A LIFE FOR A LIFE
Life Imprisonment
(America's Other Death Penalty)
First Edition

James A. Paluch, Jr.
Thomas J. Bernard
(editor), Pennsylvania State University
Robert Johnson (editor), American University
ISBN: 1-931719-37-3
softbound, 239 pages, ©2004 
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A Life for a Life: Life Imprisonment (America's Other Death Penalty), 1st ed.
"James A. Paluch, Jr.'s personal odyssey through the criminal justice and penal system is penetrating and highly enlightening. His ability to articulate his insight makes this a 'must read' for anyone interested in the subject."
--Ernest D. Preate, Jr., Former Pennsylvania Attorney General

James A. Paluch, Jr., is serving a life sentence without possibility of parole. In this remarkably perceptive book, he offers the reader a detailed account of the daily realities of prison life in its mundane essentials, from the culture of the cellblock to the etiquette of the yard and the mess hall. The book also highlights concepts of prisonization, institutionalization, and the community, as well as the nature of modern punishment.

Here, Paluch walks us through a complicated, sometimes treacherous culture behind bars, a place where manipulation and deception often rule. He introduces us to the world of the lifer, a community of men who know they will live and die behind bars. By the end of his book, Paluch leads the reader to question and reevaluate whether our prisons, in their present condition, should continue institutionalizing substantial numbers of offenders for the rest of their natural lives.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

Part I: Life
  1. As I Write This Book
  2. Bof's Journal
  3. Enter the Madness

Part II: Food
  4. The Old Dining Hall
  5. The New Dining Hall
  6. The Commissary

Part III: Personal Hygiene
  7. Showers
  8. Laundry
  9. Haircuts

Part IV: Medical Care
10. A Visit to Medical
11. A Painful Experience

Part V: Sex
12. Forced Sexual Deprivation
13. Sex in Prison

Part VI: Inmates and Staff
14. The Unlistened-to Story
15. The Game
16. The Times Are a Changin'
17. The Snitch
18. Asleep in the Deep

Part VII: Custody and Security
19. Shakedown
20. Misconduct
21. The Setup
22. The Restrictive Housing Unit (RHU)
23. Isn't It Ironic?

Part VIII: Violence
24. Firebombed!

Part IX: Lifers
25. This Is What We Do to Troublemakers
26. Rumble in the Jungle
27. The Lock in the Sock
28. A Bowl of Fruit
29. Joshua
30. The Old Man and the Mountain

Part X: Family
31. Thinking of You
32. A Sad Day for Mr. Strawberry
33. A Lifer's Dad, by James A. Paluch, Sr.
34. A Lifer's Mom, by Joyce Upchurch
35. A Wife Doing Life, by Dianna L. Hollis

Part XI: Conclusion
36. Forgive Them, Father...
37. A Life for a Life

Bibliography