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Free
Free: Two Years, Six Lives, and the Long Journey Home | Lauren Kessler
3 posts | 3 read | 11 to read
95 percent of the millions of American men and women who go to prison eventually get out. What happens to them? There's Arnoldo, who came of age inside a maximum security penitentiary, now free after nineteen years. Trevor and Catherine, who spent half of their young lives behind bars for terrible crimes committed when they were kids. Dave, inside the walls for 34 years, now about to reenter an unrecognizable world. Vicki, a five-time loser who had cycled in and out of prison for more than a third of her life. They are simultaneously joyful and overwhelmed at the prospect of freedom. Anxious, confused, sometimes terrified, and often ill-prepared to face the challenges of the free world, all are intent on reclaiming and remaking their lives. What is the road they must travel from caged to free? How do they navigate their way home? A gripping and empathetic work of immersion reportage, FREE reveals what awaits them and the hundreds of thousands of others who are released from prison every year: the first rush of freedom followed quickly by institutionalized obstacles and logistical roadblocks, grinding bureaucracies, lack of resources, societal stigmas and damning self-perceptions, the sometimes overwhelming psychological challenges. Veteran reporter Lauren Kessler, both clear-eyed and compassionate, follows six people whose diverse stories paint an intimate portrait of struggle, persistence, and resilience. The truth—the many truths—about life after lockup is more interesting, more nuanced, and both more troubling and more deeply triumphant than we know.
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CaitlinByTheBook
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This was an excellent book. It was well researched and compelling. Kessler painted such a strong picture of what it‘s like to go from inside prison walls to outside them and why it‘s so hard. Their stories were both heartbreaking and inspiring. I‘m so glad Kessler brought these life stories to the page. Highly recommend and I will absolutely read more by this author. Pub date 04/19/2022. #netgalley #freebylaurenkessler

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peaKnit
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I was a probation agent for 28 years, I really enjoyed this. It brought back good and bad moments over my career. Mostly it is a message hope, but also underscores that things have to change. US community reentry plans are so abysmal. It takes a village but the village has left the building…

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Cinfhen
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#NetGalley #ARC #AvailableNow A terrific work of NF, immersive journalism. The author follows 6 individuals who are reintegrated into mainstream society after spending more than half their lives in prison. Many entered as juveniles & now as adults are forced to deal with technology & obstacles they‘ve never encountered before. It‘s an eye-opening read with interesting statistics & personal stories of triumphs & set backs. Highly recommended!

Chelsea.Poole Sounds great. Stacked! 2y
72 likes7 stack adds2 comments