Browsing: Penal System

How did Carl Panzram develop into one of the most terrifying killers in American history? This gripping read tells his chilling true story, from his harrowing childhood to his reign of terror.

Jill Grunenwald dreamed of becoming a librarian, but her first job — located in the library of a men’s prison — was far from what she imagined. In this memoir, she shares her unforgettable experience of seeing the importance of books firsthand. “A fascinating look into a world many of us never see” (Booklist).

In 2015, two violent murderers escaped from New York’s Clinton Correctional Facility — assisted by an employee — and a dramatic manhunt ensued even as further scandal was revealed. This insider’s account is “an exciting read, full of shocking revelations” (New York Times bestselling author Gregg Olsen).

In 17th-century London, preacher Titus Oates tells tales of a Catholic uprising against Charles II. Writer Nathaniel Thompson doesn’t believe his story, but when he takes a public stand against Oates, he and his family face consequences they never imagined…

In this NPR Best Book of 2018, an investigative journalist’s harrowing, eye-opening experiences as a guard in a private prison result in a “hard-hitting exposé of the for-profit prison industry” (Publishers Weekly starred review).

Wrongfully convicted of murder, Anthony Ray Hinton spent 30 years in solitary confinement on death row. In this New York Times bestseller, he recounts how he coped with suffering without losing his capacity for forgiveness. “You will be swept away in this unbelievable, dramatic true story” (Oprah Winfrey).

How did the first detectives of Scotland Yard manage without the advantages of fingerprinting, DNA profiling, or even reliable photography? This intriguing volume takes a look at the techniques they used to solve classic cases like the First Railway Murder.