Customer Reviews

Inside: Life Behind Bars in America

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I thought that this book was excellent. I have read a number of books on prisons and prison life and I have to say that this is one of the best and most interesting I have ever read. It would also be a difficult book to duplicate because how often is it that a Michael Santos-type (i.e. a highly literate, very good and observant writer) would find himself behind bars for 20 years in virtually every kind of secutity level, from high-security on down? Other books are from those who have never actually lived in prison or who have been in low-level security prisons only or who do not share his eloquence on the page. I really recommend this book.

Michael Santos has written an important book for all Americans--but especially those who are concerned about the operation of Federal prisons and the lives of the prisoners. He takes us inside prisons at every level of the Federal prison system and tells us of his experiences in them. His information comes from his own journals, which he has kept since the beginning of his incarceration, and from court records of criminal acts which have occurred inside some of the prisons. The picture which emerges is frightening, with prisoners at the mercy, sometimes, of sadistic guards and prison officials, and of their fellow inmates. There is much which is wrong with the operation of our prison system, and it at last is possible to find credible information on which revised policies might be based. By writing this book, Michael Santos has made a valuable contribution to the prison system and to the citizens of this country.

Three things that struck me as I read Inside, were these:

1. The rigorous honesty of Mr. Santos.
2. The absolute accuracy of Mr. Santos' 'ear' for jargon, slang and prison profanity
3. The overwhelming sense of clarity I received regarding Mr. Santos' sense of who he was, who he now is, and how he became the man he is today.

Translation: Possibly the best 'prison' book I've ever read next to 'In the Belly of the Beast" by Jack Henry Abbott.

Mr. Santos' doesn't come close to Mr. Abbott's often times overwrought and dense philosophies regarding prison life (Abbott wrote more in essay form, as Santos writes more in narrative form) but then, Abbott's book was compiled from a series of letters written to Norman Mailer, so Abbott was hitting, through his writing, one-way line drives into the catcher's mitt of his audience. Mr. Santos is telling us a story here, and so his writing has the natural ebbs and flows of a story, whereas Abbott's book is simply a red-hot laser of accusation, opinion and deep, dark thought - very deep and dark thought.

What I found validating however, was how Mr. Santos stood to-to-toe with with Mr. Abbott on 'just the facts' of [life in] a penitentiary and how he also stood on even footing with another proven and literary award-winning prison author, Edward Bunker. Even decades after Mr. Bunker's incarcerations at Folsom and San Quentin prisons, and the subsequent books he produced (some of which were turned into films) including, 'No Beast So Fierce," and 'The Animal Factory,' Mr. Santos writes as if he were a contemporary of Mr. Bunker's, proving perhaps his, and Mr. Abbott's claims that in our country, the penitentiary system and its penal codes and methodologies are outmoded, draconian and are, in many instances, crafted to retard the very "rehabilitation" tax payers expect our prison systems to effect upon those they are charged with housing.

From a sheer 'ear' standpoint, Mr. Santos may take the prize. Not since Jimmy Lerner's memoir, 'You Got Nothin' Coming!" have I read such precisely accurate slang and jargon. Mr. Santos captures the lurid, crass and ignorant language of his fellows with a flawless ear. So much so, perhaps in a strange way, Mr. Santos has made a case for Congress to enact laws to either recognize a new Language in America--call it OGese (Original Gansta-ese) or, to pass laws that make it illegal to slaughter the English language and the grammatical mortar which holds it together such as his fellow felons do.

Overriding all of this however, at the completion of this bright, clarifying and optimistic book, is the unimpeachable fact that Mr. Santos is ready to be set free. He has not only paid his debt to the law's of the society that he betrayed as a young man, but he has repaid it with large doses of service-soaked interest in the forms of two college degrees and a partial Ph.D, classes taught to fellow prisoners and lessons taught, via video conference, to university students. He has paid it with this wonderful book and his previous books on life in prison, and he has paid it with his awareness and his level-headed telling of how he was, what happened, and who and what he is today, and what's happening to him now, and what he not only expects to happen, but what he expects to make happen in his future on his continuing road of self-imposed rehabilitation.

Surely, Mr. Santos is not a Saint (he's witnessed murders and crimes in prison and has not "told"), and certainly he is not the first, nor will he be the last felon to self-educate, and write literary gems from a prison cell. But from this book, which details Mr. Santos' every effort to better himself physically, educationally, spiritually and socially, we see clearly that here is a man more than capable of being released to join the general citizenry, and making, and doing good - for himself and for others - for decades to come.

