Arrested by Wes Denham

Arrested: What to Do When Your Loved One's in Jail, Wes Denham. Chicago: Chicago Press Review, 2010. e-book, 266 pps.

Arrested is an ideal book for the family members of someone who is going through legal difficulties. Wes Denham is a business writer who has an excellent grasp on the law; http://folioweekly.com/Hot-Bullets-Cold-Truth,5556 for an example of an article that he wrote. He addresses concerns of those left behind to hold up the fort until the convict becomes an ex-convict.

When a loved one is arrested, there are several pitfalls to watch out for that Denham addresses. One of them is the high cost of phone calls from jail and what that can do to the family's budget. Another is making sure that your own living quarters and car are "clean" should law enforcement want to toss the place because your family member lives with you. And then there are the attorneys.

Denham discusses life as a prisoner and how that can effect the family who is outside the bars. He talks about commissaries, getting religion (while incarcerated), sex, and how to tell if your convict really wants to change. He discusses what to do if you are threatened (flee; and report the threat to the cops) and provides several handy checklists. The appendixes include helpful forms and letters and the most thorough vocabulary list of prison slang that I have ever seen in a book.

sapphoq reviews says: Wes Denham has written a pretty good book to guild families of people who are getting tangled up in the justice system. Arrested leaves nothing out. A valuable aid to thinking clearly in a situation where family members can often go to pieces. There is straight talk about financial concerns, avoiding prison rackets from the outside (don't send money to people when asked to, especially to other prisoners), and having a life. Highly recommended.

Behind Bars by Jeffrey Ian Ross and Stephen C. Richards

Behind Bars: Surviving Prison, Jefrey Ian Ross and Stephen C. Richards. Indianapolis: Alpha Books/Penguin, 2002. e-book, 173 pps.

I read through several books on how to prepare for prison and this was the one that I thought was the most valuable for soon-to-be convicts and their families. Behind Bars was written by two college professors who have had experience with incarceration-- one is an ex-con and the other was on the staff. This book tells it like it is. In spite of cries from some readers that "we need more positive prison literature" [huh?], there is no glossing over the facts about fighting and sex, the gangs and the drugs, giving birth in prison and the high recidivism rate. Because serving time isn't on most peoples' bucket lists. 

Behind Bars starts off with some stats about American prisoners and then walks the reader through the arrest process, the difference between jails and prisons, classification, getting to prison and what to do and not do once you get there, and getting out. There is a rundown on a "typical" day in a fed pen which has controlled movement. All the taxpayers who are screaming about how their/our tax dollars pay for prisoners to go to college can stop now. There are no Pell grants for convicts and haven't been since 1992. Cons (or their families) have to pay for any college courses. Although a meaningful education is a huge help in not returning to the prison system as a con, there are many barriers in the way. Prisoners are subject to almost instantaneous transfers. Wardens are threatened by the educated. Cons work in prisons for what is considered to be slave wages on the outside and then spend that money (added to their accounts) in the commissary where the markup is usually around 125 percent. The food is inedible and many fights break out in the chow hall. Hope that you do not get sick in prison. See a dentist if you can before arriving at prison-- some of the ones on the inside may be dedicated-- because you don't want to take your chances with the local hack surgeon. There is a ton of information in Behind Bars.

sapphoq reviews says: Ross and Richards have written an excellent book for those who are on their way to becoming convicts. Behind Bars should be read by anyone who is about to have a first contact with the legal justice system as a prisoner. The curious and the folks who figure they will never have to serve time behind bars [some innocent people do wind up in prison] will also find this book to be valuable. Highly recommended.