The Damage Done (book)

The Damage Done is a 1999 memoir by Australian author Warren Fellows. The book chronicles Fellows' experience as a drug smuggler imprisoned in Thailand for twelve years. He was arrested in 1978 along with two accomplices for attempting to export heroin to Australia.

The memoir details the horrific conditions of the Thai prison system, including severe overcrowding, brutality from guards and fellow inmates, inadequate sanitation, and rampant disease. Fellows recounts his struggles for survival amidst violence, drug addiction, and psychological trauma. He also describes the complex social hierarchy within the prison and the various strategies prisoners employed to cope with their environment.

The Damage Done is known for its unflinching and graphic portrayal of prison life. It explores themes of survival, human resilience, the psychological effects of isolation and trauma, and the corruption within the Thai judicial and penal systems. The book has been critically acclaimed for its honesty and its vivid depiction of a dark and often overlooked aspect of the war on drugs. It has been translated into several languages and remains a significant work in the genre of prison memoirs.