I just finished reading "Life in Prison," by Stanley "Tookie" Williams. It's actually a non-fiction book for teens. It's very short: 80 pages long and is in medium print. The point of this book was for Stan to let young people know the real deal about prison and prison life, not what people on the streets or movies tell them, hyping prison up.
He goes through the steps of the thorough and constant strip searches that inmates experience multiple times a day. He addresses the subject of solitary confinement and the extreme loneliness of prison life itself. Stan tells of how prison breaks you apart mentally, and that many people lose their minds while incarcerated. He speaks of the imminent danger that is constantly around inmates, in fear of each other.
Stan takes that "cool" image that so many young people have in their minds about prison and smashes it into a million pieces. This book is real, but age-appropriate enough for pre-teens and young teens as well. The point of this book is to make young people realize that prison is not what they want for their lives, and nothing is worth going to prison for.
Stanley Williams has written many books for young people that have been incorporated and available in many schools across the country. He has also written a memoir called "Blue Rage, Black Redemption" that is most definitely one of my favorite books ever. He was nominated for multiple Nobel Peace Prizes and is an incredible man, period. I strongly recommend anything he has come out with.
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