Goodreads asked Christopher Zoukis:

Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

Christopher Zoukis "College for Convicts" was based on my intensely personal struggle to find meaning while serving a period of incarceration. Everywhere I looked I saw hate, fear, and people doing the same thing over and over again. The only direction they were heading was down; they were lost in the process of becoming a convict.

After reflecting upon the ills of prison and its damaging effects, I felt that there must be a better way. There must be some mechanism to fix people, not simply warehouse them in unconscionable conditions. This is where the idea started, but it isn't where it ended.

Over the years I strove to further my own education. Most of my studies were engaged in from my prison cell. After a number of years I started to realize the correlation between education and pro-social actions; prisoners who fought for an education seemed to carry themselves in a more intelligent and honorable manner.

With this in mind, I started digging to see if there was a scientific basis for my belief. In short order I learned that there were hundreds of studies which proved that education reduces recidivism. Or, put another way, education fixes people. This is the concept behind "College for Convicts". This is the hope for a brighter tomorrow.

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