Welcome to Long Bay, Australia's hardest prison. For the first time prison guards, inmates and all those that have worked in and around the notorious South Sydney facility will reveal what goes on behind the towering concrete walls.
These are the true and uncensored accounts of Australia's hardest inmates, from Australia's hardest inmates. Martin Bryant--who killed 35 people and injured another 23 at Port Arthur in 1996--is a 160kg slob who trades sex for chocolate in Risdon Prison. Twenty years after Australia's worst massacre, his blond hair is gone, and so is his self-righteous smirk . . . but he is as evil as ever, showing no remorse for the crimes that shook the nation. He is just one of the killers in the rogues' gallery of Australia's Toughest Prisons: Inmates. You will meet the alleged hitman and undisputed hardman called "Goldie", feared by both prisoners and guards alike. John Reginald Killick will tell you how he really escaped from Silverwater Jail in a helicopter and survived Pentridge Prison's notorious "Hell Block." And former Rugby League star Craig Field will tell you his incredible story of how one wrong pub punch landed him in prison limbo. From the rise of ISIS gangs, the lethal underground drug and tobacco trade, and the threat of contraband phones, to shiv fights, brawls, and white-collar criminal beat-downs, the secret lives of Australia's most dangerous men will be on full display. Award-winning author and journalist James Phelps reveals the horror of life inside Australia's most notorious prisons, including Grafton, Cessnock, Pentridge, Minda, Risdon, Silverwater, and Lithgow.
An unprecedented spate of murders in the 1990's - seven in just three years - made Goulburn jail the most feared prison in Australia. Inmates who were sent to the towering sandstone menace, located an hour and half south west of Sydney, declared they had been given the death sentence. Every man who entered the prison was marked for death, and not because of his crime. In the Killing Fields you were murdered because of the colour of your skin. The worst race war in the history of Australian prisons saw four groups; the Aboriginals, the Lebanese, the Asians, and rest, wage a vicious and uncontrollable war as they battled for control of the prison drug trade. Every day there were stabbings. Every day there were bashings. And when they weren't being bashed or stabbed, they were being murdered... The vicious riot, the one that saw guards belted with didgeridoos and stabbed with broken broomsticks, put an end to the segregation that saw Goulburn jail the only prison in the world to separate men by race. It also ended the Killing Field. But soon something far scarier would rise, something called SuperMax... Called a variety of things from "Australia's most secure prison'' to a "hell hole'', SuperMax is the only prison has seen complaints referred to the United Nations. All white walls and solitary confinement, it is where Australia's most evil men are locked away. It is home to Ivan Milat, to the Cobby Killers, to Bilal Skaf, and to Bassam Hamzy to name a few. And soon you will meet them all; murderers, rapists, terrorists. This is Australia's Most Murderous Prison, the Killing Fields, Inside the Walls of Goulburn Jail.
Ivan Milat, the notorious backpacker serial killer, is not the most feared person in the prison system. Nor is it Martin Bryant, the man responsible for claiming 35 lives in the Port Arthur massacre. No, the person in Australia controversially ruled ‘too dangerous to be released’, the one who needs chains, leather restraints and a full-time posse of guards is Rebecca Butterfield: a self-mutilating murderer, infamous for slicing guards and stabbing another inmate 33 times. But Butterfield is not alone. There’s cannibal killer Katherine Knight, jilted man-murderer Kathy Yeo, jailbreak artist Lucy Dudko, and a host of others who will greet you inside the gates of Australia’s hardest women’s jails. You will meet drug dealers, rapists and fallen celebrities. You will hear tales of forbidden love, drug parties gone wrong and guards who trade 40-cent phone calls for sex. All will be revealed in Green Is the New Black, a comprehensive account of women’s prison life by award-winning author and journalist James Phelps.
