Could not connect to Amazon
Product Description
Serving Productive Time: Stories, Poems, and Tips to Inspire Positive Change from Inmates, Prison Staff, and Volunteers (9780757307829): Tom Lagana, Laura Lagana: Books. Book Review: Serving Productive Timeby prisonfellowship.org Incarceration affects everyone. It directly affects every one in 33 residents of the U.S. who has been or is currently incarcerated. It affects the estimated 6 percent of those sent to prison who are actually innocent. It affects the families—parents, children, spouses—of those incarcerated. And it also creates jobs at correctional facilities and a need for volunteers in prison ministry. But there is one more group of people that incarceration affects—a group that, often times, isn't aware it is involved in the process at all. That group is made up of every person in society not mentioned above. Together, that means all of us. Tom and Laura Lagana had all of us in mind when they compiled short stories, poems, cartoons, and quotes for their book Serving Productive Time. As volunteers in prisons, the Laganas share a passion and a vision for reaching out to prisoners, ex-prisoners, and their families to effect positive change. Their work as professional speakers and authors gives them the opportunity to inspire others in society to latch onto that vision as well. Hidden inside the inspirational stories of their book is a hope that America will come to see prisoners as people who—if given the proper support—have the ability to become contributing members of society upon their release. Often the first step toward bringing about positive change is forming an accurate perspective of the incarcerated and their families. In the first chapter of the book, screenwriter and songwriter Bob Pauly challenges readers to realize that people who have been in prison are all around us—including those we might least expect: 'I'm the man who bags your groceries, the waitress who brings you coffee, and the kid on the bike down the street. I've been to your house before: as a plumber, an electrician, even the installer of your security system.' Pauly invites the reader to ponder further, 'Do you know me? You may not realize it, but . . . yes, you do!' The Laganas effectively select a number of specific, real-life stories—some more convincing and concise than others—to prove to readers that positive change can take place for those who filter through the prison system. These accounts show the necessity of prison staff and volunteers who are dedicated to helping inmates spend their sentences in programs and classes that will benefit them when they return to their communities. More Like Us Than One Might Think Contributing author and corrections employee Laurie E. Stolen recollects the start of her career in the jail system in 1998. She describes the chasm separating the perceptions that people have about prisoners, and the reality of who they are. 'The movies I'd seen confirmed my belief that this place was filled with nothing but bad people who had done horrid things; it was jail, the clink, the big house, the slammer, with a bunch of hardened, tattooed, violent criminals locked up for their assorted crimes.' But after Laurie worked at the jail for a few weeks, she began to see things differently. 'The majority of people who fill the space between these walls . . . are fathers, brothers, sons, and daughters. They are neighbors, coworkers, or even our relatives. Often they are people who get caught up with the wrong crowd, succumb to addictive behaviors, or have mental health issues for which they can't afford to seek treatment. They laugh and cry just like you and me.' A quote by Dave E. Ritzenthaler, managing editor of Prison Living Magazine, highlights Laurie's point that society shouldn't make assumptions about prisoners, but should instead consider giving them a second chance: 'Having hired many ex-felons, I have found them to be some of the most outstanding citizens, competent workers, and excell[6884] '. . . inspiring stories and thought-provoking insight by a cross-section of people touched by incarceration, enriching our world on both sides of the razor wire.' —Jack Canfield, Cocreator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul® series
Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
|
(
) 
