foreign, and this was a strong introduction to the process of medical care in that setting.

Then, the bad: This book felt disconnected. There wasn't an over-arching theme -- except, of course, a long string of complaints. So much whining. "The system's so broken and unreasonable and illogical, and it would be so much better if they'd let me just do what I want!" Ad nauseum. It might be true, but the theme did get old and tired.

...And the ugly: I'm a pharmacy student. Dr. Wright does a lot of bashing of pharmacists and the pharmacy profession in general, and has a lot of his information wrong. This actually annoyed me a lot. Just to note: pharmacists are much more than pill counters and dispensers. It is not the case that pharmacists "accepted no responsibility...other than correctly filling the physician's prescription" (177). I'm not going to get into all the training it takes to be a clinical pharmacist (for many pharmacists, it's very nearly as long a process as becoming a doctor), nor will I respond to Dr. Wright's inaccurate drug information (I couldn't find the page, but I remember one particular glaring inaccuracy); I will, however, note that pharmacists do indeed accept a lot of responsibility when they fill a prescription: not only does the prescription need to be filled correctly, but it must be therapeutically appropriate. Many pharmacists have been penalized--criminally, professionally, financially--for correctly filling a prescription that was not appropriate for a particular patient or at a particular dose, for whatever reason. As pharmacists, we receive extensive training on disease states and their treatments. We are indeed partners with physicians in caring for patients.

I was annoyed by the following line, describing a colleague: "She could have...quoted a committee. Something along the lines of, 'I'm just implementing the policy'...Then, like the Nazis, she's only following orders" (182). Jon Stewart did a good bit on this issue awhile back, which I'm too lazy to dig up now, but suffice to say: only describe someone as Nazi-like if he is an actual Nazi. Otherwise, there are really better, more mature terms to use.

Ultimately, what I liked about Running the Books was that, in that book, prisoners were humanized. In this book, prisoners are instead often introduced simply by the crime they have committed. I understand that Dr. Wright really had fairly little meaningful interaction with his patients, but I expected something more than a one-man show. I would have appreciated some more history, some factual information and research, perhaps some reflection about why violent prisoners (but not the working poor) qualify to receive free medical care from the US government. Ultimately, despite its weaknesses, it was a book that held my attention and taught me a thing or two. A solid three-star effort -- I would recommend it.

[Mikey B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a jaded look at prisons – and admittedly I would be jaded myself if I worked there. And after reading this I remain firmly convinced I would never want to, regardless of what the salary would be!

Sadly these prisoners are not nice people – they lie, they are deceitful and very manipulative – and if they are nice to you, they want something - and that would likely lead to sex and drugs.

The author is an M.D. at a maximum security prison in Colorado. He was a regular doctor for several years, but for reasons he tries to explain - became bored and saw a job available in Colorado’s maximum security prison. Change he got!

Maximum security is top level. There are four other lower levels based on your demeanor and crime – and if you don’t behave you are bumped up a level – and if you keep misbehaving you end up in maximum security. We are provided with many aspects of prison life. Prisoners can get drugs by mail which is checked, but letters from lawyers are exempt. Also prison guards (now called corrections officers) can be manipulated, threatened and coerced to become drug mules. As the author states the prisoners have nothing but time to plan and carry out their wheeling and dealing.

The author, being a doctor, is constantly being requested to provide pills by the prisoners for purported ailments. When the prisoners do get these pills often they do not take them but accumulate them to get a bigger high or sell them to others. Our doctor author is faced with daily lies and threats – with threats he can have prisoner privileges, like TV, removed.

He must be very thick-skinned to undergo this daily barrage. His writing style – more in the manner of a stand-up comic – is loaded with passages of conversational interchanges between him and the prisoners. Don’t read this book for a soul-searching inquiry of prison life.

There are too many descriptions of the author’s experiences wandering down long and tangled prison corridors. We are told repeatedly how inept the computer system is. The book is entertaining and informative, but it can be self-centered.

[Milt · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well, this book is clearly a gift to us underlings from a wonderful, funny, masterful, and genuinely superior human being. A true master of the quick put-down, the author demonstrates time after time on page after page how quick, smart, and - again - superior he is. In fact, this guy is SO superior to me that I found myself unworthy to even continue reading his ramblings after slightly less than half of the book.

Note to readers of this review ... You're not worthy either, so don't ... I mean DON'T ... even think about reading this book either. Really ... Don't even consider it!

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book received from Edelweiss

This was an interesting read. The doctor who wrote this started out as an ENT specialist and when he retired he decided to find something else to keep himself busy. So he found a job working for the Colorado Department of Corrections, much to his wife's dismay. He starts working in the Colorado State Penitentiary, their SuperMax prison with those who are supposed to be the worst offenders out there. I enjoyed this book, though I liked his second one much better. It is definitely not a job I would want though I have quite a bit of respect for those who do it. Especially since they have little to no hands-on training in what to do if their patient gets unruly.

