Author, Expert & Speaker

How did Mark Roseman, a well-known California attorney, end up in prison? How did he endure losing his freedom and being in a starkly different culture, complete with its own language and unwritten rules? And how did he put his life back together when he got out after two years? Mark shares the story of his transformative journey in this book—part memoir and part scathing indictment of the American justice system.

  • What should you do if you know you’re headed to prison?
  • How do prison-bound or incarcerated people handle the stigma, shame, and humiliation of their situation?
  • What can families do when a loved one is an inmate?

Mark answers these questions throughout his chronicle of his prison experience, which includes descriptions of daily events and situations common in inmates’ lives.

We know that politicians earn votes and donations by being “tough on crime.” But the “lock ’em up and through away the key” mentality reflected in state and federal laws—mandatory sentences, three strikes, and zero-tolerance drug policies—impacts minorities in inner cities the most. Other draconian policies that result in longer, harsher penalties and deprioritize rehabilitation result in enraged inmates who are eventually released back into their communities only to sink back into the world of crime—and back through the prison system.

“We must stop turning a blind eye to our prison systems,” Mark says. “Too much is at stake for us all.”

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