Screw Dawgs is a story of power struggles, moral dilemmas and the fine line between authority and chaos.

Fans of true crime are given a raw and honest insight into the shocking and dangerous realities of prison life in a hard-hitting book by new Scots author Iain Smith.

Screw Dawgs is a gripping, candid and darkly humorous account of the Dumbarton dad’s fascinating 15-year career working in Australia’s prison service.

From surviving violent confrontations to the unlikely camaraderie that forms in the most unexpected places, the page-turner is a story of power struggles, moral dilemmas and the fine line between authority and chaos.

Frank and graphic, the book provides an insider’s perspective on the volatile hidden world of incarceration and what it truly means to walk the prison corridors as an officer Down Under.

Iain, 62, said: “Sometimes it might take a good few pages to start really getting into a book. My book was written based on incidents that I was involved in over my 15 years as a prison officer.

“Each chapter is only three pages long the reader is going straight into the incident with me – what happened, when it happened and how I had to deal with it. And there’s a bit of my story too – how I got to Australia.

“The book is meant to be hard-hitting and it’s been therapeutic for me. When I sat down and started to write, I was getting it all off my chest.”

Moving from East Kilbride to Perth in Western Australia in 1992 in search of a better life, former Boys Brigade member Iain struggled to make ends meet in his trade as a painter and decorator.

He joined a training programme for a private correctional facility before “moving to the dark side”, as the industry called it, working in a maximum security prison for the Department of Corrective Services amongst some of the country’s most violent men who had committed the most heinous crimes.

READ MORE: Two men charged after armed police attend ‘disturbance’ at Scots tower block

“The things I have seen contributed to my decision to retire, there’s a lot of things you can’t unsee”, added Iain.

“People will go to great lengths to self-harm and to try to take their own lives. Prisoners will cover themselves in their own faeces and throw urine in protest.

“I went into the prison service because I wanted to help people, but there are people in there who just don’t want to be helped and they fight the system. And when they fight the system, they’re fighting you as well.

“They see you in a uniform and you just become a target. But there were a lot of times where I diffused a lot of situations and inmates then went from wanting to fight you to being brought back to a calmness.

“I was able to sit and talk to them and get to the root of the problem. A lot of the time it was because they’d been served a lengthy sentence and maybe had a young child and a wife and would only see them on recreational visits.”

A self-professed workaholic, Iain worked his way through the prisons working in excess of 800 hours overtime on top of his regular shifts.

“I liked the variety”, he said. “I didn’t really like being stuck in one unit because you could become too familiar with the prisoners and the people you worked with, so I favoured moving around and getting more experience.

“It was very interesting and I think that’s why I got involved in a lot of incidents.

“My last two years were the hardest because I was working in a management unit which dealt with prisoners who were unpredictable, violent and suicidal with disabilities and mental health issues. There were incidents daily.

READ MORE: Man charged after Scots primary school staff member struck in two-car crash

“We were dealing with prisoners who were very hard to handle – all the bad boys gravitated to our block. So if there was a fight out in a unit the assailant comes into our care, he’s in a cell for 23 hours a day.

“We’re also dealing with sex offenders who need to be separated from people because of their classification. You’re working with some really nasty people, so invariably things are going to happen to you. Things could kick off in a heartbeat.”

Describing various injuries he suffered throughout the book, Iain admits he took his fair share of knocks, but says he was lucky to avoid anything serious.

“It was mainly people throwing faeces and urine at me and threatening to hurt my wife and family”, he added.

“It was quite frightening at times. A very violent biker with an outlaw motorcycle gang pointed his finger at me and made the shape of a gun as if he wanted to shoot me.

“But you’re in prison, these are things you just have to deal with.

“People took swipes at me, I was punched a few times and attacked during a visit session by a guy who was high on drugs. I’ve been abused, I’ve even been sexually groomed – they build a profile on you.

