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Life Without Parole: Living in Prison Today
 
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Life Without Parole: Living in Prison Today [Paperback]

Victor Hassine (Author), Richard McCleary (Author), Richard A. Wright (Author), Thomas J. Bernard (Author)
4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)


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Paperback, February 1, 1999 --  

Book Description

February 1, 1999 1891487132 978-1891487132 2nd
In 1981 law school graduate Victor Hassine was sentenced to prison for life without parole for a capital offense. Life Without Parole, Third Edition, is an insightful look at conditions of confinement and prison life in America today, taking the reader on a "guided tour" of the prison experience. In powerful and poignant prose, Hassine conveys the changes in prison life that have come about as a result of the war on drugs, prison overcrowding, and demographic changes in inmate populations. Topics covered include rape, prison gangs, prison violence, AIDS, homosexuality, and prison politics.

The Third Edition features five new chapters and continues to graphically document the violence and fear that are part of everyday life in a men's maximum-security prison. Every chapter also features a new introduction rewritten by eminent criminologist Robert Johnson.

New Chapters:
* Chapter 8: "Anatomy of a False Confession" recounts the story of Frank Stoppage, an innocent man who was released before DNA testing began to reveal the innumerable travesties of justice that permeate our justice system.
* Chapter 17: "Scenes from a Prison" introduces us to several fascinating inmates whose lives reveal the human diversity of the prison world.
* Chapter 18: "Interview With Judge Richard J. Nygaard" provides a forum for Judge Nygaard to speak with authority about our growing penal system and the ease with which society has come to live with prisons that operate as destructive human warehouses.
* Chapter 23: "In Search of the Convict Code" debunks the long-held notion that there exists a convict code, unique to confinement, which is a powerful force in prison affairs. Real codes of prison conduct, we learn, are imported from the outside world and adapted to the demands of life in confinement.
* Chapter 24: "A Hitchhiker's Guide to Prisons" examines how offenders cope with fear, and offers strategies on how correctional officials could convert the prison from a danger zone into an environment where new lives can be forged without fear.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Editorial Reviews

Review


"Hassine's stories target issues that have real relevance in the sociological/criminological literature and in justice policy, and he effectively balances subjective experience with objective observation. His writing style is exceptional. It is sophisticated, yet highly comprehensible. This book will definitely generate and sustain student interest."--Karol Lucken, University of Central Florida


"Hassine's writing style is excellent and very consistent. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I would recommend that it be a required or recommended book for all corrections classes."--Richard T. Martin, J.D., Washburn University


"This book should be required reading in all undergraduate criminal justice programs."--John Shore, Northern Kentucky University


--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Robert Johnson, American University. Thomas J. Bernard, Pennsylvania State University. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 235 pages
  • Publisher: Roxbury Pub Co; 2nd edition (February 1, 1999)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1891487132
  • ISBN-13: 978-1891487132
  • Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.4 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,138,789 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

12 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.1 out of 5 stars (12 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Author Victor Hassine Lauded for Efforts, September 25, 2003
This review is from: Life Without Parole: Living in Prison Today (Paperback)
I met the author in prison during an educational presentation, and found out about the book through our local criminal justice classes. After reading this book, I came away with an increased knowledge of life in prison and the multiple methods of manipulation that exists among prisoners. The book is well written, researched, and exemplifies the wasted talents of inmates in prison today. Victor is to be applauded for his efforts to enlighten us about life in prison in a realistic manner.
Pat Puline
patpuline@aol.com
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars truth, December 12, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Life Without Parole: Living in Prison Today (Paperback)
Life without Parole is an inmate's account of life at Graterford prison in Pennsylvania. It is a view of prison as he knew it. I would never expect the guards nor the administration to publicly admit to the goings on at Graterford during the time the author was incarcerated. There are countless acounts of wrong doing by both inmates and guards alike. Mr. Hassine has presented his view of prison and I find it to be informative, interesting, and believable.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Provides outsiders with a good sense of life in prison, February 12, 1999
By 
Alan Mills (Chicago, Illinois USA) - See all my reviews
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Hassine graduated from law school, and then almost immediately was arrested and sentenced to life in prison for murder. This book provides his account of his experiences in one maximum security, overcrowded, violent prison near Philadelphia, PA.

I have never visited the prison he describes, and thus can not comment on the factual accuracy of the events described. However, having spent endless hours with inmates in similar prisons, I believe that he has certainly captured the essence of being an inmate in this type of prison. It is well written, and provides stories, from which the reader is allowed to draw his or her on conclusions. He does not preach, but tells his story simply and compellingly.

Since this country is sending an increasing number of young people to live out most of their lives in prison, all or us should be aware of what we are doing. This book accomplishes that purpose.

Unlike some other similar books (Jack Abbott's, Belly of the Beast, comes to mind), Hassine does not focus exclusively on the negatives of prison life. This is not a "prison destroyed my life" rant. Rather, it is a successful attempt to give a balanced view of day-to-day life in prison. The overwhelming fact of which is constant boredom, with a heavy overlay of barely supressed violence (mostly by other inmates, but occassionally from guards).

My only criticism is that the introductory comments of the editor (thankfully short) interspersed throughout the book are distracting and unnecessary.

All in all, for anyone interested in learning what life is like in America's prosons, this book is highly recommended.

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