Fish: A Memoir of a Boy in a Man's Prison
Now a writer and human rights activist, Parsell's mission to end sexual abuse in prisons gets a powerful testament in this memoir. On probation for entering an empty hotel room, and subsequently arrested for attempted robbery of a photo shop (with a toy gun), 17-year-old Parsell finds himself facing up to 15 years in the Michigan prison system. Parsell quickly realizes his vulnerable state as a young, white good-looking inmate surrounded by more experienced prisoners. When a smooth criminal named Chet invites Parsell to drink with him and a few other seasoned inmates, Parsell eagerly accepts. To his dismay, they spike his drink with a heavy sedative and brutally assault him. After the rape, Chet wins a coin toss and just like that, Parsell becomes his personal property. Parsell is quick to point out that inmates are not the only predators in the correctional system; it was his rebuff of a probation officer's advances that would ultimately lead a judge to hand down a four-and-a-half to 15 year sentence. On top of the almost daily assaults, Parsell must come to terms with his homosexuality and his status as a "white boy" in a majority black community. Purcell does not shy from expressing his raw emotions, realizing his brutal experiences in brave, honest language.Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.