Legacy can write. And what he describes comes at a time when the public is being asked to make choices about who should be imprisoned for long periods of time and the kind of criminal justice system we will build. The book also is important for the ways that it transcends prison. Legacy's struggles with himself may often be repeated, regardless of whether one is a free citizen or imprisoned. And it is here that the book strives for a more universal meaning.
Nobody is ever alone.
We all suffer the silent indignity of oppression to varying degrees. My peers are not only behind these walls. They are across the nation and around the world. Your manacles might be physical limitations of a small tow n or a bad relationship. Maybe you've fallen into a daily pattern that is harder to break out of than any prison.