When I finished reading and then, reading again, the books of Edward Bunker, I wanted to meet him to say, "I loved your books!" When I finished "Inside," I thought, if I ever meet Michael Santos, I'd like to ask him, "Now, will you please show me how to be more like you?"

If one could snap their fingers and get wishes granted, I'd snap for the following:

1. That a producer of 60 Minutes get on the Michael Santos story and get his story on the air
2. That walking through the streets of Manhattan, I'd begin seeing 'Free Michael Santos' tee shirts
3. That Michael Santos is released - soon - and that he have a wonderfully joyous, fulfilling second half to his life.

I don't think anyone will have to snap for number three, though. He will.

I have been a CO for about 17 years. Mr. Santos's observances are 100% right. This is a book that should be read by everyone who works in the system. First of all, the fact that our jails and prisons stiffle education among inmates is in my opinion the true message of this work. What we do in our facilities is so archaic it is mind boggling. We take mostly young males from a demographic of 19-27 and throw them into these dungeons; and then make it our main goal to prevent them from being assholes for the shift. Hey now that is lofty! Don't be productive, don't do crime and most of all please don't learn. I witnessed first hand the results when our government cut the school teachers out of the budget. Only the odd inmate will find a way to grow. Why? Well try telling a young person who is probably poor, got an addiction problem and has been programed from the time they are infants that violence solves all problems. "Sit and learn will yha." Geezzz, wonder why we have difficulties? It is assinine. The book left me questioning how many other people like this guy we are allowing to waste away for no other reason than we fail to be progressive in our thinking. Please don't tell me it is a money issue. We would save allot of money if we could develop abilities. It is a time in their lives when they have no where else to go and what do we do? Instead of finding the most productive means of building them as people, we watch most of them play cards, watch tv and talk bullshit.
The other thing that Santos' book shows is that even the toughest, roughest firebreather eventually, gets old, sick and tired (often all three at the same time) and begins to reflect. I have seen this often. What if that same person had the tools that formal education provides?
The one serious critism I have of this book is Santo's politics. The right is one of the main forces against change. Some think that you can separate the right from their easy assumptions on punishment. I don't believe you can.
To conclude, his critisms of officers should not detract from the book. The fact is most CO's get caught in a vortex that traps them between inmates who want to harm them on one side and a management who only want a warm body on a post on the other. The system ignores them being overwhelmed and discouraged. This book is one positive step in changing what really is one of society's greatest failures. This is a well written enjoyable read that makes one think.

Michael Santos was arrested on a nonviolent drug charge during the 1980s, when our government was treating drug suppliers like terrorists. Santos had never been in trouble, had no violence or gun charges associated with the drug distrubution. Yet he was given a 45 year sentence to be served in the Federal prison system.

His journey began in a supermax prison, where he was housed with hardcore lifers, gangbangers, rapists, and men who murdered for pleasure. He was in his early 20s when his sentence began. He is now in his mid 40s.

Michael Santos is well-spoken, thoughtful, and intelligent. His story takes us through the prison system, from the supermax where he started to the minimum security prison camp where he is now. He tells us what life in prison is like and he holds nothing back.

We toss these men into a system where they must fight to survive each day. And we call it "corrections". They exist in a prison society that is appalling on so many levels. Then we expect them to emerge from that hell and fit nicely into an entirely different type of society.

As taxpayers, we support this system. Our silence allows the business of prisons (because they are in it for profit) to house men (and women) in a way that ensures their return. We should all know what goes on behind those prison walls that we support. Maybe then we'll be horrified enough to change it.

This was a tough portrayal of life inside the US federal prison system, and a personal story of one man's coping with it. A somewhat egotistical story of survival by someone who was able to remain aloof from the roughest treatment, but is pretty gritty regarding sex, drugs, abuse by keepers, and corruption by keepers. It appears to be accurate in the portrayal of the lack of "rehabilitation" and absence of real efforts to prepare one for life "outside". It is a "must read" for those involved in crime prevention, prison management, and judicial oversight of prisons. Not for youth. A good object lesson for those over 18 who think that crime is a successful strategy for life.

