Hard Time

By: Shaun Attwood

Narrated by: Randal Schaffer

Length: 12 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

After a SWAT team smashed down stock-market millionaire Shaun Attwood's door, he found himself inside of Arizona's deadliest jail and locked into a brutal struggle for survival.

Shaun's hope of living the American Dream turned into a nightmare of violence and chaos, when he had a run-in with Sammy the Bull Gravano, an Italian Mafia mass murderer.

In jail, Shaun was forced to endure cockroaches crawling in his ears at night, dead rats in the food and the sound of skulls getting cracked against toilets. He meticulously documented the conditions and smuggled out his message.

Join Shaun on a harrowing voyage into the darkest recesses of human existence.

Hard Time provides a revealing glimpse into the tragedy, brutality, dark comedy, and eccentricity of prison life.

Featured worldwide on Nat Geo Channel's Locked-Up/Banged-Up Abroad Raving Arizona.

©2016 Shaun Attwood (P)2017 Shaun Attwood

It's pretty good overall

Couldn't get enough, it's just a shame the 3rd book in the trilogy isn't here on audible.

Nice read

It took me awhile to get into the book and started to see where we need to treat our prisoners better. Just because they're in for a crime, they too deserve humanity.

Amazing!

Like party time I couldn't stop. Around the holidays shaun made the books free for two days but it was so good I wish I could of paid for them. Looking forward for the next book. I was surprised at how much I enjoy the audible versions like the story line the narration was splendid as well - Anthony J. Tella.

Welcome to Arizona Jail

If you want to know what it’s like to be in one of the most deadly jails in America, Attwood really takes you there in hard time, right down to the stench of sweat and toilets.

This book has you hanging onto your seat as the author dodges numerous threats, including the ever present psychopathic Aryan Brotherhood prison gang.

Attwood has a way with words, for example:

“The short podgy man perched on the bottom bunk is giving off body odour with a vinegary tang. Scrutinising me with amused curiosity, he looks like a pocket-sized Henry VIII. He has Henry’s features, but his long unkempt beard makes him seem deranged. “What’s up, dog! I’m Troll. One of your new cellies.”

“I’m Shaun, Troll.” I place my mattress down and we bump fists. There is something endearing about him. I want to get more acquainted, but the door swings open and bangs against the wall, making me jump.

A topless man with WHITE PRIDE across his midsection barges past Billy. Everything about him screams king of the jungle. Size. Aura. Blond mane. “What’s up, dog! I’m Outlaw, the head of the whites.”

I highly recommend the entire trilogy: party time, hard time and prison time, and get the new editions because they are considerably longer.

great

really details the unorthoxed treatment of prisoners in Phoenix, Az jail system. unbelievable and sad humans are treated like garbage

Interesting View Into The Eyes of a Prisoner

I really enjoyed listening to this story, the chapter endings were a bit abrupt sometimes, I feel like they could have been transitioned better.

Besides that small criticism I'm happy with my purchase and I'll be getting Jail Time when it becomes available on audio book, or I might just purchase the paperback. The writing was fair and the story both eye-opening and engaging, most importantly it felt honest. The author didn't make himself out to be big, tough, or accomplishing incredible feats, and he recognizes that the support of his family made all the difference. Attwood shared some very personal feelings of fear, stress, depression, and learning the culture behind bars.

Not bad - weird choice of a narrator

It took a while, had to listen to this book in segments separated by weeks, but I got through it and didn’t have to appeal to amable for yet another refund because of “sorry but I can’t take this narrator.” Not like it’s bad technique or style, it’s the match between tone and content. In this case, it’s dude no way would anyone make it through the life and death daily need to be a hard ass from hell prison routine with that voice. Not that I’ve been to prison, but I’ve been in life and this is the voice of Biff who plays badmitten with Mindy in The Hamptons. Anyway, the book itself - not bad.

loved it

loved the story itself. it was very addicting to read. I would deff recommend reading this

great listen and read

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, it is an account prison life that is unhindered by the sort of fears of retribution and ingrained social obstacles someone an American ex-con might have to face. Not to mention the extensive record of his converstions and letters.

What did you like best about this story?

It's brutal documenting of the nightmare that is "the carceral state".

What does Randal Schaffer bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His voice and sensibility never annoyed me or took me out of the story.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

the description of the atmosphere in the jail after many men had been up for a week on meth was horrifying.

Great Read!

Shaun really knows how to tell a Story in a way that makes the reader fell they are watching what haooened unfold in front of them.