My family member is an addict. Knowing how much their history of addiction and incarceration impacts them daily, I found this to be compassionately written. The struggles of reentry are myriad and it is apparent that being released does not equal freedom. I enjoyed hearing the back story of each person and following along as they try to make it in a generally unwelcoming world.

When a person is released from prison, their sentence doesn't seem to end, especially if they were incarcerated as a youth and don't get out until decades later. In "FREE," author Lauren Kessler mixes statistics and the stories of six formerly incarcerated people who try build back their lives on the outside. Some are actually released outside the gates of the prison and left t0 find their own way back, subsequently becoming part of the nation's homeless population. Some have families who love, support them, and help them wind their way through all the complexities that they face in reporting to parole officers, finding jobs, finding a place of their own, and just learning to live in a world that has changed so much. Most are somewhere in between these scenarios.

Just imagine: A child spends his entire adolescence surviving prison, is released when he is in his thirties, and now must adjust to a way of life he doesn't understand, nor has developed the maturity that is expected of him in navigating this world.

Kessler, an investigative journalist, became a volunteer mentor to recently incarcerated people to help us understand what these individuals face on the outside, and to show us better ways that prisoners can be prepared for release and reduce recidivism. It's complicated, but we in America can do much better than what we're currently doing!

Excellent research meets good writing in Lauren Kessler's latest book, "Free". The topic isn't an easy one, incarceration in America. Why do we lead the world in prisons, prisoners, crime, and recidivism? The author meets six inmates and follows their lives from childhood to crime to punishment to their ultimate attempts to redeem themselves and begin life anew.

Their stories are both predictable and unpredictable, sad and enlightening. Is justice served by incarceration? Can humans be redeemed and turn their lives around? The answers are as diverse at the six individuals Ms. Kessler documents.

As a retired law enforcement officer, I was interested in this book to learn more about what it’s like for the men and women who go to prison and are later released back into society after years of incarceration. Sadly, I think this book does a lot to explain the high rates of recidivism as we do so little to prepare and welcome these individuals back into the fold. Still, human beings are resilient, and persistence pays off, and the author does a tremendous and compassionate job of introducing us to six people who struggle to reclaim their lives after incarceration. I was scared for them, I cheered for them, and, most importantly, I related to them and their struggles. I will end this review by saying we need to do more, much more, to prepare these folks for their eventual release. They deserve so much better, and society, in general, deserves better too.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

Really hard to read but important. What happens when you are arrested as a kid, spend 30 years in prison and then get out and have to live on your own and support yourself? That's what so many people do every day and it's important to know their stories. I did feel like the writing style was a little flat and didn't do them justice for lack of a better word. I felt for them but they didn't always seem like fully fleshed out people which is what they deserved.

The author provides a clear and moving picture of the struggles those in the prison system face. It's clear we have a broken system and there is a lot of work to be done to fix this. The author provides examples of success stories and missteps that clearly outline how we can, as a society, better support those reaching the end of their time in prison.

3.5 stars.

As an inner city ER doctor, I have plenty of contact with current and former prisoners. The man who spent months convincing prison staff his fatigue was real, to be diagnosed with leukemia when they finally did blood work. Or the recently released man who had no idea how to take his prescribed medications and came in with an accidental overdose. Or the many who come in after release with nowhere to go but the ER in search of some food and a warm bed.

Suffice it to say, I was greatly interested in learning more about the transition from incarceration to freedom. The book starts out with a broad overview of the US prison system and our unbelievably high rates of incarceration compared to the rest of the world.

Where the book really hits its stride is with the personal stories of six people at the center of the book. Most committed violent crimes, and all have made commitments to lead a better life, to make the world better in some way.

Sterling and Arnoldo's parallel stories were incredibly powerful. Vicki and Catherine serve as foils to each other. I felt like there wasn't quite enough time spent on Trevor or Dave - I didn't have the same connection to them as people. I would have liked a more in depth exploration of their stories similar to the others.

Overall, this was a powerful read, strongly recommended for anyone who works with current or former prisoners.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC.

Lauren Kessler, the author of free, has significant experience immersing herself in the lives of others and writing about the experience. This is the first of her books that I have read, and given her background I expected a more powerful narrative and investigation. This 21-chapter book follows six individuals--two women and four men--who were incarcerated for long periods of time and charts (with one exception who remains incarcerated) their re-entry into society, their struggles to find homes and jobs and maintain relationships, and their ultimate outcome after Kessler's observation period ends. Interwoven into the present-tense narrative of her subjects' lives are statistics on the criminal justice system that Kessler has unearthed through research.

