A groundbreaking work of reportage on the hidden consequences of America's prison boom Life On the Outside tells the story of Elaine
Bartlett, who spent sixteen years in Bedford Hills prison for selling cocaine-a first offense under New York's harsh
Rockefeller drug laws. The book opens on the morning of January 26, 2000, when she is set free, having received clemency from the governor. At forty-two, Elaine has virtually nothing: no money, no job, no real home.What she does have is a large and troubled family, including four children, who live in a decrepit Lower East Side housing project. "I left one prison to come home to another, " Elaine says. Over the next months, she clashes with her…
Expertly crafted by Jennifer Gonnerman, this
biography traces the life of Elaine Bartlett, a resident of a housing project in East Harlem, who at a young age was arrested for selling a small qualtity… I was outraged that a first time offense could land this mother in prison for 15 to life is that justice No matter fact Hell to the No. Are drugs bad in the community well of course Yes. Although what…