READ MORE: Lanarkshire school sends ‘thoughts and prayers’ to staff member injured after being hit in car crash

“I had to draw my gas on numerous occasions and spray people to try and separate them. I made the mistake early on in my career of jumping in to try and break up a fight – I ended up getting clobbered.”

Describing his final two years in the job as the “hardest”, the former Hunter High pupil, tells readers how this was ‘the straw that broke the camel’s back’ for him and led to him hanging up his boots.

“Deaths in custody were the hardest. I’ve found people dead.

“You’re working to try and save a person’s life, you had to always be on high alert.”

Iain also shared the terrifying experience of being involved in two prison riots. One, just before Christmas saw a group of lads take over the wing.

“There were times where things did powder keg and we had situations where tactical response would take over and go in with flash bombs and take out the perpetrators”, said Iain.

“A young indigenous lad was actually beaten to death. It was two motorcycle gangs and I was looking after some of the gang.

“This young lad got battered to death, his head was fatally injured, it was terrible.”

Reflecting on the more positive and proudest moments in his career, Iain told of the camaraderie that comes with the job and being honoured with a commendation for saving a prisoner’s life.

READ MORE: Stunned radio DJ Des Clarke hugs Caledonia Gladiators fan after incredible half-court shot

He continued: “I’ve worked with some terrific officers and learned a lot of things that sculpted me into the person I am today. It’s just unfortunate that I’m not involved in that field anymore. There are some days I wish I was still helping out somewhere, maybe in a strategic role. But my days of locking people behind doors are over.”

Regarded by his peers as a trusted prison officer, Iain won various training accolades over his impressive career including a commendation for administering medical aid to a prisoner who had been stabbed.

He explained: “The prison block had 168 prisoners and four officers. We’d just locked the cells for the night. Next thing panic button and we hear screaming and someone shouting ‘he’s been stabbed’. Myself and a senior officer ran over and a guy was standing with his jaw hanging off his face.

“Chairs were upside down, I could see blood on the walls and the guy was lying on the bed. It was a hot night, the sweat was pouring off him. He’s saying ‘I’ve been stabbed, I’ve been stabbed’ and his pinky was hanging off.

“I wrapped his arm up and was looking for the stab wound which was on the inside of his groin. It was just a puncture wound but it had hit an artery. The colour was draining out him so I just pressed on it and I actually pushed the artery together in time for the nurse arriving.”

READ MORE: Miss Scotland Amy Scott flies out to meet Miss Vietnam ahead of global pageant

He added: “When I look back on my career I’m quite proud of myself that I was able to do what I did. I don’t discourage people from going into the service but it takes its toll. There’s a tremendous amount of pressure on management which puts officers under pressure and prisoners put you under pressure.

“Australia was a memorable journey to say the least. I never thought I’d write a book, I was never very good at school, it didn’t interest me. I wanted to go to work.

“With the book I wanted people to get an understanding of what prison officers go through. I’m very grateful for what the prison taught me. It’s given me some terrific skills which I would love to use again in some way to help people.

“If I could change things it would be all about prevention. You’ll never gain anything by locking people up, we need to push the prevention of young people going into prison.”

Now back working as a painter and decorator maintaining lodges in Alexandria’s plush Cameron House Hotel, Iain is living a much simpler, stress-free life looking after his 89-year-old mother.

“I came back to Scotland to be with my mother as she’s nearly 90. She moved out of East Kilbride after 60 years to come to Dumbarton to live near us as we have family here.

“I had a love of Loch Lomond as a kid and used to go up to Luss with my grandpa. We had a jet ski and a speed boat, I had an affinity with Loch Lomond, it’s a beautiful place. And now I’m only 10 minutes from the loch and all the beautiful scenery.

“I owe a lot to Australia but I love Scotland, it’s a fabulous country.”

*Don’t miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.

And did you know Lanarkshire Live had its own app? Download yours for free here.

READ MORE: Scots ‘heartbroken’ after dead dog dumped in layby as SSPCA enquiries continue