Did the novel change the way you see prisons or anything else?
Sort of but not in a bad way, perhaps the author did some whitewashing. I always felt prisons were more violent. Obviously a stereotype from too many tv shows and movies
I don’t think so. I just finished listening to The Sun Also Shines and that book had similar depictions of prison. I see them sometimes as a necessary, but the treatment of the prisoners can vary by state and race by race. James was treated pretty well as was Roy Hinton. I think their common denominator was that they were both good men internally and that came through to their keepers and fellow prisoners. I also read a book (can’t remember the title) a few years back about private prisons which based on that book are hell holes.
I honestly hope prisons are like the prison protrayed in this book however, movies and T.V. often portray prisons differently.
Not really. I’ve had someone close to me go to prison, so I already had some insight into what prison life looks like. While there were programs available to help him better himself, his experience was much more dangerous than what this book depicts. I felt like the novel presented a somewhat less harsh version of prison than what I’ve seen through his experience.
I appreciated the programs available at San Quentin. I don’t know if they are still offered, but they really seemed to help James.
I think it offered me a perspective of prisons and made me think about how accurate it was. I have not known anyone who went to prison, so only know what I have seen on tv/movies or read about before.
I had little to no real life experience as to how prisons operate. What I’ve seen in movies, being confined to a small space, bad food, bad treatment. This was similar except there were programs offered for therapy, schooling, libraries. The tutoring was a wonderful addition.
No, I think there will always be room for improvement. Not all prisons are the same. 'The reader was only given a glimpse into San Quentin and Tehatchapi facilities. I am aware that most prisons are privately run and may have several methods of securing them. Often those methods according to my information are inhuman and brutal. i
I have always been fascinated by books set in prison. In comparison to others, James’ experience could have certainly been worse. If anything, this book reminded me that kids cannot choose their lots in life, and that growing up in a safe environment is not an advantage to be taken lightly.
I don’t think this novel changed the way I see prisons, but I hope that all prisoners could have the same type of experience that James had in that it did not seem as violent and harsh as I have seen it portrayed on tv and in movies. I think James’ personality and intelligence helped him not get caught up in what I imagine were some pretty horrific experiences had by other prisoners. I don’t know if all the programs that James took part in are truly available in San Quention and other prisons, but I hope so.