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Life Without Parole : Living in Prison Today
In 1981 law-school graduate Victor Hassine was sentenced to prison for life without parole for a capital offense. His Third Edition of LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE is an insightful look at conditions of confinement and prison life in America today, taking the reader on a "guided tour" of the prison experience. In powerful and poignant prose, Hassine conveys the changes in prison life that have come about as a result of the war on drugs, prison overcrowding, and demographic changes in inmate populations. Topics covered include rape, prison gangs, prison violence, AIDS, homosexuality, and prison politics. About the Third Edition The Third Edition features five new chapters. It continues to graphically document the violence and fear that are a part of everyday life in a men's maximum-security prison. Every chapter also features a new introduction rewritten by eminent criminologist Robert Johnson. New Chapters
Chapter 8: "Anatomy of a False Confession" recounts the story of Frank Stoppage, an innocent man who was released before DNA testing began to reveal the innumerable travesties of justice that permeate our justice system.
Chapter 17: "Scenes from a Prison" introduces us to several fascinating inmates whose lives reveal the human diversity of the prison world.
Chapter 18: "Interview With Judge Richard J. Nygaard" provides a forum for Judge Nygaard to speak with authority about our growing penal system and the ease with which society has come to live with prisons that operate as destructive human warehouses.
Chapter 23: "In Search of the Convict Code" debunks the long-held notion that there exists a convict code, unique to confinement, which is a powerful force in prison affairs. Real codes of prison conduct, we learn, are imported from the outside world and adapted to the demands of life in confinement.
Chapter 24: "A Hitchhiker's Guide to Prisons" examines how offenders cope with fear, and offers strategies on how correctional officials could convert the prison from a danger zone into an environment where new lives can be forged without fear.
Chapter 8: "Anatomy of a False Confession" recounts the story of Frank Stoppage, an innocent man who was released before DNA testing began to reveal the innumerable travesties of justice that permeate our justice system.
Chapter 17: "Scenes from a Prison" introduces us to several fascinating inmates whose lives reveal the human diversity of the prison world.
Chapter 18: "Interview With Judge Richard J. Nygaard" provides a forum for Judge Nygaard to speak with authority about our growing penal system and the ease with which society has come to live with prisons that operate as destructive human warehouses.
Chapter 23: "In Search of the Convict Code" debunks the long-held notion that there exists a convict code, unique to confinement, which is a powerful force in prison affairs. Real codes of prison conduct, we learn, are imported from the outside world and adapted to the demands of life in confinement.
Chapter 24: "A Hitchhiker's Guide to Prisons" examines how offenders cope with fear, and offers strategies on how correctional officials could convert the prison from a danger zone into an environment where new lives can be forged without fear.
267 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 19, 2019
The only reason I didn't give this five stars is because it contains some of Hassine's earlier writing that isn't quite as well thought out and edited. For pure content and insight into prison conditions in one particular state (Pennsylvania) at several points in time, it deserves five stars.
November 23, 2018
3.5
Life Without Parole is a very interesting tale of living in a high security prison. Instead of just speaking of his own experiences and thoughts of spending life in prison, Hassine instead tells the story of many other inmates. He shares the experiences of those new to prison and those who have spent the majority of their life in prison. My favorite chapters in the book are the interviews he conducted with different inmates.
It definitely read like an academic article with the amount of fact Hassine wrote into the book. However, it still read like a story. This book was very intriguing because it explained the structure and environment of the prison in a way I haven’t read before.
This is a book I bought for school, but I ended up really enjoying it and I started reading it for my own interest. If you have any interest in reading about life in prison or conditions of a prison, pick up this book.
Life Without Parole is a very interesting tale of living in a high security prison. Instead of just speaking of his own experiences and thoughts of spending life in prison, Hassine instead tells the story of many other inmates. He shares the experiences of those new to prison and those who have spent the majority of their life in prison. My favorite chapters in the book are the interviews he conducted with different inmates.
It definitely read like an academic article with the amount of fact Hassine wrote into the book. However, it still read like a story. This book was very intriguing because it explained the structure and environment of the prison in a way I haven’t read before.
This is a book I bought for school, but I ended up really enjoying it and I started reading it for my own interest. If you have any interest in reading about life in prison or conditions of a prison, pick up this book.
January 11, 2008
Victor Hassine, one of Pennsylvania’s inmates for life, (without the possibility of parole) documents what life inside the prison system is really like; from mental insanity, boredom, rape, overcrowding and the constant state of fear. This book really woke me up to the reality of prison, and offered insights I had never considered.
October 21, 2010
Sort of weird. Kind of okay. Never gets deep enough. Like dipping your toe in shark infested water. And then all of a sudden he's not in prison any more - but it was billed as Life Without Parole, so in that sense it's confusing, especially with no explanation.
April 25, 2021
If I found the correct book - I read this about 15 years ago and found it powerful.
December 9, 2025
i read this for my mass incarceration class and it was really interesting to hear about victors experience in prison and relate it to class discussions
December 12, 2025
much more interesting than the other one
May 2, 2011
Loved this book! it's an eye-opener to the harsh conditions of the American prison system. Hassine gives readers an inside to such topics as mental illness, drug abuse, AIDS, homosexuality and more. The best book I had to read for my major. (Hassine killed himself in prison in 2006)
July 4, 2014
This book is great for anyone in criminology, or interested in learning what prison is like. The Author is a prisoner and takes you on his journey into prison. The book is informative as well interesting .
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews