DownTime: A Guide to Federal Incarceration (Paperback)

by David Novak (Author) "Prior to the 1930 Act of Congress creating the Federal Bureau of Prisons, there were seven Federal prisons, each separately funded and operated under local..." (more)
Key Phrases: presentence phase, inmate commissary account, higher security institutions, Bureau of Prisons, Visitors Room, Federal Prison Camps (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"What do you do when you come to a fork in the road? Simple: You ask for directions. And you try to ask someone who not only has been down that way before but has succeeded beyond all expectation...." --Business 2.0 Magazine, January 2003

Product Description
This 254 page 9th edition of DownTime was completely rewritten in July of 2007 and reflects the latest changes in Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) policy and procedure. DownTime is written with three distinct audiences in mind: Professionals in the legal community who provide support and guidance to defendants, individuals facing federal incarceration and the family members who support them. DownTime will inform, educate and illustrate the challenges faced by men and women during incarceration in a Federal Bureau of Prisons' facility. Nobody is prepared for incarceration. No matter what people say there is nothing comfortable about spending time in prison. Unfortunately more and more men and women are facing this challenge. DownTime is a guide. DownTime will help readers to overcome their lack of knowledge about incarceration. The information in DownTime is designed to provide members of the legal community with an excellent source of reference. When properly used this information will allow these professionals to assist their clients through this difficult time. Legal professionals will be provided insight into a facet of the system that, until this time, they had not been exposed to. DownTime also serves as an excellent reference for inmate's families. Although the primary focus of DownTime is on the inmate, several sections have been included specifically for inmate's family members. The family members of inmates certainly face their own frustrations. Getting processed for visits, communicating family emergencies and dealing with other support issues are all discussed in DownTime. Nothing can completely alleviate the fear faced by men and women exposed to incarceration. Their only weapons are accurate information, and insight into what they are facing. DownTime helps. The information found in DownTime will assist inmates and their families through this difficult time. DownTime is organized into eight chapters and three appendices. The sections within each chapter cover specific topics in detail. Each chapter, and the sections they contain, may be read individually. The last section of each chapter is dedicated to frequently asked questions about the material contained in that chapter. DownTime is, for the most part, organized along chronological lines. Chapter One provides background information about the Bureau of Prisons. Chapters two through six deal with specific periods leading up to and including initial incarceration. Chapter seven deals with some specific areas of interest and Chapter eight addresses the period beginning with release from prison through the initiation of supervised release. Readers will find that the appendices of DownTime are an integral part of the book. They contain a wealth of useful information.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 254 pages
• Publisher: David Novak Consulting, Inc.; 9th edition (July 4, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0971030626
• ISBN-13: 978-0971030626
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #447,755 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Things my attorney didn't know..., October 15, 2001

By	Luis Arce (Federal Way, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: DownTime : A Guide to Federal Incarceration (Plastic Comb)

As scary as the reality of prison is it is something that I have to face. DOWNTIME was highly recommended by my attorney. He made it clear that as much as he knew about the law he was at a loss when it came to what I would be facing after sentencing.

Everybody in my family read this book and although I am still apprehensive the majority of my questions have been answered. David Novak - the author of the book - writes in a way that makes it clear he knows what he is talking about. I highly recommend this book. I also highly recommend speaking with David (I was surprised by how available he was). As strange as it sounds speaking to somebody who has been there has made all the difference for me and my family.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth the effort, July 17, 2004

By	"jailbird852" (Pasadena, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: DownTime : A Guide to Federal Incarceration (Plastic Comb)

After finding that I was to go to federal prison I spent day after day surfing the web. I downloaded just about everything you could from the BOP website and spent hours and hours on various prison chat groups. After receiving almost unanimous praise from those folks willing to respond to my posts asking about the book I finally decided to "gamble" and buy a copy of DownTime.

I only wish that I would have done it sooner. Although many of the forms that are provided in the appendix are, in fact, available elsewhere (and for free) it is the narrative - the voice used by David Novak - that makes this work so valuable and, quite frankly, well worth the asking price.

He gets it. He really gets it. It is as though he knows exactly what I am feeling and answers the questions before I ask them. Great book. I decided to follow the advice of another reviewer and give Mr. Novak a call. Like the previous reviewer I was shocked at how accessable Mr. Novak was.

Over the course of two weeks he must have spent several hours on the phone with me and returned every single piece of E-mail that I sent. Its nice to know that there is somebody out there that has turned such a difficult time in their life to such advantage.Thanks!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredibly Helpful, October 20, 2005

By	Jonathan Raistrick "Jon" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

For the past six months I have spent pretty much all of my free time researching the federal Bureau of Prisons. I have joined numerous online chat groups, discussed my case with literally dozens of lawyers and downloaded every policy statement available on the BOP website. Although each of these efforts was helpful the most important resource that I discovered was David Novak's book. The book was actually recommended by my United States Pretrial Services Officer. I owe her a debt of gratitude for that. Although I had read pretty much every book offered by Amazon on the subject I found this book, DownTime, to be the best by far. Not only did I find it helpful but once I shared it with my attorney (a very prominent federal criminal defense attorney) he ordered it and claims that he'll do the same for every client he works with. The book is a no-nonsense look at what offenders assigned to federal prison will experience. There are no war stories, no shocking stories. In fact, like it's title, the book is a very well researched and well written handbook. My hat is off to Mr. Novak and I strongly encourage anybody going through federal prosecution to order the book for every family member.