This is the story of one man's 36 year long journey through the California prison system, told through the defining lens of how Christmas is celebrated. It is a story of how the decades-long crackdown on prisoners' rights resulted in the virtual cancellation of the holiday, and of how prisoners banded together to save Christmas inside. It is, ultimately, a story of the power of hope and redemption triumphing over punishment for the sake of inflicting pain.
Mass incarceration, the prison-industrial complex, the War on Crime, all of these terms are abstractions to those not directly involved in the prison system. Through this story, around the timeless theme of Christmas, in its Christian and secular aspects, the impact of the unprecedented expansion of imprisonment and the increasingly harsh conditions of American prisons is brought into the light of deeper understanding.
If you want to know the truth of prison as its practiced in this country, read this story. If you want to feel what its like to have to fight to celebrate Christmas, read this story. If you simply want to enjoy a resonant piece of holiday writing, read this story. But, regardless of your reasons, you must read this story.
Mass incarceration, the prison-industrial complex, the War on Crime, all of these terms are abstractions to those not directly involved in the prison system. Through this story, around the timeless theme of Christmas, in its Christian and secular aspects, the impact of the unprecedented expansion of imprisonment and the increasingly harsh conditions of American prisons is brought into the light of deeper understanding.
If you want to know the truth of prison as its practiced in this country, read this story. If you want to feel what its like to have to fight to celebrate Christmas, read this story. If you simply want to enjoy a resonant piece of holiday writing, read this story. But, regardless of your reasons, you must read this story.