incredible real story about what can happen if you cross the lines of legality. the price that micheal santos has paid is enormous, his life, the fun years of your twenties,thirties, the years that determine your future,.Micheal has managed to find purpose in his life and move forward to improve himself for the real worrld, which has nothing to do with prison. Micheal reveals the truth of his experience in a readable and enjoyable style.What makes this so provocative is that micheal does not hail form a ghetto,impoverished. underpriveliged life, he is a middle class kid from a well to do family.....it is interesting to see how easily one can dissconnect from right and wrong and be oblivious to the consequences by surrounding themselves in a criminal world.It is a must read for teenagers to see what the alternative is to becoming a criminal of any sort.micheal is a bright light in an overcast and cloudy prison life, It is amazing that despite spending his young adult years in the worst possible mental condition he creates a passionate existence to be admired.

This is a fantastic description of a horrible way of life. Although, I find the work to be a masterpiece, I clearly sympathize with the Author. We all make mistakes (some bigger than others), but to be placed into an underworld of mayhem for a couple decades has life-long implications. The book describes Prison life in extreme detail from minimum to supermax. There's nothing pretty about this book and anyone enjoying their freedom, thinking a lil time in the Pen is "no big deal" needs to be sentenced to reading this. I would recommend it to any inner-city youth even thinking about getting in "the game". I've never had even a close run in with the system, but it's terrible to see what happens to those who do. My God, these are Americans! Read it and weap... literally!

As a Correctional Officer I found this book to be educational. We often read and pass around books to learn about inmates, gangs, etc. I have seen countless video footage of "the good inmate" stabbing an officer or another inmate. I have seen blood, teeth, feces, urine, vomit or mixtures there of being thrown, smeared, or collected for use against us. I have cuffed, and escorted guys to the hole that are 350 lbs of screaming pissed vice lord/ Latin king/ black p-stone, etc....(They are ALL gang members)You get the idea. We aren't hero's or tough guys. My only issue with this book, and so many books like it, is this; 1)I have yet to find a book written by a convict that spends even a little time explaining what they do to us, and how it is completely random. 2) What you will have NO trouble finding in a book like this, is a convicts sob story about how badly they are treated. At my institution, they have three hot meals, cable tv, education and drug programs, computer access, organized sports teams, full gym, rec yard. There is no abuse by officers to the convicts, and our staff assaults are relatively low. But lets have a con write a book about remorse, or how officers are treated as though we personally arrested the con. How we have HIV positive cons spitting blood in our faces. What they do is sway the reader into feeling sorry for them. People then forget about what they did to get behind bars, and very few people know how they act once they get there. No, the cons should not be abused, I for one will not tolerate it, but they ONLY get what policy says they have coming to them. The thing is, the officers are the same, the cons are ALL different. The quiet old man who is polite and never gives you any lip, that molested seven 4 to 7 yr old boys and the old indian who never says a word, is polite, and a good cell house orderly who chopped up his grandmother and killed two Policemen is treated the same as the 6ft6 365 lb soldier for the Gangster Disciples who sold heroin and crack. How they treat US is the issue. How about a convict admits he made a big boy decision in a big boy world, and went to a big boys prison because of it.I don't feel sorry for you. The other thing is it is startling to listen to these guys FREELY admit, that when they get out, they are going to pick right back up where they left off. Get a gun, a woman, and see my boy "about gettin back to bidness" I heard a former runner for a South American Cartel say he couldn't wait to do his 20 (twenty freakin years!!!???) and get back to work as if he never left.And he's a quiet unassuming trouble free white man who cant wait to keep putting drugs in your neighborhood. His blame and his fault, ONLY resting on FBI agents for ruining HIS life. Read the book, and many like it, but don't forget what these clowns say when their inside. They are the biggest manipulators and liars. Not all of them......but that's up to you to decide isn't it?

I read this book as I started corresponding with a prisoner (a former classmate of mine from public school) and became very curious as to prison life. I always assumed everyone in prison is remorseful, regrets their crime, and trying desperately to "correct" their ways thru vocational and education programs. ...Ha ! What I liked about this book, is that is seems very real. Compared to others prison reads written by academics, is that it's a story of gritty prison life told thru various actual prisoners. Prisoners who have no interest to reform, prisoners who are violent, prisoners who have been victims of prison crime, prisoners who collaborate with guards on schemes from drug smuggling to prostitution. So basically how prisoners adapt their criminal behavior to get them ahead in prison political circles during their prison time. The book is gritty but fascinating. Make that scary but fascinating.