View the Table of Contents.
Read the Preface.

"Johnson gives these women visibility and voice as they relate their lives, their crimes, and their efforts to remain connected to families and communities...powerful."
-- "Booklist"

"Johnson's "Inner Lives" provides both a serious intervention in the literature on prisons and a venue through which incarcerated and formerly incarcerated Black women can speak for themselves. It challenges readers to take action."--"Black Renaissance"

""Inner Lives" soars when the women are allowed to speak for themselves."
--"Book"

"Johnson illuminates how the race and gender of African American women affect how they are treated in the American criminal justice system."
--"The Women's Review of Books"

"Johnson provides a historical look at African American women in the U.S. criminal justice system from the colonial period to the present."
--"Law's Social Inquiry"

The rate of women entering prison has increased nearly 400 percent since 1980, with African American women constituting the largest percentage of this population. However, despite their extremely disproportional representation in correctional institutions, little attention has been paid to their experiences within the criminal justice system.

Inner Lives provides readers the rare opportunity to intimately connect with African American women prisoners. By presenting the women's stories in their own voices, Paula C. Johnson captures the reality of those who are in the system, and those who are working to help them. Johnson offers a nuanced and compelling portrait of this fastest-growing prison population by blending legal history, ethnography, sociology, andcriminology. These striking and vivid narratives are accompanied by equally compelling arguments by Johnson on how to reform our nation's laws and social policies, in order to eradicate existing inequalities. Her thorough and insightful analysis of the historical and legal background of contemporary criminal law doctrine, sentencing theories, and correctional policies sets the stage for understanding the current system.

A lucky windfall jump-starts his miserably unfulfilled life, and so his incredible journey begins. A second prize win on 'spot the ball' may not sound a life changing amount, but it's enough for Terry Johnson to follow his dream. A dreary grey council estate existence and an overbearing, money squandering shoplifter wife of 25 years - he's desperate to get away. Retirement approaching, this flamboyant charmer and seasoned risk-taker isn't quite ready for the quiet life - his free bus pass can wait He craves adventure and excitement and finds both in equal measure - in Africa. Terry snubs the usual tourist trail of safaris and beaches - he prefers to plan a more extreme unorthodox route, 'off road' and dangerous. That's the way he likes it. Risks galore, he gets himself into dangerous and bizarre situations along the way - until he's caught with drugs at Nairobi Airport. Four months of squalor in Nairobi remand prison, he struggles to survive the harsh cramped conditions which ravage his mind and body. Finally sentenced, he's off to a prison notorious for a blatant disregard for human rights. All the time his biggest challenge awaits him in England.

View the Table of Contents.
Read the Preface.

"Johnson gives these women visibility and voice as they relate their lives, their crimes, and their efforts to remain connected to families and communities...powerful."
-- "Booklist"

"Johnson's "Inner Lives" provides both a serious intervention in the literature on prisons and a venue through which incarcerated and formerly incarcerated Black women can speak for themselves. It challenges readers to take action."--"Black Renaissance"

""Inner Lives" soars when the women are allowed to speak for themselves."
--"Book"

"Johnson illuminates how the race and gender of African American women affect how they are treated in the American criminal justice system."
--"The Women's Review of Books"

"Johnson provides a historical look at African American women in the U.S. criminal justice system from the colonial period to the present."
--"Law's Social Inquiry"

The rate of women entering prison has increased nearly 400 percent since 1980, with African American women constituting the largest percentage of this population. However, despite their extremely disproportional representation in correctional institutions, little attention has been paid to their experiences within the criminal justice system.

Inner Lives provides readers the rare opportunity to intimately connect with African American women prisoners. By presenting the women's stories in their own voices, Paula C. Johnson captures the reality of those who are in the system, and those who are working to help them. Johnson offers a nuanced and compelling portrait of this fastest-growing prison population by blending legal history, ethnography, sociology, andcriminology. These striking and vivid narratives are accompanied by equally compelling arguments by Johnson on how to reform our nation's laws and social policies, in order to eradicate existing inequalities. Her thorough and insightful analysis of the historical and legal background of contemporary criminal law doctrine, sentencing theories, and correctional policies sets the stage for understanding the current system.

This innovative English as a second language textbook helps advanced English language learners develop conversation skills and improve fluency by sharing experiences, reflecting on their lives, and discussing proverbs and quotations. The ESL book includes 45 thematic chapters, over 1400 questions, 500 vocabulary words, 250 proverbs and American idioms, and 500 quotations. Designed for both adult education and intensive English language students, the conversations deepen critical thinking skills and speaking skills essential to success in community college and university programs. Compelling Conversations has been used in classrooms in over 40 countries, recommended by English Teaching Professional magazine, and enjoyed by thousands of English students.