Synopses & Reviews
James A. Paluch, Jr., is serving a life sentence without possibility of parole. In this remarkably perceptive book, he offers the reader a detailed account of the daily realities of prison life in its mundane essentials, from the culture of the cellblock to the etiquette of the yard and the mess hall. The book also highlights concepts of prisonization, institutionalization, and the community, as well as the nature of modern punishment.
Here, Paluch walks us through a complicated, sometimes treacherous culture behind bars, a place where manipulation and deception often rule. He introduces us to the world of the lifer, a community of men who know they will live and die behind bars. By the end of his book, Paluch leads the reader to question and reevaluate whether our prisons, in their present condition, should continue institutionalizing substantial numbers of offenders for the rest of their natural lives.
Synopsis
James A. Paluch, Jr., is serving a life sentence without possibility of parole. In this remarkably perceptive book, he offers the reader a detailed account of the daily realities of prison life in its mundane essentials, from the culture of the cellblock to the etiquette of the yard and the mess hall. The book also highlights concepts of prisonization, institutionalization, and the community, as well as the nature of modern punishment.
Here, Paluch walks us through a complicated, sometimes treacherous culture behind bars, a place where manipulation and deception often rule. He introduces us to the world of the lifer, a community of men who know they will live and die behind bars. By the end of his book, Paluch leads the reader to question and reevaluate whether our prisons, in their present condition, should continue institutionalizing substantial numbers of offenders for the rest of their natural lives.
About the Author
James Anthony Paluch, Jr. was born May 24, 1971, in Allentown, PA. Educated in both public and private schools, he and his girlfriend dropped out of high school six months before graduation. He was arrested in Philadelphia in June, 1990, for first-degree murder and aggravated assault. In October, 1991, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder. He is a past president of the Pennsylvania Lifers' Association at SCI-Rockview.
Table of Contents
Introduction Part I: Life
1. As I Write This Book
2. Bof's Journal
3. Enter the Madness
Part II: Food
4. The Old Dining Hall
5. The New Dining Hall
6. The Commissary
Part III: Personal Hygiene
7. Showers
8. Laundry
9. Haircuts
Part IV: Medical Care
10. A Visit to Medical
11. A Painful Experience
Part V: Sex
12. Forced Sexual Deprivation
13. Sex in Prison
Part VI: Inmates and Staff
14. The Unlistened-to Story
15. The Game
16. The Times Are a Changin'
17. The Snitch
18. Asleep in the Deep
Part VII: Custody and Security
19. Shakedown
20. Misconduct
21. The Setup
22. The Restrictive Housing Unit (RHU)
23. Isn't It Ironic?
Part VIII: Violence
24. Firebombed!
Part IX: Lifers
25. This Is What We Do to Troublemakers
26. Rumble in the Jungle
27. The Lock in the Sock
28. A Bowl of Fruit
29. Joshua
30. The Old Man and the Mountain
Part X: Family
31. Thinking of You
32. A Sad Day for Mr. Strawberry
33. A Lifer's Dad, by James A. Paluch, Sr.
34. A Lifer's Mom, by Joyce Upchurch
35. A Wife Doing Life, by Dianna L. Hollis
Part XI: Conclusion
36. Forgive Them, Father...
37. A Life for a Life
Bibliography