[Cathie Sawyer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maximum Insecurity is the story of how Dr William Wright leaves his comfy job as a private ENT surgeon to become the general practitioner for the Colorado State Penitentiary supermax prison.
CSP houses the worst of the worst, America's hardest criminals, men, who due to their dangerous behaviour in other prisons are now locked away 23 hours a day.
However, the condescending way Dr Wright describes the prisoners and their complaints makes them seem like toddlers throwing temper tantrums not murderous criminal masterminds.
While there are lots of interesting anecdotes of his time at CSP, there is no real arc to this novel and the content becomes very very repetitive and often uninteresting.
The parts I found interesting where not about Dr Wright's days at the Supermax, rather his retelling of previous prison escapes and how this lead to the development of supermax prisons, and the information on gang recruitment inside prison systems.
The tone of this novel is very smug and condescending, something I found very off-putting. The author dehumanised the prisoners to an exteme level, using the book to laugh at them rather utilising the situations for educating or pushing for reforms that could make life for the prisoners and the medical staff easier.
Overall, while this is a very interesting topic the content in this book was repetitive, the author was just another rich whinging white guy and I can't really say I'd recommend this book to anyone when there are so many great medical memoirs being published.

[Elana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started off the book pretty concerned that someone who had practiced as an ENT specialist for years felt comfortable providing sole primary care to a vulnerable population. Gave the benefit of the doubt that he had retrained and just didn't want to explain that, because it would have taken a tremendous ego to take the job otherwise.

Reading the rest of the book it became very clear that he really did have a tremendous ego and was plenty self-centered enough to believe he could be a good provider for these people.

An example of his unexamined, self-righteous nastiness: he talks about meeting his wife, a nurse, who complimented him on his classical music collection. He describes thinking that she was lying to get with him, because, come on! Who ever heard of a nurse who likes classical music? Despite the fact that he was (a) wrong and (b) married her, he presents this thought of his as completely justified.

Oh, and the fact that he does not have one single nice or sympathetic thing to say about a single prisoner. I understand that he was treating bad people, but really? EVERY SINGLE person he treated was a violent lying moronic sociopath? The entire book seems like an excuse to tell "humorous" stories about how dumb prisoners are and what clever one-liners he used to put them down.

I bought this book because I am considering practicing prison primary care for humanitarian reasons and I was very disappointed.

[Annora · Rating 1 out of 5]

My gosh, this guy sucks. The McDonalds coffee lawsuit came up twice in the book. Did he even research it and find out it wasn’t frivolous? Does he even know what went on there? I doubt it. It absolutely was not a sham or boo hoo my coffee was hot. It ruined a life.

He thinks inmates should just “get over” not knowing what is in their pills. Actual quote from page 163; “How do I know what’s in that stuff?” You don’t, get over it. They deserve the same education and to know the same details about their pills that people in the free world do. He offers not a single shred of respect or dignity to anyone he treats. Why should they respect you when you immediately blow them off and assume the worst? “If an inmate decides to throw a fit and slice himself up, he better pick a small blood vessel, because I’m not coming to the rescue anytime soon (page 170)

He doesn’t even talk about these people as if they’re human beings, and he’s all surprised Pikachu that no one respects him. Hmm, I wonder why? I wonder why they sass you, they talk back, they don’t listen to you. I wouldn’t with your attitude.

There were typos. The writing was choppy. The tone of the writing seemed to switch back and forth. I really don’t know the point of this book because it was so disjointed.

This book could have had potential. Instead it sucked.

[Perri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wright writes about his experience as a doctor in the super-max prison in Colorado-where they send you if you can't get along in the general prisoner population. The offenders here are a difficult bunch, and I appreciated Wright's tough but fair approach to his patients. To have a sense of humor about the job is a plus, and Wright seems to have an sardonic eye that allows him to adapt to an unnatural environment. Like many others I have a curiosity about prisons and this book helped build an understanding about a real life look behind the scenes.

Oh, I won this in a First Read giveaway- my first. Woot woot, and thanks! :)

[Alicia · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you expect this book to be exciting you will not enjoy it. Criminals don’t only come to the doc for meds for constipation. I was a medic and was in and out of prisons multiple times. Dnf at 60%

[Amelia Bergen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was so excited to read this book. Now I am so excited after deciding to stop reading it (about half way through). I cannot handle reading any more of this author's degrading and egotistical writing. This is not someone I would ever want to meet, have be my doctor, or even seen patients. He expresses through his writing that he is so much better than the prisoners (the dumb animals, as he paraphrased multiple times). He shows no sympathy for any of the offenders. He doesn't seem to believe any of them, and he details how each of them are liars, dumb, and basically the scum of the earth. He stereotypes and categorizes them into this untrustworthy and unworthy group of... "things". This book made me sick. I usually put my books that I have read into Little Free Libraries, but I am considering burning this one.

[Ross McDougall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wright does a great job of taking you inside the prison with him - he paints a picture of life for the workers and offenders in the system, and how all parties do their best to endure all the ways that system attempts to undermine their progress.

