The Soul Knows No Bars: Inmates Reflect on Life, Death and Hope
Leder (philosophy, Loyola Coll.; Spiritual Passages: Embracing Life's Sacred Journey) considers himself a "Jewish Quaker" with "Hindu beliefs." This eclectic spiritual sensibility led him to study and write about prison life. What results here is a startling revelation about the sophisticated philosophies of a group of inmates from the Maryland State Penitentiary, who discuss race, violence, birth, death, redemption, and the misuse of power with uncanny sensitivity. These convicted thieves, drug dealers, and murderers tackle difficult philosophical and theological issues within the contexts of classical and modern philosophies. In stark contrast to the popular image of criminals, the inmates are keenly aware of moral complexities and responsibilities as well as the price they have to pay for the unspeakable miseries they have caused their victims. They are also aware that poverty, suffering, and injustice provide the breeding grounds for crime. Here, Leder effectively puts a human face on incarcerated criminals without excusing their crimes.-Chogollah Maroufi, California State Univ., Los AngelesCopyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.