Locks, Bolts and Bars

John Masseys story is unique. Part of a notorious duo that the Flying Squad dubbed Laurel and Hardy, his criminal activities included hijacking a police car after robbing a bank of 25,000 and relieving the Sunday Mirror of 50,000 and all before he was arrested for murder, aged 27. But that was just the beginning. Given a life sentence, with a minimum term of twenty years, Massey would find himself incarcerated for forty-three years, give or take a prison break, in almost every prison in the country. In Locks, Bolts and Bars, one of Britains longest-serving prisoners reflects on a life spent on the inside, from corrupt guards to notorious criminals, and the real value of freedom.