The Russian Federation has one of the largest prison populations in the world. Women in particular are profoundly affected by the imprisonment of a family member. Families and Punishment in Russia details the experiences of these women-be they wives, mothers, girlfriends, daughters-who, as relatives of Russia's three-quarters of a million prisoners, are the "invisible victims" of the country's harsh penal policy. A pioneering work that offers a unique lens through which various aspects of life in twenty-first century Russia can be observed: the workings of criminal sub-cultures; societal attitudes to parenthood, marriage and marital fidelity; young women's quests for a husband; nostalgia for the Soviet period; state strategies towards dealing with political opponents; and the social construction of gender roles.

This is a love story about growing up, a story about what it's like to be a woman (East and West), a story about the history of the last thirty or so perplexed and bloody years, a story about home.

Journal of the Librarian Who Went to Prison for Money By: Glennor Shirley Journal of the Librarian Who Went to Prison for Money discusses the positive transformation of prisoners who use prison libraries to educate themselves. The nation’s high rate of incarceration and high cost to taxpayers can be decreased with more emphasis on education. This book is unique because the letters from prisoners show their educational achievement after entering prison, and also humor, resilience, and the need for preparation for successful reentry. Readers can take away use more of taxpayers’ money to educate instead of incarcerate and provide more funds to prepare prisoners for successful reentry so prisoners become taxpayers.

How did a former mob enforcer become a compassionate advocate for animals in need of loving homes? How did his hardened heart open up to the plight of abused and abandoned pets? James "Head" Guiliani was an unlikely candidate to become a passionate animal rescuer. Raised in a religious family in a blue-collar neighborhood, James became involved in street gangs at a young age. By his mid-twenties, he'd become a 6'2" 250-pound enforcer for the Gambino crime family during the reign of infamous mob boss John Gotti. But after years of worsening alcohol and drug use and a stretch in the Riverhead Correctional Facility, James finally hit bottom. It was then that he met Lena Perrelli, who helped turn his life around, providing the love and support he'd rejected in the past. And when the couple rescued an abandoned and abused shih tzu, the second phase of James's salvation began. Lovingly named Bruno, the small dog opened the former enforcer's hardened heart, and James discovered a new purpose in life as a devoted animal rescuer. Dogfella tells how this onetime altar boy from Queens became a gang member, a mob confidante, an an addict and convicted felon -- and how he found redemption by dedicating his life to animals. Alongside his personal journey, James shares stories from his rescue missions with Keno's Animal Rescue Shelter in Brooklyn: saving pit bulls from a dogfighting ring, driving through six-foot snowdrifts to reach 200 cats stranded in a blizzard, taking in homeless ducks from Staten Island, and many more. Sometimes scary, sometimes funny, and often poignant, James's story shows how the love of an animal can bring even the most hopeless cases a new purpose and a path to redemption.