A Voice for Independent Authors

“You can kill a book quicker by your silence than by a bad review.”
― E.A. Bucchianeri

REVIEWING TODAY: FEDERAL PRISON HANDBOOK BY CHRISTOPHER ZOUKIS

Let’s get one thing straight. Federal Prison Handbook by Christopher Zoukis is not some hook to attract the voyeuristic or curious toward some lengthy, grisly diatribe about the hardships of prison life. This is a highly professional, profoundly detailed, technical and comprehensive compendium of facts, laws, policies, and guidelines. But it is also a treasure trove of personal observations, anecdotal witnessings, cautionary warnings and everyday tips on how best to navigate the system, should that become necessesary in your life. This means the handbook is precisely as advertised – a handbook. As such, the audience it generates is meant to be massively wide and inclusive, and the book should be the first requirement for any discussion of prison reform, opinion sharing, argument, discussion, or just plain presentations of factual truth. As a curious bystander myself, I found it absolutely fascinating and educational. And yes, even opinion-changing. Not to mention, there actually is one grisly diatribe important to hear about: the SHU – Special Housing Unit – i.e. Solitary Confinement.

Federal Prison Handbook provides a clear-headed look at a highly controversial institution, one that evokes wide-ranging fear among the general populace, or unfounded rage toward either the inmates or the institution itself. Christopher Zoukis is quick to disparage such emotional extremes by offering a sober and realistic look inside. The effect is to reassure the potential future resident that although prison life is tough, like the rest of life its challenges can be met with minimum resistance, and the term of incarceration is – to put it simply – doable. On the other hand, one’s uninformed opinions may be way off the mark, and you might be surprised at the complexity and varieties of prison experience to be endured based upon one’s attitude, the severity of his crime, and the level of security to which he has been sentenced. I do know this: if I were to be incarcerated, I would want this book in my possession.