Vanessa Frake

Formerly Head of Security and Operations at HMP Wormwood Scrubs, Vanessa started her career at HMP Holloway as an Officer in 1986. She transferred to HMP Wormwood Scrubs in 2002. Vanessa was awarded an MBE for her work for the prison service in 2012, and she retired in 2013, after 27 years’ service.

From dealing with notorious and celebrity criminals; busting drug rings; to recruiting informers and withstanding violent attacks, Vanessa’s hard-hitting but often humorous memoir reveals all about life behind bars with honesty and in unflinching detail.  

Since writing the book, Vanessa has worked with Donal MacIntyre on CBS Reality’s Released to Kill, as well as Britain’s Most Notorious Prisons for ITV, and she regularly appears as an expert on GB News, Good Morning Britain and Talk TV. Vanessa has appeared on various podcasts over the last 18 months (including a live podcast with Andy Rowe and Denny Denholm) and has been in great demand as an after dinner speaker. Although she doesn’t have time to do so much baking these days, it is still a passion of hers, along with caring for her four dogs and three cats!