Free Two years, six lives, and the long journey home

Lauren Kessler

Book - 2022

"95 percent of the men and women who go to prison are eventually released. But then what? A gripping work of immersion reporting for readers of Evicted and Maid, Free shines a spotlight on the rollercoaster of re-entry: the exuberance of freedom, the rules and regulations that make you feel like you're still in prison, the often dispiriting work of looking for employment and housing, and more. Veteran reporter Lauren Kessler follows six individuals whose diverse stories paint a portrait of the search for redemption that many former inmates face as they fight to rebuild their lives"--

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Location Call Number   Status
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Subjects
Published
Naperville, Illinois : Sourcebooks [2022]
Language
English
Main Author
Lauren Kessler (author)
Physical Description
xiii, 304 pages ; 24 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN
9781728236513
Contents unavailable.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

In this empathetic and visceral account, journalist Kessler (A Grip of Time) documents the achievements and setbacks of six formerly incarcerated people as they attempt to reenter society. Vicki, a recovering heroin and methamphetamine addict, hopes rehab will help her turn her life around. Arnoldo, a former gang member, deescalated prison fights and hopes to utilize these skills in the outside world. Catherine was just 13 and a victim of sexual abuse when she and her brother killed their father's girlfriend. Released at age 30, she struggled to start a new life before becoming a sentencing reform advocate. Dave, a gay man who killed his brother and father in 1985 after they mercilessly bullied him about his sexuality, spends his first days of freedom trying to obtain an ID, insurance, and food stamps. Kessler interweaves profiles of these and other ex-inmates with discussions of new models of thinking about crime and punishment, such as restorative justice, and explains the systemic issues that plague reentry and the psychological toll they take. Her immersion into her subjects' lives allows Kessler to convey to readers the immense challenges of life after prison. This powerful argument in favor of a better support system for those who have served their time rings true. Agent: Heather Jackson, Heather Jackson Literary. (Apr.)

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