Though Kessler clearly has spent a lot of time in the criminal justice system, having conducted a writing program inside a prison and written a previous book about a prison, her descriptions of the lives of the six individuals are not deep, with the exception of Sterling, with whom she appears to have had more interactions. Vicki, because she needs Kessler, contacts her when she's in trouble or getting out of it, but there is little discussion with Vicki as to why she fails as she does and more speculation. Catherine has a strong personality and leadership qualities that make her accessible and successful in her own way, but little analysis and lessons for others in her situation.

The frequent switching of the narrative from person to the next as Kessler moves from theme to theme in her untitled but clearly themed chapters (where will I sleep? finding a job, relationships and marriage, "doomed to deviance" or recidivism, parole hearings and the justice system, and final assessment) is somewhat dizzying. Though each person is unique enough to follow, and the descriptions brief, one ends up with snippets of lives instead of anything meaty. Even though Kessler seems to have bonded at least with several of these individuals, I felt a lack of depth. Certainly, more information from Sterling's attorneys and perhaps the attorneys of some of the other individuals, as well as from their families where relevant, would have helped.

Kessler's writing style is clear and her statistical segments are appropriately woven in and relevant. But I did not walk away from this book thinking that I wanted to tell anyone about it or urge anyone to read it. I've read a few other books along these lines, most notably Bryan Stephenson's Just Mercy, and felt far more empathy and felt far more informed after completing that book.

My thanks to @Sourcebooks, as well as to @NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of Free: Two Years, Six Lives, and the Long Journey Home.

"The first rush of freedom followed quickly by institutionalized obstacles."

It's hard to read about what these people have gone through. Can you imagine being arrested as a kid, being released after 30 years, and then trying to slide into a normal life?? Can you imagine having door after door slammed in your face?? No one will rent a home to you. No one will hire you. It's all just so WRONG.

The author did an amazing job describing how and where we fail the thousands of individuals coming out of prison every year. I hope to see where the adult prosecution of any child under age 14 ends SOON. I'm grateful to the Obama Administration enacted the Fair Chance Business Pledge. I'm grateful to the Equal Justice Initiative for their tireless work in making changes come about. I'm grateful to Ms. Kessler for opening my eyes. I had no idea of the injustices happening today. Free has inspired me to learn more. "Children must be provided, with few exceptions, a 'meaningful opportunity’ [for release that] must come early enough in a person’s life to pursue education, employment, and reintegration into society.” Amen.

This book follows the journey of 6 people who were incarcerated, but became one of the 5% of people who are released. With that “freedom” comes a complicated set of challenges with assimilating back into the world. They each face adversity while demonstrating strength and resilience.

This is an eye opening look at the criminal justice system and its fallacies. It had some interesting statistics, coupled with the personal stories. It was interesting and thought provoking.

Thank you to NetGalley + Sourcebooks for the ARC.

Insightful and interesting. Just wish it was a bit more in depth. A necessary starting point for anyone beginning to learn about restorative justice and re-entry after prison.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59337819

I received a free e-ARC of this book through Netgalley.
This is a non fiction book about 6 different people in prison and what they face after being released. It's really horrific how the United States treats prisons as a for-profit business. We send people to prison to punish them, but then the way we treat them turns them into people who don't want living or working among us. I planned to just read a chapter or two of this book, but ended up having to sit and read it the whole way through in one sitting.

Interesting concept and strong writing. The writer clearly researched and studied her ‘case studies’ and put her story forward in a concise manner. However, I didn’t particularly connect with the stories. I enjoy non fiction but tend towards specific true crime cases or emotional, first-hand accounts. For this reason, I can’t say I was gripped, which is really what I was seeking. Thanks to Netgalley for the arc.

A striking book to add to those advocating for criminal justice reform in the US. The author teaches writing courses to inmates and here tells the story of six of them both inside prison and upon reentry. There is much to be learned from these stories.

Free by Lauren Kessler is one of those books that you immediately wish everyone would read. It is a deftly and compassionately written exploration of the American justice system through the journeys of 6 people's journeys through reentry through one of the most carceral, punishment-focused justice systems in the world, with a per-capita imprisonment rate that is higher than that of Russia, North Korea and China, and unfairly, horrifically biased towards condemning Black and brown people.

The novel doesn't shy away from the facts, which makes it seem like it might be too grim to stomach at times, but even when the novel is pulling tension together, the statistics are balanced against the hope - even hope against almost insurmountable odds at times - alongside compassion, connection, and the very real efforts of hundreds of charities each trying to do their best, sometimes in extremely difficult or even seemingly impossible circumstances. What I'm trying to say is that I worried the book would be far too heavy for me to read, but instead I found myself devouring it voraciously, intent to know the 'endings' of the paths of the people we're introduced to, though their stories never truly end.

