Tentatively, Convenience's Reviews > Understanding the Big Picture

Welp!, you're certainly not going to get an 'unbiased' review of this one from me! The person who gave this to me, etta cetera, is an old friend & collaborator of mine. She's also one of the hardest-working people dedicazted to furthering social justice that I've ever known. For the past 8 yrs or so she's increasingly focused on prison issues. As etta says: "No-one's the worst thing they've ever done" & her dedication to understanding the plight of prisoners is imbued w/ that attitude. Prison activists usually realize that 'criminals' are often victims 1st & are imprisoned b/c they lack the financial clout to keep themselves out. Whaetever one's attitude toward 'criminals' may be, this bk & the accompanying DVD-R (wch I helped make) are a lovingly researched educational tool that're formed on encouraging artistic expression amongst prisoners. Contributions from close to 200 people gathered over a 5 yr period describe thru words & pictures the prison system in particular & the society surrounding it in general. This work is rough & in progress but it's completely AUTHENTIC in its attempt to get real about how simple-minded it is to divide the world up into 'good' & 'evil'. You'll never see George Bush in jail but he's responsible for more death than anyone on death row.. & he's just an obvious example. Such a statement isn't meant to justify the murders commited by people in prison, it's just meant to put the class nature of punishment in perspective.