Life in Prison
by Stanley Williams, Barbara Cottman
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Book Summary Information
Author: Barbara Cottman, Stanley WilliamsPhotographer: D. Stevens
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2001-02-01
ISBN: 1587170949
Number of pages: 80
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Book Reviews of Life in Prison
Book Review: Anyone Can Change. Even the Most Unlikely People.
Summary: 5 Stars
Anyone Can Change.
Even the Most Unlikely People.
My class just finished reading "Life In Prison" by Stanley "Tookie" Williams. When reading it, I was shocked at how someone living on death row really lives; strip searches, the same food every week, and little medical attention. These are things you really don't want to deal with on a daily basis. But most kids in our society today think going to prison is the "cool" thing to do. Man, are they wrong. Mr. Williams talked of prison as if it was a nightmare; a place where no man would ever want to enter. A place where men go insane, become claustrophobic, and always longing to be loved by someone; trying to fill that hole of loneliness in their heart. A place where every man defends himself and cannot trust anyone, because at any minute who you thought was your friend, may turn against you.
Once captured by Mr. Williams story, none of us never wanted to lay his book down. It really makes you think about the hardships these men are going through. In the book Mr. Williams said ".... a place where men have been killed and where some have even killed themselves." This is a quote that really describes prison, so because of that our class thinks of prison as a land of evil and demons. Prison won't save you from violence; there will be violence in the cells and the yards. I guess prison isn't such a heaven after all.
"Peace is promised to no one here. But violence is promised to everyone."
Mr. Williams co-founded the "Crips" gang and murdered four people. He wasn't the best person to hangout with. Being on death row for 25 years can really change a man. Growing up I've always been taught to let people repent and give them second chances. He wrote "Life In Prison" to help change children's perspective on living there. He completely changed his life around. From going from a gang leader to someone kid's looked up to, he repented his actions; but he never got a second chance. Even though I'm only 13 I think thirteen year olds aren't really mature enough to critically think this issue through, I have to say I disagree with the death penalty. What is killing a person teaching us? ABSOLUTLEY NOTHING!! I strongly believe that everyone gets a second chance, so there should be no death penalty. Most people say they agree with it, but you need to look at it in a different point of view. Let's say your mother, father, brother, sister, etc. was sentenced the death penalty. Would you want them to die? That's most likely a no to that question. So why should a stranger go through the same thing? Now rethink your answer. I mean really it is teaching us that when someone does something wrong, we have to kill them. Great lesson there guys. NOT!! This is teaching people to kill whenever something goes wrong. "If they think they succeeded by killing him in getting people to forget about him, they have done just the opposite," said Barbara Becnel, one of his most vocal supporters. Julien Dary said, " Schwarzenegger has a lot of muscles, but apparently not much heart."
I think that this book is appropriate for almost anyone. Except for a few parts of the book, it really is a great book. The best readers would probably be seventh graders and up. It taught our class a great lesson, anyone can change; even the most unlikely people.
Summary of Life in Prison
"The true stories I've written in this book are my living nightmares. My greatest hope is that the lessons the stories offer will help you make better choices than I did." Stanley "Tookie" Williams, cofounder of the notorious Crips gang, is a death-row inmate. But in his two decades of incarceration, Williams has also become a respected author and activist whose dedication to ending gang warfare in the lives of inner-city children has earned him a 2001 Nobel Peace Prize nomination. In this award-winning bookwhich has drawn praise from educators, government leaders, and families alikeWilliams describes the brutal reality of being an inmate. He debunks myths of prisons as "gladiator schools" with blunt, riveting stories of overwhelming homesickness, the terror of solitary confinement, and the humiliation of strip-searches. Williams' words are a frank challenge to adolescent readers to educate themselves, make intelligent decisions, and above all, not to follow in his footsteps.Issues Books
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