This book is an honest account of life in Leavenworth Prison, Kansas based on interviews with notorious inmates and numerous other individuals. The book begins with introducing inmates such as Carl Bowles, Dallas Scott and William Post and offers insight information on the cultural aspect inside the prison itself. Once the basics are known to the reader, the author Pete Earley, develops the character of the prisoners and thus of the penitentiary as a whole.…
"I know something serious has happened when I wake up well before dawn to discover two guards wearing armored vests and riot helmets taking a head count" (298). As he goes on to express that this is not the first time he has encountered a lockdown. "I have endured lockdowns in buildings with little or no heat, lockdowns during which authorities cut off the plumbing completely, so contraband couldn't be flushed away; and lockdowns where we weren't allowed to shower for more than a month" (300). The details Hopkins share with his audience about the lockdowns he has been part of, helps him to exhibit his credentials for telling this story. He continues to reassure his audience that he is reliable by writing about the restrictions that were imposed due to this particular lockdown at Nottoway Correctional Center in Virginia, such as stripping the prisoners of their most personal property; televisions, tape players, personal clothing, and type writers. "Many of them have done ten or fifteen years, like me obeying all the rules and saving meager pay from prison jobs to buy a few personal items-items that we must now surrender" (301). He is now not only informing his audience of his real experience with prison life but he is also calling upon their emotions (pathos) to try and persuade them to feel that the prisoners should not be punished if they, themselves, didn't do anything…
The prison system is a topic that is widely debated. Many are either for or against how they are ran. Though I am only an observer; I have no ties to the prison system. I do agree with many points that Wilbert Rideau made in his original article.…
Entering the prison, one would never know of the tales that lie within its walls without extensive research beforehand. From supermax to medium security, and lockdowns to prison camps, Marion Penitentiary has experienced it all. Each year that it’s offered, I will continue to go back and learn as much as I can before graduating and eventually applying the knowledge to my career. What is seen as an old building holding bad people to others, is a museum comprising of individuals that are building character to be given a second chance in the future, to me. Marion Penitentiary is a historical facility that has expanded structural and programming wise to accommodate its prisoners and continues to reshape America’s…
At first I found this book very hard to read, but the more I got in to it, I really enjoyed it and enjoyed learning more about incarceration. Pratt brings up a lot of points in the book that make you look at things under a different perspective. This book is very detailed with a lot of research and dedication put into it. I do agree with most of the things that Pratt speaks about, and I definitely think that the rate of incarceration is getting too high for something that isn’t even…
In the prison documentary Predators at Prey, we learn about the daily challenges correctional officers face every day. The Lebanon Correctional Institution, located in Ohio, is a rehabilitation based prison that focuses on inmate reentry by offering various services. Just like most other prisons, correctional officers at this institution have to deal with individuals who have committed murder, sex crimes, and drug related crimes. As a result, stress is seen to manifest in different forms in an environment such as this one. Sanford Whitlow, a correctional officer of twelve years, made an interesting observation of correctional officers being unsung heroes who never receive credit for dealing with the worst people in society. Hence, the…
The reader will hear from current and former prisoners’ that explain their experiences. They discuss behavior, trouble they encountered, and their state of mind when they were free in society before heading down the wrong path. Their testimony is to educate readers on how…
The narrative about “Ann Story” written by Dorothy Canfield Fisher and “The Prisoner who wore Glasses” by Bessie head are stories that depicts the ability of people who are in different situations to completely adapt regardless of uncertainties life throws their way.…
My stepbrother going to prison has had a big impact on my life and has helped me see that knowing what you want and need to do in order to achieve your goals is very important so that you have something to look forward to and strive to be. It has helped me see that I want to be a lawyer or a social worker to prevent these types of cases from happening and to help the people…
When I was arrested, I was embarrassed and humiliated. During the hours I spent in jail I realized how easy it is to get in trouble and how hard it is to get out of it. I have never been arrested before and it was really an eye opening experience for me and for those who think it’s cool, it’s not; when those cuffs went on and I was place in the back of that police car all I could think of is the scene of being in jail from TV.…
The most exciting and educational part of this trip were meeting the three inmates who were kind enough to tell us their story. The first man had a lot of experience and wasn’t afraid to tell us absolutely everything. I thought it was remarkable how many times he got reconvicted and this time he finally learned his lesson. It reminded me of a quote, “Fall down seven times, stand up eight.” This man knew that he had messed up to many times in the past and he was finally willing to put it all behind him and start…
Topic Sentence: Prisoners in the labor camps slaved away at construction for the Soviet Union and built a majority of their economic infrastructure.…
I really enjoyed that the emotions in your letter was so apparent. Your letter was also very descriptive on the events in prison, as well as the constant feelings of the every day life. I can only imagine the fear of being attacked every day, it seems to make things even more difficult to get to the next day.…
There is no such thing as a unique hard moment for the prisoners or a strong event throughout the novel, which results into a very monotonous tone in the story. Everything that happens is part of their daily life, including the threats they are subjected to by the guards. Though there are a few moments which raise the expectation…
When I arrived at this scary prison looking building, I felt overwhelmed when I entered. I had to leave everything I was comfortable with behind. I was about to have no contact with the outside world for a week and that week felt a lot longer. Within the first five minutes of being without my family or friends and being surrounded by a bunch of strangers, the state troopers were hollering at us to get out of our seats then sit back down. That happened for about ten minutes; just standing up and sitting down really fast. This place was a tremendous culture shock.…