Life Without Parole Living in Prison Today

In 1981 law school graduate Victor Hassine was convicted of a capitaloffense and sentenced to prison for life without parole. Based on his pivotalexperiences as an inmate, Life Without Parole, Fourth Edition, offers aninsightful and extraordinary firsthand look at the conditions of confinement andprison life in America today. In powerful and poignant prose, Hassine takes thereader on a "guided tour" of the prison experience, discussing the changes inprison life that have come about as a result of the war on drugs, prisonovercrowding, and demographic changes in inmate populations. Topics coveredinclude rape, prison gangs, prison violence, AIDS, homosexuality, and prisonpolitics. This gripping text graphically documents the violence and fear that are part ofeveryday life in a men's maximum-security prison. Each chapter features anintroduction written by eminent criminologist Robert Johnson, and the book isdivided into three sections: Prison Life, which introduces readers to theday-to-day aspects of Hassine's life in prison; Interviews, which presents aseries of candid interviews with Hassine's fellow inmates; and Op Ed, in whichHassine addresses some of the most significant problems within the currentprison system. Revised and updated throughout, the fourth edition also integrates three newchapters that explore the following topics: * The harmful effects of crowding on both criminals and correctionaladministrators * A vivid analysis of the many prisons Hassine has inhabited, compared andcontrasted as both living environments and as institutions of punishment * Hassine's reflections on his long period of incarceration, along with hispredictions for how tomorrow's prisons might evolve An invaluable resource for criminal justice students and those interested inthe prison system, Life Without Parole, Fourth Edition, presents a rivetingaccount of life behind bars.