I found it fascinating following these narratives through Covid-19, and climate change related emergencies, learning how they impacted both charities beyond the prisons, but also prisoners within as well.

The book makes it clear that restorative justice is needed, but very difficult to implement in a carceral system despite the best efforts of all involved. It makes it clear that the system of prison doesn't do anything to rehabilitate prisoners, but instead traumatises them, punishes them, and leaves them facing a life of stigma that not only harms them, but harms the whole of society, who doesn't seem to understand that prisoners do eventually - for the most part - get out and need to live in society again. And it is clear in countries like Norway, where systems are rehabilitation focused from the start, instead of punishment focused, that recidivism rates are low (the lowest in the world).

I was most compelled by Sterling Cunio's story, which makes sense given it was easily given the most page time, and Sterling's story also touched Arnoldo's story deeply. The tension built while Kessler describes Sterling's journey towards reentry was masterful. This is written by someone who knows the right time to pull the strings taut, and knows the impact of leaving readers feeling sure, or uncertain, or hopeful, or upset, or angry.

Ultimately, this review copy inspired me to actually look up reentry charities and outfits in Australia, since I know our system is similar to the USA's. I was already a fan of restorative justice, but this really cemented how much RJ is needed. In addition, it's now extremely clear that if prisons aren't planning for reentry from day one for a prisoner, even if that prisoner is a lifer, or will spend decades in prison, they have failed. And they are failing.

I was inspired by the bonds of humanity described in this book. Supportive families, marriages, children, teachers, pastors, charities, even prison staff. The drive towards self-education and the stamina and resilience shown by many of these people. But I was also painfully aware that for every person who had a hopeful or positive ending, there are many that are not reentry success stories. It's often got nothing to do with how hard they fought, and everything to do with how traumatised they are, how little they are assisted, how many mountains there are to climb, how little support there is - and that support varies drastically state by state. Yet, still, this is a book about people who fight to keep going, who make mistakes but then pick themselves up and again, who relentlessly try and do far more to access far less than most of us take for granted.

It is a system that desperately needs systemic change, and hopefully this book is one more brick in the road towards that happening.

The American criminal justice system is a subject that fascinates and horrifies me endlessly; it has ever since I learned about the existence of for-profit prisons in my very early twenties. Since then, I’ve read quite a few books on prison and the court system, and when I saw Free: Two Years, Six Lives, and the Long Journey Home by Lauren Kessler (Sourcebooks, 2022) on NetGalley, I knew that was a book I needed to read. Huge thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks (of whom I’ve long been a fan!) for approving my request in exchange for an honest review.

Lauren Kessler has been teaching writing to prisoners for years. So much has been written about prisoners while they’re in prison; she wondered what happened after they left. How easy was it for them to rebuild lives? What made the difference between those who succeeded and those who ended up behind bars again? Ms. Kessler set out to follow six prisoners: five who had reached the end of their sentences and were returning to the free world, and one who was attempting to use the court system in order to shorten his sentence. All would face significant challenges.

There’s Arnoldo, who spent 19 years in prison but who used that time to grow into the man he knew he could be; Leah, with two children in the foster care system and an addiction to meth; Vicki, addicted to heroin and meth and with a long history of paper crimes (credit card fraud, identity theft, etc); Sterling, a juvenile offender who grew into a thoughtful leader while in prison and who is trying to have his sentence overturned; Trevor, whose sentence is overturned and who finds himself forming a life with his prison penpal; Catherine, imprisoned since 30 and released at 30, entering a world she’s never known as an adult; and Dave, who spent 34 years behind bars and who doesn’t understand anything about today’s fast-paced, tech-dominated society.

Lauren Kessler combines deeply emotional narrative with hard-hitting facts and statistics about the desultory state of the American criminal justice system. Free is replete with examples, from both academic studies and the devastating real-life effects, of what prison does to the people who spend time there, and how all of society is affected when punishment triumphs over rehabilitation. When 95% of prisoners will one day leave prison and return back to our society, shouldn’t we care more about how people are treated inside? Shouldn’t we be pushing more for rehabilitation over dehumanizing punishment, avoiding the learned helplessness that happens to so many prisoners and which serves absolutely no one? Lauren Kessler will have you reconsidering everything you’ve ever thought about what happens after the judge’s sentence takes place.

Free is a heartfelt plea for a more just society, a more just court system, and a world that seeks to understand and help rather than punish and discard. It’s a remarkable book that I cannot recommend highly enough, and that left me wanting to read everything Lauren Kessler has ever written. What a wonderful, thought-provoking book this is.