Behind Bars: Surviving Prison

With the numbers of prisoners at the local, state, and federal levels at an all-time high, staying alive in prison--all of which are crowded far beyond their normal capacity, creating a very unpleasant environment at best--is harder than at any time in American history. Behind Bars: The Prison Survival Handbook will show you the best ways to avoid being beaten, sexually abused, and most importantly, getting killed. Other survival tips include how to land a favorable work assignment, the best ways to bribe prison guards, how to work the parole system, and a glossary of prison slang to make the transition easier.

Jeffrey Ian Ross is an Assistant Professor, Division of Criminology, Criminal Justice and Social Policy at the University of Baltimore. He has co-authored half a dozen books on crime and criminology.

Stephen C. Richards is an Associate Professor of Sociology Criminology at Northern Kentucky University. He completed his B.S. in Sociology and Ph.D. while serving in a federal prison. Together, Ross and Richards co-authored the upcoming book Convict Criminology (Wadsworth, 2001).