A World Apart: Women, Prison, and Life Behind Bars

As a volunteer in a women's prison, I found this book helpful and accurate. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in this issue. The book is very readable, and I plowed through it quickly. The individual stories of women profiled were enlightening, and I particularly enjoyed the historical perspective on incarceration of women. (Thanks to the historical perspective provided by this book, I am now quite sensitive to adult female prison inmates referred to as "girls" or "gals.") Unfortunately, I think the book's scope is limited by the lack of access extended to the author by prison administrators. This doesn't work out in the prison's favor -- there are aspects of prison life left to the imagination, and if the prison researched for this book is similar to the prison I visit, the imaginings forced by the prison's handling of this author may be worse than the reality. A lack of transparency compounds the social issues that come to roost in our nation's prisons. I recommend this book. If this is a topic close to your heart, don't miss "Couldn't Keep It To Myself," Wally Lamb's collection of short stories penned by women in prison.

This was a very well written and accurate depiction of the life women prisoners in this country live on a daily basis. As a criminal defense attorney, I found the historical background quite interesting,. the up-close portraits of several of the women were also revealing, and empathetic ally done. The overall effect was to leave me wanting to reach out and help more, help to make these institutions more healthy and safe and humane.

This book was wonderful and a very easy read. I like how she told the story of each woman and even wen back in time to tell us about how the prison and women's prisons evolved over time.

A useful book for understanding life in a women's prison. The author provides appropriate background to the prison system in general. There is reason to suspect that she is perhaps too sympathetic to her prisoner-characters. To quote Ms. Rathbone as she describes one of the inmate's relationship to her son: "She kept him fed and clothed and well taken care of the way a mother should." The truth, however, is that the character in question was a crack addict. A status of which her son was well aware. Some grumpy people might say that she is not taking care of that child 'the way a mother should' - and I fear I'm one of those.

Anyone working with incarcerated women will understand that society has not changed much in the last 100 years for the female inmates. Sad! We need to empower the female administrators and the inmates to be able to learn how to make appropriate decisions. We then need to teach them how to deal with adversity and how to enact goals they have made! Too often it is a process that looks good on paper but doesn't effectively help the women change.

The heart breaking stories are compelling and moving. The historical information on our cultural views on what prisons should accomplish is well written and effectively integrated. And, I'm compelled to believe that we somehow need to move beyond retribution toward true rehabilitation. The author, as she states in her very first sentence, "was unable to move beyond the visiting room of the prison", and that makes me question her ability as an effective reporter.

This book was very interesting. Is describes the anguish many women behind bars face. The physical conditions and treatment of the inmates is right on the mark. Living conditions are horrible, and there is barely any mental health support at all. They'd rather just put you on medication and send you on your way. I would have liked to read more on the history and maybe more from the inmates themselves. All in all, I would recommend this book. I was actually recommended this book by a friend who is still in Framingham.

This great book opened my eyes as to what brings women to prison, things such as domestic abuse, physical, sexual and mental abuse suffered by women. These things often land women in prison for simply defending themselves and their children. Please read this book and understand.