Rating: 
Summary: A Life Extraordinary!
Review: Currently, over 2 million people are serving time in prisons in America. Shocking as that figure is, it still cannot convey the effects that being in prison actually have on the prisoners themselves. Jennifer Gonnerman's book, is about the post-prison experiences of one ex-con, Elaine Barrett. After leaving prison, Barrett had to cope with the demands of parole officers, employers, landlords and evn her own children. Not surprisingly, Barrett finds life outside prison bars hard to navigate. Elaine Barrett is an example of how prisons do not adequately prepare the inmates for the challenge of making it on the outside without resorting to the kinds of activities that landed them in prison in the first place. This is a good book that leaves a lot of food for thought.
Rating:
Summary: Life After Prison
Review: Currently, over 2 million people are serving time in prisons in America. Shocking as that figure is, it still cannot convey the effects that being in prison actually have on the prisoners themselves. Jennifer Gonnerman's book, is about the post-prison experiences of one ex-con, Elaine Barrett. After leaving prison, Barrett had to cope with the demands of parole officers, employers, landlords and evn her own children. Not surprisingly, Barrett finds life outside prison bars hard to navigate. Elaine Barrett is an example of how prisons do not adequately prepare the inmates for the challenge of making it on the outside without resorting to the kinds of activities that landed them in prison in the first place. This is a good book that leaves a lot of food for thought.
Rating:
Summary: Extremely Artful--A Page Turner
Review: I almost passed this book by because one of the trade reviews called it "artless". What a tragedy that would have been. The same trade reviewer questioned the use of shopping lists and other minutia of detail.
As a school board director, I can tell you that the most salient things are these details- particularly the writing samples, the better the writing sample is for a particular family member, the better the outcome of their life. Coincidence? I do not think so. This is hard evidence that skills matter.
Elaine Bartlett worked hard on improving her skills in prison. The tragedy is that she was not there to be able to usher those same skills in her children because the system removed her form their lives.
This book is an indictment on the Rockefeller Drug Laws-well-meaning though they may have been, they are a social disaster. They have and are continuing to destroy families. Many of the judges who initially supported them, have reversed their opinion. It is time to adjust the law for the social realities-after all, the Supreme Court found that prevailing Community Standards should be the standard. The Rockefeller Drug Laws are an outlier in the scheme of social norms.
Rating:
Summary: Elaine Bartlett's Triumph with courage and dignity.......
Review: I cannot praise this book enough. From beginning to end, it was powerfully written. I hold the opinion that this book will be one of the best, most important, and gripping personal story and account of the life of a woman, mother, and sister. It is one of the very best books I have read about personal struggles. It is, I also opinion, with equal, if not above, great books like Claude Brown's Manchild in the Promiseland, and, Piri Thomas' Down these Mean Streets. I actually found this so powerful, it was gripping.
This book should be required reading for lawyers, judges, professors, social workers, probation officers, teachers, anyone who is concerned about poverty, desperation, crime, family struggles, and trying to make it when the odds are not in one's favor.
Sincerely,
Diego R. Rodriguez
Rating:
Summary: Great story about a real woman--and real issues
Review: I got this book on a friend's must-read recommendation-and after I finished I passed it along myself. It's the story of a woman, Elaine Bartlett, who after being imprisoned for 16 years, is freed and tries to rebuild her life. In part, the book is about the effects of the Rockefeller drug laws that require mandatory minimum sentences for even first-time offenders such as Elaine. But it's largely the story of the challenges Elaine faces as an ex-prisoner. I really related to the family problems and relationships in the book--not so much because they were identical to my own family's, but because they touched on so many important issues-motherhood, communication, growing up without one of your parents, and so on. Elaine isn't always perfect, but she's a real person, trying to do her best as a mother and a woman in today's society. The author, Jennifer Gonnerman, paints an engaging portrait of Elaine as a determined, feisty woman. Her writing is vivid, but direct, effectively describing people and places as well as larger issues of public policy with intelligence. One can tell that she has done her research-both my spending time with Elaine and her family and friends and by talking to prison officials and gathering statistics and the like. This was one of the best books that I've read in a while and I highly recommend it either as a plain old "good read" or for someone who wants to learn more about life for ex-prisoners or mandatory minimum sentencing.
Rating:
Summary: Great book!
Review: I just finished "Life on the Outside" and I highly recommend it. The story of Elaine Bartlett and her struggles, both inside the prison system and after her release, makes a compelling case for the repeal of the Rockefeller drug laws. The author paints a complete picture of a life torn apart by an unfair system. A great read-I couldn't put it down!
Rating:
Summary: Great book!
Review: I just finished "Life on the Outside" and I highly recommend it. The story of Elaine Bartlett and her struggles, both inside the prison system and after her release, makes a compelling case for the repeal of the Rockefeller drug laws. The author paints a complete picture of a life torn apart by an unfair system. A great read-I couldn't put it down!
Rating:
Summary: A Book for Everyone
Review: Jennifer Gonnerman tells the story of Elaine Bartlett, a young mother of 4, sent to jail for 20 years to life for a first offense of transporting 4 ounces of cocaine. As we read Elaine's story, and see how this chilling sentence affects her, her children and the rest of her family, we also learn about the failure of America's judicial system, prison system, and drug laws to deal with drug offenders in a way that is both humane and effective. Jennifer Gonnerman has woven Elaine Bartlett's personal story into the larger context of drug laws, prisons, rehabilitation or the lack of it, and the continual punishment of "life on the outside" that greet the 600,000 ex-cons that leave our prisons each year. I was so carried along by Jennifer Gonnerman's compelling writing that I read this book in one evening. I wish that every citizen of voting age, and also every legislator on a local, state and federal level, would read this book, and then work for sensible changes.
Rating: 
Summary: quick, satisfying, important read
Review: The author's style is direct, simple and objective, letting the story tell itself. The racially-motivated Rockerfeller drug laws (and the copycat laws passed by other states other than NY) are disgusting, but the mainstream media ignores the plight of the first-time offenders jailed for most of their adult lives. This book will motivate you to do something about it. Elaine Bartlett isn't necessarily a hero, but a human being who deserved a much better chance to live a normal life. I learned a lot about unfair parole restrictions, the struggle to rehabilitate after being imprisoned, and New York City in general. This is a great book.
Rating:
Summary: Life on the Outside : The Prison Odyssey of Elaine Bartlett
Review: The book was wonderfully written. It gave me a lot of insight as to what was going on in New York in the 1980's. I loved it. It was an awakening for me. Being a child that grew up in the same neigborhood and knowing the family very well, this book brought back a lot of memories and explained a lot of things. Thanks for writing this one Elaine.
|