Intractable is a relentless and remarkable story of life on the inside of two of Australia's most brutal prison regimes – Grafton and Katingal – in the 70s. In 1969 Bernie Matthews was convicted of armed robbery and sentenced to 10 years. A serial escapee, prison authorities soon classified Matthews as an intractable prisoner and he was transferred to the Alcatraz of the NSW prison system at Grafton. There, life was a routine series of bashings and solitary confinement, and as the systematic brutality of Grafton became a political scandal, Matthews and other prisoners found themselves transferred to a fresh hell in 1975 – Katingal Special Security Unit inside Sydney's Long Bay Jail, Australia's first super-max prison. A concrete bunker with no natural light or fresh air, Katingal replaced Grafton's bashings with sensory deprivation and psychological control. Suicide attempts and self-harm followed. One of the longest serving and surviving Katingal inmates, Matthews did not see daylight for two years, eight months. Intractable is not only a shocking story of what it's like to do time but also a history of one of the great political scandals of the 70s from a unique perspective (Katingal was pulled down this year). It's also the eye-opening story of a man who managed to turn his life around in the worst of Australia's prisons to become a writer and prison activist.
He's the only one who can stop a massacre ... The unputdownable action thriller from Australia's no.1 true crime writer. Riley Jax, convicted murderer. Once a promising engineer in the army, he lost everything in a single night when he killed a man – an act he cannot remember. It's a devastating gap in an otherwise perfect memory. Now he's facing a new life, one behind bars, where he has to learn a whole different set of rules and only the toughest survive. And as a series of deadly bombings rocks the outside world, the only man who might be able to find the truth behind the conspiracy ... is on the inside. Australia's no.1 true crime writer lets his imagination off the leash in this unputdownable action thriller for all fans of Matthew Reilly, Lee Child and David Baldacci. 'An exciting action thriller ... An enjoyable, easy flowing tale that will keep you turning the pages' Canberra Weekly 'A gripping new action thriller ... The story moves along at a lightning-fast pace. [Phelps has] got a knack for bringing you right into the heart of the action, making for some truly tense moments. The Inside Manticks all the boxes when it comes to an action-packed crime novel. If you enjoy authors like Tom Clancy, or are just looking for a thrilling new read, check out The Inside Man. I can't wait to see where Phelps takes this series next.' Better Reading
The incredible story of Dick Johnson – the Aussie battler who became an all-time V8 great. Ford legend Johnson did not get his break in motorsport until he was famously smashed out by a rock in the 1980 Bathurst 1000. But true to his never-say-die attitude, he went on to establish one of Australia’s most successful V8 Supercar teams, amidst a dramatic career that, on many occasions, almost saw him lose his home, his team and even his life. Through intimate revelations and blistering accounts of the motor racing industry, Johnson reveals the incredible strength and commitment it took to win three Bathurst titles and a record five Australian Touring Car Championships in a remarkable career spanning almost 50 years.
Once a copper, always a copper. At least that’s how it seems for Brian ‘The Skull’ Murphy, long-retired but sought out by a trail of journalists and cops who regularly beat a path to his door. Once known as Australia’s toughest cop, The Skull was both charged with manslaughter (and acquitted), then awarded a Valour Award for bravery in the line of duty. It is these two sides to the complex man that intrigue audiences to this day. A non-drinking, Catholic family man, The Skull didn’t fit the 1950s police mould and often found himself on the outer among his colleagues. Dodging crooks and corruption on both sides of the thin blue line, The Skull carefully cultivated a reputation for being a ‘mad bastard’. Over 40 men felt the sting of his bullets, and many more felt the sting of his fists. But behind Australia’s toughest cop lay a personal secret of sexual abuse which Murphy shares publicly for the first time, in the hope that it will help others. This abuse formed the kind of police officer he later became — tough on the bad guys, but fiercely protective towards victims. With today’s political correctness and strict rules of conduct, there will never be another big personality copper like Brian ‘The Skull’ Murphy. This is his story.
"Shadows on the Rock" is a historical novel written by the American author Willa Cather. The book was published in 1931 and is set in the 17th century in colonial New France, specifically in Quebec City. The novel focuses on the lives of the early French settlers and the challenges they faced while establishing a life in the rugged wilderness of North America. The central character is Cécile Auclair, a young girl who, with her father, makes the difficult journey from France to Quebec to join her mother. The novel provides a vivid portrayal of daily life, relationships, and the interactions between the French settlers and the indigenous people of the region. "Shadows on the Rock" is known for its rich historical detail and evocative descriptions of the landscape and characters. Willa Cather's storytelling captures the enduring spirit and resilience of the early settlers in North America. The novel is celebrated for its historical accuracy and its exploration of the human experience in a challenging and often harsh environment.