Out of Bounds: Poems and Letters from Prison by a Conscientious Objector to the Good War

OUT OF BOUNDS is a first-person, true story of conscience and courage that you'll never forget. In 1941, before Pearl Harbor, life was uncertain. Would America remain at peace as Europe went to war? What would the new peacetime draft mean to American men between the ages of 21 and 35, now required to register with the Selective Service and prepare themselves for military service? Chuck Worley was in college then and, like several thousand other Americans, in the process of making up his mind to become a conscientious objector (CO). A new national system of Civilian Public Service (CPS) work camps awaited men like Worley. After being drafted and granted CO status, he tried to fit into the CPS system and its "work of national importance." But he felt the goals of the program fell short, and he walked out. Soon he found himself in the custody of U.S. Marshals, eventually winding up in Sandstone Federal Prison in Minnesota. OUT OF BOUNDS collects Worley's WW II journal-like letters and poems from his time in prison. His writing provides a moving, thoughtful, heartfelt, and provocative look at the 1940s prison system in America, and what it meant to be a war resister during WW II. Prison was a lonely world for a newly married young man. Worley and his CO friends organized themselves for protests and strikes, faced solitary confinement and abuse, and fought for desegregation of the prison, all the while working to gain their freedom. Their strategies included non-cooperation, writing manifestos, and conducting hunger strikes (which led to being force-fed by the guards). Worley's letters convey the loneliness, isolation, and struggle of fighting against "the system." They also convey his love to his young bride, and we get a close-up look at how they struggled to build a life together when separated by war. OUT OF BOUNDS is a brave personal statement about one conscientious objector's response to "the Good War," and it is a lasting testament to the power of one man's refusal to abandon his beliefs against the backdrop of a world at war.

Out of Bounds speaks of conscientious objection during a time of war and is a timely account of Mr. Worley's most personal moments and a true example of living life purely, courageously, and with integrity. Mr. Worley is an unsung hero.
AGUSTÍN AGUAYO, Iraq War Army medic and CO, Amnesty International "Prisoner of Conscience," Stuttgart Peace Prize winner 2007, court-martialed in 2007 and sentenced to 8 months in prison

A powerful, gripping journey into the mind of a rational, moral, and honest man. If society embraced his ideals and insight, we would achieve world peace and resolve the environmental crisis. This collection is a gift and a treasure to our humanity.
ROBIN LONG, Iraq War CO; sought refuge in Canada, extradited to the U.S. in 2008, court-martialed and sentenced to 15 months in prison

I've heard many stories of those who did alternative service in lieu of military service, but few stories of those who, for reasons of conscience, refused to render any labor to the State. Out of Bounds is a picture into this important and mostly forgotten movement in history. It also provides timely encouragement to all peacemakers. If those who have gone before us have suffered so much, surely we can do our part, too.
JAMES BRANUM, leading G.I. rights attorney dedicated to non-violence, representing Iraq and Afghanistan War resisters and COs

Worley's poems and letters from prison are a fascinating read--sweet, humorous, poignant, and powerful. Like many war resisters, Worley is anchored by a strong sense of himself and his duty to humankind. His love letters to his wife are an endearing snapshot of an earlier time in our history, a reminder of how much has changed and yet how much remains the same. Today's war resisters are not all pacifists--at least not at the beginning. They are often lured into the military by promises of a college education at the end of the rainbow. Quite a few have served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan before saying "No more." A wise and just society would not require anyone to go to war, nor imprison those who have the courage to refuse to kill. This book should be required reading for all young people today.
GERRY CONDON, Vietnam War CO, Director of Project Safe Haven, and President of Veterans for Peace, Greater Seattle Chapter

Worley's wisdom is transcendent, poignant, irreverent, and thoughtful. Out of Bounds is a lesson in kindness, caring, sacrifice, and standing up and fighting for what you believe in. Imprisoned soldiers today are sending very similar messages to their loved ones.
HELGA AGUAYO, activist, author, and wife of CO Agustín Aguayo