Federal Prison Handbook: The Definitive Guide to Surviving the Federal Bureau of Prisons by Christopher ZoukisMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
The author, Christopher Zoukis, is presently an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution Petersburg in Virginia. He has been incarcerated since he was just 18 years old though he doesn't reveal his crime. A quick internet search can give you that information if you are curious. That this is written by a prisoner, makes the book a more authentic read than it might were it written by some scholar who had just interviewed various inmates.
Zoukis gives staggering statistics on the American prison population, history of the Federal Bureau of Prisons and follows up with information taking the reader from arrival and orientation through preparations to reenter the world as a free person and everything in between. He provides detailed tips for navigating the complicated social structure in prison, encouraging continuing education while incarcerated, and even explains how to receive the best medical and/or psychological care the prison system has to offer.
This reader is just glad that she's reading this book for entertainment purposes and not because she's heading into the penal system. How scary it must be to be reading this knowing the world contained within is in your immediate future. It is a fascinating read for leisure and most likely invaluable for the future inmate.
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