Chicken Soup for the Prisoner's Soul / Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Tom Lagana

RATINGS

Overall: 5 / 5 stars

Text Level: Easy

Entertainment: High

Self-Help: High

Genres: Nonfiction, Inspirational, Self Help

Page Count: 348

Is this book right for my inmate and me?

Review By: Blackbird (Inmate)

Individual stories written with the prayer to change us all.

What better way to offer support, love and hope to those living lives of incarceration than by hearing their stories in their own words? Chicken Soup for the Prisoner’s Soup brings together a collection of short stories written by inmates, officers, families and victims all expressing the impact that the correction system has had on their lives.

These stories written with love, sadness and honesty will leave you often crying wile laughing at the same time. One of the most impactful forces of this book is that it reminds the reader constantly that these ‘inmates’ that have been locked away from the public for so long are individuals just like us that have all the potential for growth and change. This book allows readers to the the deep level of reflection, acceptance and healing that many people currently incarcerated are working towards.

For numerous inmates the sense of being disconnected from the world of value is a real fear. The loss of purpose and feeling of stagnation torments many to the point of belief that it might just be easier to give up. The collection of short stories, prayers and poems compiled within this book provide many inmates an opportunity to once again discover a purpose in life. The lessons that are learned through incarceration are painful and powerful.

Here we hear from those affected by the punitive system and how they continue to look for hope.

The simple short stories from families, inmates (current & former), guards and victims provide readers a depth of the pain that everyone goes through on all sides. However, even though sorrow is a continual stream that runs through this collection of works, it is more than equally balanced by the hope that is shared by all for something better than this - love and forgiveness abounds in these collected pieces. It allows for all of us currently dealing with the nightmare of incarceration to once again hope and dream of a better future of growth.