Thought provoking and insightful, Free by Lauren Kessler questions the perception that a large segment of the population has about people that are in prison and the impact of the narrative surrounding their release. The tagline of the book captures the story to be told.

I personally have my own beliefs and thoughts involving this subject but was honestly stopped in my tracks reading these point of views that we don't get to see. The author from various methods and interpretations brought together the voices of people who had committed various crimes, including at young ages, and shared their arduous journey to the other side and the ups and downs of acclimating back into society.

I found the book very interesting because the natural reaction to someone who commits a crime is send them to jail for life or death penalty depending on the crime and that's it. If you are related to a victim or something was done to you personally, there is no absolution or belief in rehabilitation. In many circumstances that is correct but when you come across some of the cases such as in the book, it opens up the conversation of the possibility of that part of the population that either committed crimes at young ages and the ones who have completely transformed their lives, is this possible they can change? Are they entitled or deserve a second chance at life?

The book presented something that we rarely seen in many cases that we hear about. There isn't much conversation about their background and circumstances that influenced their behavior that contributed to their poor decision but many of the mainstream narratives are based on their socioeconomic background or race. Along with this, for those who get out, how do we expect them to be productive, redemptive citizens when they aren't getting opportunities to continue reformation or to productively contribute to society. This along with reading their journey really challenges your thoughts on the system and just generally presents a narrative hopefully you are opened to reading about.

Overall, the book was a good read. Hopefully this will open conversation and inspire dialogue about the judicial system, rehabilitation and ways communities can support to improve the recidivism rate by helping those who want a second chance to give back in life.

Buy on Amazon Kindle | Audible | Hardcover | Bookshop.org