Carabanchel

This is a true story of survival in what was arguably the most sinister prison in Europe: the Carabanchel. Christopher Chance was the last Brit to be shackled and hauled out of that infamous Spanish hellhole before it closed its gates on decades of disgraceful cruelty. Along with the rest of the remaining inmates, he was transferred to another prison when the authorities slid back the bolts for the last time.

Chance''s story begins on the day he entered the jail and encountered the innate racism of the prison staff and inmates. Intimidation and constant bullying by Spanish gypsies, gangsters and heroin dealers forced ''Chancer'' to become ultra-violent in his quest to live unmolested during his stay, while psychotic prison officers peddled booze and drugs, and performed barbaric acts on inmates.

In Carabanchel, Chance tells how he forged a band of international brothers from the chaotic human rubble in order to survive. Men from all around the world joined forces against their common aggressors, the Spanish inmates. Chancer''s gang became invincible in this cauldron of hate and fear; their numbers were few but their strength lay in the loyalty and respect they had for each other, combined with their courage and fighting skills. Chance highlights the fact that much international crime is planned in prison and strong business friendships are forged which last for years.

This harrowing tale is prison writing in the raw. The action remains unremittingly confined to the brutal, ugly and corrupt environment of the Carabanchel and rubs the noses of the politically correct brigade in the filth of the real world.