Bob Turney must be the first 'dunce'-and from the wrong side of the tracks-to win a debate at the Oxford Union, to have addressed assembly at Eton College, been welcomed as a guest at No. 10 Downing Street, dined at the House of Lords and whose existing writings are in regular use at universities in the UK and abroad. In this captivating and very readable book Bob tells how he overcame multiple disadvantages: dyslexia, being wrongly categorised as educationally subnormal, drug and alcohol misuse and 20 years on-and-off as a guest of Her Majesty. It is a compelling true story of how against all the odds he survived trauma, misfortune and life 'in the gutter' to become a much respected family man, community leader, friend of the great and the good, commentator and public speaker: a prisoner reborn as a probation officer whose new world took on a fresh and unique life of its own.'I know Bob Turney, and I know his work, I have witnessed him hold an audience, spellbound': Dr Deborah Cheney. 'Bob Turney is a true champion of human rights in the penal system': Baroness Helena Kennedy QC.'A remarkable man who made a great recovery from the depths': Lord Longford

Going Straight is the flagship publication behind the launch of Unlock, the National Association of Ex-Offenders. It contains revealing interviews with people who have 'succeeded' after prison and in some cases a 'criminal career'. The book looks at a range of offenders who have changed their way of life. They include famous, notorious, creative and ordinary people who were prepared to talk about the turning point in their lives when they left crime behind. Their candid explanations about how they rebuilt their lives - often full of remorse for their victims and determined to repay something to their communities - are challenging, illuminating and a cause for optimism. They include ex-burglar John Bowers (later an editor of prison newspaper Inside Time), former violent criminal Frank Cook (a sculptor and author), ex drug-dealer Peter Cameron (a successful artist whose work features on the front cover), Great Train Robbery mastermind Bruce Reynolds, actor Stephen Fry, former armed gangster Bob Cummines (the first Chief Executive of Unlock) and Cameron Mackenzie (Glasgow villain turned minister of religion). Others include a self-made millionaire, a one-time compulsive gambler, an individual involved in The Troubles in Northern Ireland - and one or two who chose to use a pseudonym.