Larry Malone sets up his brother Dave to get rid of Murphy, a rival gang leader, and then informs on Dave to have him convicted of murder. In one simple act of double-dealing he, consequently, removes both his main rivals and clears the way for expansive future plans for his crime family.

The daily life of the prison communities: backbreaking labour, brutality and abuse, relentless routines, gang warfare, and the constant struggle for survival. It will cast a new light on our contemporary system of imprisonment whilst revealing our changing attitudes to crime over the ages. In a time of credit crunch and economic crisis, Piers eye-opening exploration of debt will show how 300 years ago punishments did not necessarily fit the crime.