I really enjoyed the book. I’m not sure if it was intentionally padded out but I did find myself a little lethargic at points where Wright labours on an issue he’s dealing with or the next offender wasting his time.
If Wright and his team did this on purpose then I applaud it; I would however be wary of those who won’t push through to the conclusion.

Great insight and well written!

[Ray Litt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have done well in school if more teachers were like Dr. Wright. I don't EVER read memoirs (nonfiction in general) for the ignorance that it won't be exciting enough to keep my attention. A book without magic? Humping werewolves? Telekinetic teens? Not worth it? Not true, as it turns out.

I really loved this book. Wright's the type of genius that can shoot the sh*t without making the rest of us feel like the drooling inferiors we are. He's brilliant and hilarious, slipping penal jargon into juicy anecdotes like a sharpened toothbrush into a prison bitch's thigh meat: like butter. I LEARNED things, which is to say that pigs are flying. I retain nothing. Again: if my teachers of college past took a cue from Wright, I'd have had a far more enjoyable (and successful) run of things.

This book is for memoir readers, gossips, real housewives watchers…anyone who's ever crushed on the brilliant, witty guy that was destined for great things. Wright dumbs it down without you ever knowing it, also throwing a punch in for those of us (all of us) who've ever disagreed with corporate SOPs. I want to know who was pissed about MAXIMUM INSECURITY, because someone certainly had to be. I also hope that NONE of the prisoners he talks about ever, ever sees the light of day.

READ THIS BOOK.

CALLING ALL INDIES! winner. Reviewed on www.dirtylittlebookers.com.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I signed up to win this book and unbelievably it came in the mail, signed by the author, Dr. Wright. I was interested in reading it as I am a retired RN and thought it would be interesting to read about the practice of medicine in prison. Turns out, it was beyond interesting as there is so much humor. Of course I already knew that humor is an important part of surviving many of the unpleasant chores of working in the medical profession.

Dr. Wright had a perfectly good practice in ENT but decided to change to general practice and work in a super max prison. I laughed when I read about his orientation to the job and to the many conversations with prison patients.

Dr. Wright also gives the reader a look at prison life, prison bureaucracy, and how some employees
get involved with the prisoners.

I liked his writing style as well as the humor.

So I was glad I won this book and will recommend it to anyone who wants a look inside the prison system from a medical point of view.

[Judie Dooley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a win from goodreads. Thank you for choosing me. First of all I loved reading it. it's the story of a burnt out ear surgeon who wanted a change in life but still in the medical field. He takes a job as the dr in the Colorado State Penitentiary. After the first day on the job, he's second guessing his decision. The story is told with a lot of humor ,that I didn't expect. I found myself learning quite a bit about Maximum security. Not the type of thing you usually see on TV about prisons. I'd like to recommend this book to anyone who might have an interest in jail medicine. also anyone who wants a to read a good wholesome book with humor.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a 30 year career of inspecting ears, noses and throats, what's a bored ENT to do? Simple: join the medical staff at some of the most violent maximum security prisons Colorado has to offer. His lock-up adventures are told with wit, compassion and outrageous humor. What an entertaining, enlightening read, as the good Doctor takes us behind those slamming steel doors, and introduces us to the worst offenders that humanity has to offer. Highly recommend it!

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly entertaining and filled with interesting and amusing anecdotes about the challenges surrounding providing medical care to inmates. However, Wright's clearly very high opinion of himself and criticism of the employees and system he works in are off-putting. He doesn't like the bureaucracy - I get it - but he begins to come off as whiny at times.

[Tom Schulte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Supermax security inmates are mendacious and mere boredom moves them to doctor visits as a mere way of breaking routine. Complaints are routine: constipation and back pain. I don't think most authors could make that interaction and examples pointless prison bureaucracy entertaining. But, right can it does. His cynical wit and wry observations had me chuckling through this book.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book about a day in the life of a doctor working in the prison system. I laughed at some parts, but near the end, I started to lose interest in his story because it seemed like he was telling some stories over again. Worth reading if you like reading autobiographies.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've worked with Dr. Wright - this book was hilarious. If you've ever worked in corrections, you get it. He's not complaining - he's telling it like it is. First book I've read and laughed out loud over in a long time.

[Nikki in Niagara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mini Review - Enjoyed the first half with anecdotes of patients and the author's black humour. Second half became more of a diatribe on his dislike for bureaucracy and "bleeding heart liberals" and he had a bit of a holier than thou attitude that made me roll my eyes more than several times.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars! I love medical nonfiction, and this didn't disappoint. The setting in a maximum security prison satisfied my dark curiosity. Dr Wright's adherence to the Hippocratic Oath, and recognizing that prisoners are people, restored my faith in what can be thought of as a very jaded profession.

[Taylor · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author's voice and points of view are whiny, supercilious, and ultimately, extremely difficult to tolerate. I would hate to be seen by a doctor this jaded and self-satisfied, in prison or out. I honestly hated this book.