Day 167

New Year's Day

Tuesday 1st January 2002

6.00 pm

I miss my wife, I miss my family and I miss my friends. But the only enemy I have to contend with is boredom and it's a killer. For many prisoners, it is the time when they first experiment with drugs. To begin with, offered by the dealers for nothing, and when they want more, in exchange for a phone card and an ounce of tobacco. Finally, when they're hooked, they'll give anything for a fix-including their life.

Jeffrey Archer's final volume of prison diaries covers the period of his transfer from Wayland to his eventual release on parole in July 2003. It includes a shocking account of the traumatic time he spent in the notorious Lincoln jail and the events that led to his incarceration there - it also throws light on a system that is close to breaking point.

Told with humour, compassion and honesty, the diary closes with a thought-provoking manifesto that should be applauded by the Establishment and prison population alike.